Narrative:

This was the second day of our trip together and preparation for leg #4 to be followed by a scheduled 8 hour 32 min reduced rest. As I boarded the new aircraft for this leg; I noticed the flight attendant just sitting in the front for passenger seat. When I finished stowing my bags and got the AC packs operating; she approached me and said she was not feeling too well but thought she might be ok if she could make it to the hotel for the overnight. She did not look well to me and I questioned further as to the level of her nausea. I advised her that given what she had told me; she should call in sick. If everything went smoothly she might be able to get through the next leg but that is not how one must evaluate ability to perform safely. One must evaluate if they could truly perform at a sufficient level to handle the worst case emergency; if the answer is anything less than absolutely; then a sick call was warranted. She proceeded to tell me that only recently in flight attendant training she had been told that if a captain was refusing her that she was to challenge it and remain on the flight. She also stated; 'if I call in sick I'm afraid that will put my job in jeopardy.' we talked more and I explained that our responsibility as a crew was to recognize when our individual performance was impaired such that safety of our passenger would be adversely affected. In this case; I believed it would be prudent to go home and get well rather than expect an 8 hour 'rest' time off duty to be much help mending whatever was physically impacting her then. An 8 hour rest often does little to refresh and rejuvenate. I said I would not leave her to deal with scheduling and management alone but that I intended to write a report. I assured her that if management gave her any trouble whatsoever; to please give me a call. She then stated for a second time that she 'was afraid for her job; because of calling in sick with less than 2 hours notice.' I went with her and called flight attendant scheduling around XA45 on aug/xx/08. I confirmed with scheduling that there were ready reserve flight attendants available and then explained to the scheduler that I had a flight attendant who needed to go home sick; she was not in any condition to perform her required flight duties at the necessary safety level. I gave the phone to the flight attendant and she was released to go home sick. I am concerned with the amount of time and persuasion involved necessary to achieve a successful flight safety outcome. The flight attendant called me 3 days later and thanked me for convincing her to go home. That night she had to go to the hospital and remained in the hospital for 2 days. She said; 'I would have not made it to the overnight; and it would have been a mess.' as a captain this is the second time in less than a yr I have had a crew member tell me they were not willing to call in sick for fear of their job. It is a great safety concern how the sick polices of this company are affecting safety of the everyday operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ-200 CAPT NOTICED BETWEEN FLIGHTS A FLT ATTENDANT LOOKED TOO ILL TO CONTINUE SO HE TOLD HER TO CALL IN SICK.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE SECOND DAY OF OUR TRIP TOGETHER AND PREPARATION FOR LEG #4 TO BE FOLLOWED BY A SCHEDULED 8 HR 32 MIN REDUCED REST. AS I BOARDED THE NEW ACFT FOR THIS LEG; I NOTICED THE FLT ATTENDANT JUST SITTING IN THE FRONT FOR PAX SEAT. WHEN I FINISHED STOWING MY BAGS AND GOT THE AC PACKS OPERATING; SHE APCHED ME AND SAID SHE WAS NOT FEELING TOO WELL BUT THOUGHT SHE MIGHT BE OK IF SHE COULD MAKE IT TO THE HOTEL FOR THE OVERNIGHT. SHE DID NOT LOOK WELL TO ME AND I QUESTIONED FURTHER AS TO THE LEVEL OF HER NAUSEA. I ADVISED HER THAT GIVEN WHAT SHE HAD TOLD ME; SHE SHOULD CALL IN SICK. IF EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY SHE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THE NEXT LEG BUT THAT IS NOT HOW ONE MUST EVALUATE ABILITY TO PERFORM SAFELY. ONE MUST EVALUATE IF THEY COULD TRULY PERFORM AT A SUFFICIENT LEVEL TO HANDLE THE WORST CASE EMER; IF THE ANSWER IS ANYTHING LESS THAN ABSOLUTELY; THEN A SICK CALL WAS WARRANTED. SHE PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT ONLY RECENTLY IN FLT ATTENDANT TRAINING SHE HAD BEEN TOLD THAT IF A CAPT WAS REFUSING HER THAT SHE WAS TO CHALLENGE IT AND REMAIN ON THE FLT. SHE ALSO STATED; 'IF I CALL IN SICK I'M AFRAID THAT WILL PUT MY JOB IN JEOPARDY.' WE TALKED MORE AND I EXPLAINED THAT OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A CREW WAS TO RECOGNIZE WHEN OUR INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE WAS IMPAIRED SUCH THAT SAFETY OF OUR PAX WOULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED. IN THIS CASE; I BELIEVED IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO GO HOME AND GET WELL RATHER THAN EXPECT AN 8 HR 'REST' TIME OFF DUTY TO BE MUCH HELP MENDING WHATEVER WAS PHYSICALLY IMPACTING HER THEN. AN 8 HR REST OFTEN DOES LITTLE TO REFRESH AND REJUVENATE. I SAID I WOULD NOT LEAVE HER TO DEAL WITH SCHEDULING AND MGMNT ALONE BUT THAT I INTENDED TO WRITE A REPORT. I ASSURED HER THAT IF MGMNT GAVE HER ANY TROUBLE WHATSOEVER; TO PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL. SHE THEN STATED FOR A SECOND TIME THAT SHE 'WAS AFRAID FOR HER JOB; BECAUSE OF CALLING IN SICK WITH LESS THAN 2 HRS NOTICE.' I WENT WITH HER AND CALLED FLT ATTENDANT SCHEDULING AROUND XA45 ON AUG/XX/08. I CONFIRMED WITH SCHEDULING THAT THERE WERE READY RESERVE FLT ATTENDANTS AVAILABLE AND THEN EXPLAINED TO THE SCHEDULER THAT I HAD A FLT ATTENDANT WHO NEEDED TO GO HOME SICK; SHE WAS NOT IN ANY CONDITION TO PERFORM HER REQUIRED FLT DUTIES AT THE NECESSARY SAFETY LEVEL. I GAVE THE PHONE TO THE FLT ATTENDANT AND SHE WAS RELEASED TO GO HOME SICK. I AM CONCERNED WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND PERSUASION INVOLVED NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL FLT SAFETY OUTCOME. THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ME 3 DAYS LATER AND THANKED ME FOR CONVINCING HER TO GO HOME. THAT NIGHT SHE HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND REMAINED IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 2 DAYS. SHE SAID; 'I WOULD HAVE NOT MADE IT TO THE OVERNIGHT; AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MESS.' AS A CAPT THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN A YR I HAVE HAD A CREW MEMBER TELL ME THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO CALL IN SICK FOR FEAR OF THEIR JOB. IT IS A GREAT SAFETY CONCERN HOW THE SICK POLICES OF THIS COMPANY ARE AFFECTING SAFETY OF THE EVERYDAY OPS.

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.