Narrative:

Got back from an all-nighter and arrived home at XA00. Got to sleep at XA30. Was woken up by the phone at XD30 by the crew desk to advise me of a trip for the next day with an XA00 departure. I didn't answer the phone because I was tired and sleeping. Fell back asleep eventually; and was woken up again by the crew desk at XE35; again to advise me of my trip for the next day. Again; I didn't answer the phone because I was tired and sleeping. Eventually fell asleep again; and was woken up for a third time; again by crew desk. This time I did answer the phone; and was berated by crew desk. It was like she had a personal vendetta against me. How dare I not answer the phone for an assignment when I was phone-available for 24 hours a day on long call after my trip. She threatened me to take the trip or else I'd have to deal with my flight office. I felt personally threatened talking with her. It didn't matter if I was asleep for only 4 hours in the last 24 hours; and was woken up 3 times (by her) during that 4 hours of sleep. I had to be talked to and take the trip immediately; 'or else' according to her. I told her I felt fatigued. I then asked to talk to the crew desk manager. I also felt like I was being pressured to take the trip with him. The manager told me that he advised me of my trip; and that was it. It didn't matter that common sense could have been used to avoid this situation altogether; but it wasn't. The crew desk could have called me once; realized that I was probably sleeping due to the all-nighter I just flew; and called me back at a much later; more appropriate time. They had to wake me 3 separate times though. I hung up the phone after I spoke with the manager. I called back the crew desk a few mins later; this time after a shift change. I realized that the manager had assigned me the trip an hour before my arrival. I called in fatigued. I spoke with 2 additional crew desk employees. The first was very understanding; but the second was not. The second insisted I give him a time I was available the next day to work. I told him that I couldn't tell him when I would wake up and feel better. How does someone know that? I felt pressured to give them a time of availability. What if I gave them a time; was assigned a trip at that exact time; and still didn't feel well enough to fly? I'd be in trouble all over again. I was acting responsibly; and the company wasn't. As a matter of fact; the company never acts responsibly these days. I feel pressured to fly every assignment I get. I'm constantly harassed on the phone by the crew desk. Every assignment. Every day. That's no way to treat your employees. I have a responsibility to myself; my captain; my passenger; and the FAA (an FAA requirement for crying out loud) to be fit to fly. If I'm being threatened; harassed; and berated to accept a trip or else face consequences; I have a hard time being fit to fly. I don't understand this company. It never used to be like this. I guess that's what happens when you run an understaffed airline and you do anything possible to cover a trip; to include intimidation; harassment; and berating. The FAA needs to look at these practices instead of turning its head and looking the other way all the time. Something serious is going to happen here or somewhere else if they don't. That'd be tragic. Because it's totally avoidable! Is anyone listening? I feel pressured doing my job on a daily basis. We all are being pressured.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RESERVE B757-200 FO RELATES INTIMIDATING FLT CREW SCHEDULING PRACTICES EMPLOYED BY HIS AIRLINE. FEELS SCHEDULERS TOTALLY DISREGARD THE NEED FOR FLT CREWS TO BE PHYSIOLOGICALLY PREPARED FOR FLT ASSIGNMENTS; CALLING NUMEROUS TIMES WITH NO REGARD FOR THE PLTS' NEED FOR REST. STRESSES HIS CASE IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT BUT RATHER A CONSISTENT; DEBILITATING AND PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE.

