MaxKts

Just ask them if they understand the FAA definition of "unfit for duty" and they will not bother you.

MaydayMark

Years ago I called my ACP and explained that my wife needed brain surgery and that I needed some time off. He told me he could approve "unpaid leave eligible for Make Up." I told him I wondered if the FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT applied???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_...ve_Act_of_1993

Very long stort short ... after consulting with Corporate Legal (I assume), he called me back and said yes. He said I could call in sick and asked that I give Scheduling the courtesy of not calling in SCK at the last second (a reasonable request). He told me that if I used up all my sick leave to call him and he would arrange to move my vacation.

I ended up dropping only a few trips to sick leave because several friends were nice enough to BUMP me off trips. The IOE scheduler BUMP'd me off a few trips ...

Thank you management and scheduling for your assistance ...

MM

PS ... The FMLA provisions have since been written into our CBA

CloudSailor

MaydayMark,

The FMLA and how it might relate to sick time and/or disability, is what prompted me to think about MUS in the first place. Thanks for sharing.

MD114Ever

FlyinHigh, I was taking your side for the most part in this discussion. I have a full sick bank and I'm looking forward to 15 years of excess sick bank contributions to my 401K. Once I reach 60 or so, I may choose to not protect my sick bank as much as I do now. But, I may be sick more often then, also. Having a full sick bank makes sense to me if one has enough time and good health to build one.

Flyinhigh

Our daughter had open heart surgery several years ago. Called my ACP and the first question he asked was "What do you need and what can I do?" Approved use of sick leave so I could be off. He sent me texts every so often checking on our daughter. One of the good guys.
For what it's worth, this seemed to me to be the norm at FedEx rather than some of the other stories you hear.

Flyinhigh

A full sick bank was a great comfort to me if something catastrophic would have happened. Had a couple of friends that had major surgery and they were grateful for the full bank.
I was fortunate enough to have some senority and got PDO bumped some of the time. Since I would have been working anyway, I would jump into open time and pick up an easy trip in MUS or MUD. Put the hours back in the sick bank and then cash them into the 401 at the end of the year.

golfandfly

All of this is a matter of personal preference.

I like to keep a big sick bank and, if possible, have some time over 686 credited to my Vanguard account. Fortunately, I haven't had any big medical problems come up for me and my family. But, just as I don't expect to total my car, I still have insurance. A fat sick bank works for me.

That said, if I'm sick, I use sick leave. That's what it's there for. I've made up sick leave a couple of times, but I haven't done it for years. I have a large make up bank and if I choose to pick up a trip, I'd rather get paid for it now.

One of the biggest pitfalls of MUS or MUD (and I also believe MUV) is that they are not pay protected. If your trip cancels, you don't get guarantee. I have no idea why this is the case, it seems to me that it should be no different (and just credit MUS or MUD as appropriate), but it is.

Most people don't retire with a full sick bank. Especially with age 65, people's health gets worse and it's the time to get that shoulder procedure done (right George?). It's also pay protection for those older years when you are probably going to need it more. Just another opinion...

fdx727pilot

I tip I picked up from a Flt Ops Administrator along the way: If you suffer an injury or problem that will keep you out more than a month or so (broken wrist in my case,) contact your FOA (at the PAC nowadays, I guess,) and arrange to have the time taken out of your disability account from the start. Although this requires a note from your doctor, if you're going to be out more than a month, that shouldn't be a problem.

What this does is leaves your current year sick bank intact to use later in the year. If you don't do this and deplete your sick bank, you will have to dip into your disability bank if you come down with anything that requires you to call in sick. Therefore, to be paid for a trip if you call in sick with say, a cold, you will have to get a doctor's note before the company will pay the trip out of disability. This will need to be done anytime you call in sick with a zero sick bank.

MaydayMark

I'm not sure that's true? I think the CBA says that Management 'can' require a doctor's note to dip into your Disability Bank?

The only time I ever used all my sick leave for the year, I emailed my ACP and asked if I needed his approval to use my Disability Bank. He said yes and that he would take care of it. The next thing I knew I received an email cc from the ACP to a Flight Ops Specialist saying it had been "Approved." End of conversation ...

CloudSailor

Also for what it's worth, this seems to be the norm from everything I have personally experienced (in my short time here), and from 97% of the stories I hear.