Narrative:

While checking in with gate agent; she advised that our flight attendants were already on board; and laughed saying that we would not be able to hear the purser because she had a terrible case of laryngitis. When I attempted to brief the flight attendants; it was painfully obvious that she had almost no voice at all! I asked her if she would be able to perform her duties and 'bark' her commands if an evacuate/evacuation were necessary. She replied that she would do her best and then told me that she had called the crew desk earlier and asked how the coverage was. Naturally it was non existent. She relayed to me that she really did not want to call in sick because of the sick leave policy. She stated that she did not really feel that bad; but she was also worried about her voice and ability to give commands during an evacuate/evacuation if necessary. She also stated that when she checked in for this flight; she went to a supervisor and told him/her about her concerns. The supervisor told her that she should just let someone else do the communications with cockpit and PA announcements! I find it very disturbing that intimidation from our 'sick leave policy' was making this flight attendant go to work not knowing if she could properly perform her duties. Not to mention that I nor any of the rest of the crew appreciated being exposed to her virus! I also wonder what the health/safety auths (osha) would think about a flight attendant serving meals/drinks with a contagious condition? I was tempted to ask her to pull herself from the flight; but at such short notice; I knew that we would be greatly delayed if not canceled. I advised her that if she wished to continue; that she must grab a megaphone immediately if the need for any emergency condition developed. She felt comfortable with this and even 'keyed' up the megaphone to see if she could be heard properly. Thanks for letting me state my concerns.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CAPT EXPRESSES HIS CONCERN ABOUT A FLT ATTENDANT FLYING WITH LARYNGITIS BECAUSE SHE MIGHT NOT BE HEARD AND OR MAKE OTHERS ILL.

Narrative: WHILE CHKING IN WITH GATE AGENT; SHE ADVISED THAT OUR FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ALREADY ON BOARD; AND LAUGHED SAYING THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR THE PURSER BECAUSE SHE HAD A TERRIBLE CASE OF LARYNGITIS. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO BRIEF THE FLT ATTENDANTS; IT WAS PAINFULLY OBVIOUS THAT SHE HAD ALMOST NO VOICE AT ALL! I ASKED HER IF SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO PERFORM HER DUTIES AND 'BARK' HER COMMANDS IF AN EVAC WERE NECESSARY. SHE REPLIED THAT SHE WOULD DO HER BEST AND THEN TOLD ME THAT SHE HAD CALLED THE CREW DESK EARLIER AND ASKED HOW THE COVERAGE WAS. NATURALLY IT WAS NON EXISTENT. SHE RELAYED TO ME THAT SHE REALLY DID NOT WANT TO CALL IN SICK BECAUSE OF THE SICK LEAVE POLICY. SHE STATED THAT SHE DID NOT REALLY FEEL THAT BAD; BUT SHE WAS ALSO WORRIED ABOUT HER VOICE AND ABILITY TO GIVE COMMANDS DURING AN EVAC IF NECESSARY. SHE ALSO STATED THAT WHEN SHE CHKED IN FOR THIS FLT; SHE WENT TO A SUPVR AND TOLD HIM/HER ABOUT HER CONCERNS. THE SUPVR TOLD HER THAT SHE SHOULD JUST LET SOMEONE ELSE DO THE COMS WITH COCKPIT AND PA ANNOUNCEMENTS! I FIND IT VERY DISTURBING THAT INTIMIDATION FROM OUR 'SICK LEAVE POLICY' WAS MAKING THIS FLT ATTENDANT GO TO WORK NOT KNOWING IF SHE COULD PROPERLY PERFORM HER DUTIES. NOT TO MENTION THAT I NOR ANY OF THE REST OF THE CREW APPRECIATED BEING EXPOSED TO HER VIRUS! I ALSO WONDER WHAT THE HEALTH/SAFETY AUTHS (OSHA) WOULD THINK ABOUT A FLT ATTENDANT SERVING MEALS/DRINKS WITH A CONTAGIOUS CONDITION? I WAS TEMPTED TO ASK HER TO PULL HERSELF FROM THE FLT; BUT AT SUCH SHORT NOTICE; I KNEW THAT WE WOULD BE GREATLY DELAYED IF NOT CANCELED. I ADVISED HER THAT IF SHE WISHED TO CONTINUE; THAT SHE MUST GRAB A MEGAPHONE IMMEDIATELY IF THE NEED FOR ANY EMER CONDITION DEVELOPED. SHE FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS AND EVEN 'KEYED' UP THE MEGAPHONE TO SEE IF SHE COULD BE HEARD PROPERLY. THANKS FOR LETTING ME STATE MY CONCERNS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.