You sure hit the nail on the head with that one. I'd like to see that graph too. What a concept, make people fly far worse schedules, and they start getting sicker....doesn't seem like it would be that tough to make that connection.

I'd also like to see if sick leave usage is actually up significantly for people under 60. For people closer to retirement, perhaps they are getting sicker, but perhaps they are burning their sick leave before they go. And there are a lot of people close to retirement. Who knows.

 

I'm confused or perhaps just under-informed (it happens ) or fatigue might be clouding my comprehension abilities .

These were a portion of the published comments this week:
Soooo, is the real subject use of Regular Sick bank or use of DSA sick? It seems to me that the 'good faith'/holiday provisions of 14.A.6. to provide a doc note applies more to the regular sick bank than the DSA bank. I say this because there is specific language in 14.D.2.a. about a greater expectation to provide documentation when using DSA (I expect it).
Seems like an 'apples and oranges' thing. Somebody who got a good night's sleep figure it out and get back to me.

 

I think I already mentioned this once. I took July off for tendinitis I had in May and June. Good drugs and PT, good to go. Essentially, the PAC called me and wanted to know if I wanted to use 30 hours of my DSA vice sick since I only had 28 hours in my sick account. I said sure.

It would not take to many examples like this to spike DSA account usage above normal. Did the company create an anomaly as an excuse to change the rules?

 

FlybyKnite, that is a pretty astute observation. Now I'm really curious. So DSA sick going up is the "problem"....but what about overall sick? What does DSA sick usage have to do with sick leave abuse? Many of the people dipping into their DSA sick bank are sick for several months, I've seen people who were sick for the entire year. People are getting cancer, having heart attacks, and I swear I can't bear to hear about another great guy in his fifties dropping dead. I don't even want to read the FCIFs any more.

And if the concern is about the increase in DSA usage, why isn't the computer particularly flagging those people who have used it? I don't think I've ever gone into my DSA bank.

I wonder if FDXLAG has the answer: "It would not take to many examples like this to spike DSA account usage above normal. Did the company create an anomaly as an excuse to change the rules?"

 

I like the fact that in a 3 yr period (2010 to present) our avg age has only gone up 1 yr.

 

Considering that we have hired just a trickle, this doesn't even make sense!

 

Did Speedy retire? I think he was over 100, so just him leaving drops the overall age a few years.

 

Maybe it's like dog years in reverse. Must be the haz keeping us young.

Or perhaps when all the age 65 and older flight engineers retired this summer, it compensated for the fact that yes, we really all did age three years, in the last three years.

 

It is all of those round the world trips going westward.

 

Took a nap, so I'm good for at least one post.

Can't believe that a company with so many ex-military folks they can't figure out the increased DSA equation. If you've been in Gov't service, your know your budget $$ are only good for the current fiscal year-- you either USE IT or LOSE IT! And we became well practiced in the art of spending in September.

So, it shouldn't take a rocket scientist to apply the same principle to DSA accounts and come up with a plausible theory. If you don't use it before your exit the building, you Lose It . So what is at stake for someone who will never get to 686 hrs? Assume 500 hour DSA @ 15year seniority: narrow body FO = $81,000 and wide body Capt = $130,000. Quite a [hidden] windfall for the company!! (Think accepted fares).

Perhaps if the company wants to solve this math problem, they should consider some type of DSA payout when you exit the building. I mean it's not too late, we are in Section 6 negotiations. Wait!-- I'm hallucinating -- need another nap!