 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Flight crew complaint about a proposed company sick leave policy.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 91378 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198808 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz |
| State Reference | US |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 81378 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Airline is about to implement a sick leave policy which will coerce flight crews to fly when they are not physically fit or else be fired. After 4 unrelated illnesses in a year you meet with the chief pilot. Five unrelated illnesses and you are sent to a company doctor and after 6 you are fired. Even if this new policy is not actually enforced, it applies perceived pressure on pilots to fly no matter how they feel, sick or not. It will lead to pilots self medicating out of fear of losing their jobs. Do you remember a military mishap several yrs ago? A marine corps eagb crashed during a night carrier landing. The pilot was sick and self medicating. He flew because of perceived pressure being applied to him at the command level. I was a pallbearer for the funeral of one of the aircrew killed in that mishap. It could have been prevented. I hope we can prevent it this time. Association is attempting to address this new policy, however they really don't have any power to influence the mgt in this case.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW COMPLAINT ABOUT A PROPOSED COMPANY SICK LEAVE POLICY.
Narrative: AIRLINE IS ABOUT TO IMPLEMENT A SICK LEAVE POLICY WHICH WILL COERCE FLT CREWS TO FLY WHEN THEY ARE NOT PHYSICALLY FIT OR ELSE BE FIRED. AFTER 4 UNRELATED ILLNESSES IN A YEAR YOU MEET WITH THE CHIEF PLT. FIVE UNRELATED ILLNESSES AND YOU ARE SENT TO A COMPANY DOCTOR AND AFTER 6 YOU ARE FIRED. EVEN IF THIS NEW POLICY IS NOT ACTUALLY ENFORCED, IT APPLIES PERCEIVED PRESSURE ON PLTS TO FLY NO MATTER HOW THEY FEEL, SICK OR NOT. IT WILL LEAD TO PLTS SELF MEDICATING OUT OF FEAR OF LOSING THEIR JOBS. DO YOU REMEMBER A MIL MISHAP SEVERAL YRS AGO? A MARINE CORPS EAGB CRASHED DURING A NIGHT CARRIER LNDG. THE PLT WAS SICK AND SELF MEDICATING. HE FLEW BECAUSE OF PERCEIVED PRESSURE BEING APPLIED TO HIM AT THE COMMAND LEVEL. I WAS A PALLBEARER FOR THE FUNERAL OF ONE OF THE AIRCREW KILLED IN THAT MISHAP. IT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. I HOPE WE CAN PREVENT IT THIS TIME. ASSOCIATION IS ATTEMPTING TO ADDRESS THIS NEW POLICY, HOWEVER THEY REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY PWR TO INFLUENCE THE MGT IN THIS CASE.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.