Originally Posted by
TonyC
No, it's not a long history of requesting "information." Having a physician vouch that you were sick was as far as it goes. And that's as far as it should ever go. If The Company does believe you, they can remove you from trips with pay and have you pay their Aeromedical Advisor a visit.
What our CBA has a history of is The Company requiring "a pilot to provide the System Chief Pilot’s designee with a written statement from the pilot’s physician explaining his inability to perform his assigned duties because of illness or injury IF the Company has a good faith, and objective reason to question a pilot’s use or attempted use of sick leave;"
And the way I read it, that's exactly what RF's FCIF said.
There have been many posts on here with pilots saying they are just going to go to their doctor and have a note saying that they were seen in the office. There were even pilots posting links on this board to websites where you can get doctors' notes over the internet without being seen in an office.
You yourself pointed out that the CBA (for as long as I can remember) has had the "explaining his inability to perform his assigned duties" phrase. I don't think by any stretch "Pilot X was seen in my office on Thursday." explains an inability to perform assigned duties. But some people twist that into saying you need to give the company a detailed medical history complete with pictures, and that's also not what RF's FCIF said. "Pilot X was seen in my office for an arm injury." "Pilot X was seen in my office for a GI disorder." Broad terms, nothing specific.
Originally Posted by
TonyC
There's nothing in there about a secret point system.
It says an "objective" reason. Personally, I think the point system is better than the previous unknown "subjective" system of "we think there might be an issue." Now, I agree that we should be privy to the point system. That shouldn't be a secret and we should know what criteria we are being held to (although I can see some problems with releasing the point system as well).
Originally Posted by
TonyC
And there's nothing in there describing what the physician has to say, or what verbiage will not be acceptable.
.
Um, yes it kind of does. See above. The note has to "explain the inability to perform his assigned duties." And that's what my physician's notes will say. No more. No less.