Been here 32 years. Never had a sick call questioned or been transferred to the duty pilot. It’s not in his job description unless it was a sick enroute call. I hope you followed that up with the union. I am surprised you did not put a full report on here. I would simply have said I notified you I am sick. Good day!

 

Woah, that sounds scary...better just go to work.

Agreed.

Also true. More often than not, I have been put on hold for 5+ minutes. Tested it once to see how long a wait might be...gave up after 20 minutes. Figured if they don't have time for me, then I don't have time for them. I'll just wait until they call me for a SC assignment and let them know I'm sick. Thankfully for us both, they never called.

 

My very first sick call 2 years ago I got the third degree from a scheduler.


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What was the third degree? What did a supervisor or the union say when you followed up on it. The schedulers know exactly how they are required to handle a sick call. If they have gone rogue they need to be counseled or removed.

 

Had a 10 am short call, had an 8 am Jumpseat booked. Woke up at 5 am feeling like death. checked my schedule, nothing. Checked daily trip coverage, nothing. So I called in sick. He said I had been assigned a trip (which mysteriously didnt show up on my schedule yet or daily trip coverage) and that I couldn’t call in sick. This went back and forth of me saying I have nothing assigned, I’m calling in sick for my short call, and then finally “i guess that means I’m calling in sick for that trip then because it doesnt change the fact I’m sick”. I met all the PWA requirements and i had been on property 11 months and it was my very first sick call. Didnt raise a stir with scheduling since I was still on probation. It was 100% pilot pressuring.

The next time i called in sick about 6 months later was a much better experience with just “okay call us when you are well”

 

Two things, being assigned a trip has nothing to do with calling in sick and regardless I would have simply asked him for the rotation number and a transfer to a supervisor. You can call in sick in the lounge 30 minutes before departure after sign in if you are sick.

 

And that was exactly my argument. I think he was just trying to push me since I was on probation and they knew I couldn’t do much. He finally grumbled and gave me the call us when you are well.


The second one, ironically experienced that as a paying passenger a few months ago with my wife on our anniversary trip. Captain got some food poisoning or something and called in sick after sign in on the first leg after we had already boarded.

 

Fair enough. I've never had to wait when calling in sick and never talked to anyone but scheduling myself.

I suppose if I'm on hold for more than 5 minutes in the future I'll just hit Pilot Assist with a message on the ipad that I'm sick, and screen capture it with a time stamp. I'm not paid to sit on hold for 3 hours, and won't.

 

Exactly how it should be handled.

 

I’ve never been questioned for calling in sick. Can’t say the same for calling in fatigued or unfit to fly.