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ZJX controller described incident when controller was ordered to come to work after requesting sick leave for the shift.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 729159 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200703 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zjx.artcc |
| State Reference | FL |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 1.5 controller radar : 0.5 |
| ASRS Report | 729159 |
| Events | |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : zjx.artcc |
Narrative:
A controller from the south area of ZJX attempted to call in sick; requesting the use of sick leave. The supervisor on duty denied the controller's request for sick leave; and ordered the controller to report for duty. At approximately XA00 hours local time; this controller reported to work and was assigned to relieve me at the D67 position. The sick controller was quite obviously ill and stated that they had been ordered to work. Shortly after I was relieved and left the position; the sick controller vomited while at D67. I believe that the supervisor's actions created an unsafe situation. A sick controller should not be ordered to work when they feel they are unable to assume the duties of an operational position. A controller who is physically sick while on position is not safe. Not only did this supervisor compromise the safety of the system by placing an incapacitated controller on position; the supervisor also exposed the entire area to a possibly contagious illness. The FAA is traveling down a dangerous path by allowing supervisors to deny sick leave requests. This needs to stop now.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZJX CTLR DESCRIBED INCIDENT WHEN CTLR WAS ORDERED TO COME TO WORK AFTER REQUESTING SICK LEAVE FOR THE SHIFT.
Narrative: A CTLR FROM THE S AREA OF ZJX ATTEMPTED TO CALL IN SICK; REQUESTING THE USE OF SICK LEAVE. THE SUPVR ON DUTY DENIED THE CTLR'S REQUEST FOR SICK LEAVE; AND ORDERED THE CTLR TO RPT FOR DUTY. AT APPROX XA00 HRS LCL TIME; THIS CTLR RPTED TO WORK AND WAS ASSIGNED TO RELIEVE ME AT THE D67 POS. THE SICK CTLR WAS QUITE OBVIOUSLY ILL AND STATED THAT THEY HAD BEEN ORDERED TO WORK. SHORTLY AFTER I WAS RELIEVED AND LEFT THE POS; THE SICK CTLR VOMITED WHILE AT D67. I BELIEVE THAT THE SUPVR'S ACTIONS CREATED AN UNSAFE SITUATION. A SICK CTLR SHOULD NOT BE ORDERED TO WORK WHEN THEY FEEL THEY ARE UNABLE TO ASSUME THE DUTIES OF AN OPERATIONAL POS. A CTLR WHO IS PHYSICALLY SICK WHILE ON POS IS NOT SAFE. NOT ONLY DID THIS SUPVR COMPROMISE THE SAFETY OF THE SYS BY PLACING AN INCAPACITATED CTLR ON POS; THE SUPVR ALSO EXPOSED THE ENTIRE AREA TO A POSSIBLY CONTAGIOUS ILLNESS. THE FAA IS TRAVELING DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH BY ALLOWING SUPVRS TO DENY SICK LEAVE REQUESTS. THIS NEEDS TO STOP NOW.
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.