Narrative:

When I started my flight attendant briefing; I only talked to 2 of the flight attendants. The purser wasn't able to talk to me because he was very sick and could barely talk. He quickly mentioned that he had been up for a long time since a tree in his yard had fallen into a neighbor's house. Because of the intense wind and rain storm in the area; he had not obtained much sleep and was now fatigued and sick. I tried talking him out of flying and suggested that he should call in sick; but his response was that he would get fired if he called in sick. One of the other flight attendants; who was 1 yr new; then told me that during new hire training they were told that if they called in sick while on probation they would be fired. In hindsight; I feel that our purser with barely a voice to talk should not have been allowed to perform his duties. It would have been a very interesting situation; him trying to lead an evacuate/evacuation. Not only that; but also infecting the passenger and the rest of the crew members.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT REPORTS A SICK AND FATIGUED FLT ATTENDANT WOULD NOT CALL OFF THE TRIP SICK BECAUSE OF TERMINATION THREATS FROM THE ACR.

Narrative: WHEN I STARTED MY FLT ATTENDANT BRIEFING; I ONLY TALKED TO 2 OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THE PURSER WASN'T ABLE TO TALK TO ME BECAUSE HE WAS VERY SICK AND COULD BARELY TALK. HE QUICKLY MENTIONED THAT HE HAD BEEN UP FOR A LONG TIME SINCE A TREE IN HIS YARD HAD FALLEN INTO A NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. BECAUSE OF THE INTENSE WIND AND RAIN STORM IN THE AREA; HE HAD NOT OBTAINED MUCH SLEEP AND WAS NOW FATIGUED AND SICK. I TRIED TALKING HIM OUT OF FLYING AND SUGGESTED THAT HE SHOULD CALL IN SICK; BUT HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT HE WOULD GET FIRED IF HE CALLED IN SICK. ONE OF THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS; WHO WAS 1 YR NEW; THEN TOLD ME THAT DURING NEW HIRE TRAINING THEY WERE TOLD THAT IF THEY CALLED IN SICK WHILE ON PROBATION THEY WOULD BE FIRED. IN HINDSIGHT; I FEEL THAT OUR PURSER WITH BARELY A VOICE TO TALK SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO PERFORM HIS DUTIES. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY INTERESTING SITUATION; HIM TRYING TO LEAD AN EVAC. NOT ONLY THAT; BUT ALSO INFECTING THE PAX AND THE REST OF THE CREW MEMBERS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.