Narrative: GOT BACK FROM AN ALL-NIGHTER AND ARRIVED HOME AT XA00. GOT TO SLEEP AT XA30. WAS WOKEN UP BY THE PHONE AT XD30 BY THE CREW DESK TO ADVISE ME OF A TRIP FOR THE NEXT DAY WITH AN XA00 DEP. I DIDN'T ANSWER THE PHONE BECAUSE I WAS TIRED AND SLEEPING. FELL BACK ASLEEP EVENTUALLY; AND WAS WOKEN UP AGAIN BY THE CREW DESK AT XE35; AGAIN TO ADVISE ME OF MY TRIP FOR THE NEXT DAY. AGAIN; I DIDN'T ANSWER THE PHONE BECAUSE I WAS TIRED AND SLEEPING. EVENTUALLY FELL ASLEEP AGAIN; AND WAS WOKEN UP FOR A THIRD TIME; AGAIN BY CREW DESK. THIS TIME I DID ANSWER THE PHONE; AND WAS BERATED BY CREW DESK. IT WAS LIKE SHE HAD A PERSONAL VENDETTA AGAINST ME. HOW DARE I NOT ANSWER THE PHONE FOR AN ASSIGNMENT WHEN I WAS PHONE-AVAILABLE FOR 24 HRS A DAY ON LONG CALL AFTER MY TRIP. SHE THREATENED ME TO TAKE THE TRIP OR ELSE I'D HAVE TO DEAL WITH MY FLT OFFICE. I FELT PERSONALLY THREATENED TALKING WITH HER. IT DIDN'T MATTER IF I WAS ASLEEP FOR ONLY 4 HRS IN THE LAST 24 HRS; AND WAS WOKEN UP 3 TIMES (BY HER) DURING THAT 4 HRS OF SLEEP. I HAD TO BE TALKED TO AND TAKE THE TRIP IMMEDIATELY; 'OR ELSE' ACCORDING TO HER. I TOLD HER I FELT FATIGUED. I THEN ASKED TO TALK TO THE CREW DESK MGR. I ALSO FELT LIKE I WAS BEING PRESSURED TO TAKE THE TRIP WITH HIM. THE MGR TOLD ME THAT HE ADVISED ME OF MY TRIP; AND THAT WAS IT. IT DIDN'T MATTER THAT COMMON SENSE COULD HAVE BEEN USED TO AVOID THIS SITUATION ALTOGETHER; BUT IT WASN'T. THE CREW DESK COULD HAVE CALLED ME ONCE; REALIZED THAT I WAS PROBABLY SLEEPING DUE TO THE ALL-NIGHTER I JUST FLEW; AND CALLED ME BACK AT A MUCH LATER; MORE APPROPRIATE TIME. THEY HAD TO WAKE ME 3 SEPARATE TIMES THOUGH. I HUNG UP THE PHONE AFTER I SPOKE WITH THE MGR. I CALLED BACK THE CREW DESK A FEW MINS LATER; THIS TIME AFTER A SHIFT CHANGE. I REALIZED THAT THE MGR HAD ASSIGNED ME THE TRIP AN HOUR BEFORE MY ARRIVAL. I CALLED IN FATIGUED. I SPOKE WITH 2 ADDITIONAL CREW DESK EMPLOYEES. THE FIRST WAS VERY UNDERSTANDING; BUT THE SECOND WAS NOT. THE SECOND INSISTED I GIVE HIM A TIME I WAS AVAILABLE THE NEXT DAY TO WORK. I TOLD HIM THAT I COULDN'T TELL HIM WHEN I WOULD WAKE UP AND FEEL BETTER. HOW DOES SOMEONE KNOW THAT? I FELT PRESSURED TO GIVE THEM A TIME OF AVAILABILITY. WHAT IF I GAVE THEM A TIME; WAS ASSIGNED A TRIP AT THAT EXACT TIME; AND STILL DIDN'T FEEL WELL ENOUGH TO FLY? I'D BE IN TROUBLE ALL OVER AGAIN. I WAS ACTING RESPONSIBLY; AND THE COMPANY WASN'T. AS A MATTER OF FACT; THE COMPANY NEVER ACTS RESPONSIBLY THESE DAYS. I FEEL PRESSURED TO FLY EVERY ASSIGNMENT I GET. I'M CONSTANTLY HARASSED ON THE PHONE BY THE CREW DESK. EVERY ASSIGNMENT. EVERY DAY. THAT'S NO WAY TO TREAT YOUR EMPLOYEES. I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO MYSELF; MY CAPT; MY PAX; AND THE FAA (AN FAA REQUIREMENT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD) TO BE FIT TO FLY. IF I'M BEING THREATENED; HARASSED; AND BERATED TO ACCEPT A TRIP OR ELSE FACE CONSEQUENCES; I HAVE A HARD TIME BEING FIT TO FLY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS COMPANY. IT NEVER USED TO BE LIKE THIS. I GUESS THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RUN AN UNDERSTAFFED AIRLINE AND YOU DO ANYTHING POSSIBLE TO COVER A TRIP; TO INCLUDE INTIMIDATION; HARASSMENT; AND BERATING. THE FAA NEEDS TO LOOK AT THESE PRACTICES INSTEAD OF TURNING ITS HEAD AND LOOKING THE OTHER WAY ALL THE TIME. SOMETHING SERIOUS IS GOING TO HAPPEN HERE OR SOMEWHERE ELSE IF THEY DON'T. THAT'D BE TRAGIC. BECAUSE IT'S TOTALLY AVOIDABLE! IS ANYONE LISTENING? I FEEL PRESSURED DOING MY JOB ON A DAILY BASIS. WE ALL ARE BEING PRESSURED.

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.