Originally Posted by
Timbo
That... and here's something nobody has mentioned yet, in regard to how much sick leave pilots are using:
How much MORE are pilots FLYING now? How many more days per month are they working?
Back in the day... we had a 75 hour cap, and most lines typically worked 12 days a month, and that was 727 domestic. Your line was either four 3 day trips, 3 on, 4 off, or three 4 day trips, 4 on, 6 off. If you got sick you might not even have to drop a trip, because you had at least 4 days off to recover, maybe 6 days.
Now guys are flying a lot more. Some go right up to the FAR's, 100hrs. In 28 days, working 16-20 days a month.
Now you get a simple head cold. Now you've got to drop a 25-30+ hour, 4-5 day trip. That was your 'time off' back when we had a 75 hour cap. I can't even remember how many times I was sick as soon as I got back from a trip, spent my days off, or my vacation days in bed, SICK, only to get well, just in time to fly my next trip.
BUT... I didn't have to call in sick as often, because I had a lot more TIME OFF when we were only flying 75 hours, and 12 days, a month!
Also, some of our trips are now worth more hours than they were just a few years ago. The crappy 3 days worth 10:30 (30 hour sits + redeyes, UIO turns, etc) are now all worth 15:45. That in itself has an impact/increase in our alleged sick usage uptick through NO change in our behavior.
*Warning Public Math Problem*
Pilot A calls in sick pre C12 for 1 3 day trip in the sick year. He uses 10:30 of sick time.
The same pilot calls in sick for the same exact rotation in 2015, and doesn't use another minute. His total sick usage for the year is now 15:45.
Q: How much more sick time did this pilot use in the second sick year vs the first?
I'm with Carl (what the hell is going on this week?
) in that I want to see proof of alleged sick abuse before I get on board with this witch hunt. I have no doubt there are a few out there doing things they shouldn't, but I'm tired of feeling like an unethical POS every time I get a head cold and have to use the negotiated benefit provided for in our PWA.
My sick leave hours have gone up YOY, mostly due to Timbo's reason above, combined with 5:15 ADG, and the fact that I fall squarely in the "living with little kids" category. Anyone can make a spreadsheet support their position - it's all in the assumptions and basis of the data. Garbage in, garbage out
