Concur ALPA needs to formally address BM, as this policy is in conflict with the meaning & intent of sect 3-1930 of the FAA Federal codes, as well as the federal HIPPA law 45CFR 160.103.

Furthermore his statement lacks credibility in denying that there is no positive correlation to an aging crew force, more demanding schedules, less rest, less days off, and the inability to modify one's schedule to sick leave utilization. An intellectually bankrupt "argument".

As I'm riled up about the issue personally, but if flt ops management wants to play hardball & pilot push, then perhaps ALPA needs to communicate with the FAA POI, regarding sect 3-1930, that SPECIFICALLY STATES, "...the decision to call in sick should not be influenced by the fear of company reprisals...These policies and procedures should not discourage flightcrew members from taking sick leave when they are ill."

The following excerpt is from the FAA’s Code of Federal Regulations.

3-1930 CREW MEDICAL QUALIFICATION AND PROCEDURES DURING TEMPORARY MEDICAL DEFICIENCY.

A. Responsibility of Operators and Flight crew Members. Title 14 CFR part 61, § 61.53 and 14 CFR part 63, § 63.19 preclude required flight crew members from flight duty while they have a known medical or physical deficiency. These sections rely solely on the ability of flight crew members to honestly determine their medical fitness. It is incumbent on individual airmen to be certain that they have no illness or physical impairment that would affect their medical fitness for flight. The NTSB believes that air carrier operators should share the responsibility for verifying flight crew members medical fitness for flight duty. However, it is not always easy for operators to determine the extent of a crewmember’s medical fitness. In order to maintain the highest level of safety, required flightcrew members must not fly under conditions that would make them unable to meet the requirements for their current medical certificate. This decision should not be influenced by fear of company reprisals.

B. POI Responsibility. POIs [principal operations inspectors] should encourage their assigned air carriers to have established sick leave policies and procedures, especially those concerning the release of flightcrew members from duty when they develop sudden temporary illnesses, such as colds, flu, or fevers. These policies and procedures should not discourage flightcrew members from taking sick leave when they are ill.

Pilots also have an “I’m Safe” checklist that is to be performed before they even sit behind the controls of any aircraft. “I’m Safe” is a mnemonic used by pilots to make sure they are fit to fly and is interpreted as [the following definitions have been taken directly from the FAA Risk Management Handbook FAA-H-8083-2]:

Illness. Am I sick? Illness is an obvious pilot risk.
Medication. Am I taking any medicines that might affect my judgment or make me drowsy?
Stress. Am I under psychological pressure from the job? Do I have money, health, or family problems? Stress causes concentration and performance problems.
Alcohol. Have I been drinking within 8 hours? Within 24 hours? As little as one ounce of liquor, one bottle of beer, or four ounces of wine can impair flying skills. Alcohol also renders a pilot more susceptible to disorientation and hypoxia.
Fatigue. Am I tired and not adequately rested? Fatigue continues to be one of the most insidious hazards to flight safety, as it may not be apparent to a pilot until serious errors are made.
Emotion. Have I experienced any emotionally upsetting event?
So not only are you as a crewmember fighting the symptoms of your illness, but you are also fighting your company regarding its attendance policy. While flying you are experiencing stress, worrying about how you will be disciplined if you call off sick or fatigued. To me it seems that every item (except for alcohol) on the IMSAFE checklist is affected when a pilot is ill.