Your Airlines Sick-Call Policy
 

Just curious what the different regional airlines sick policies were. How many times can you call in per year, how much time must pass between sick calls, how long can you extend 1 sick call for?

At TSA 4 calls per year kept you out of the spotlight. The 5th and CS tagged you for a call to make sure everything is "OK" and to get the flight manager's health advice.

I don't know of a standard interval between calls other than the 4 in 12 rolling months.

At PDT each day you are 'sick' counts as 1 occurrence. Beyond 12 occurrences the malevolent punishment of PDT High Command begins, at 16 you are canned.

As an aside, i strongly believe that pilots should not be held to the same standards as 'Joe the plumber' with respect to sick days. Not only do we need to be in top physical health to perform our jobs, but we also need to be in top mental health as well.

IF I followed the IMSAFE checklist to the letter - i would probably be out a lot more than 12 days in a year.

What i dont understand is how if we have the time in our sick bank how salisbury can legally get away with termination.

ExpressJet Flight Operations Attendance And Reliability Program

PURPOSE:
One of the most critical elements of ExpressJet’s success is the ability to run an efficient and on-time operation. To achieve this success, we depend on our pilots to be available to work as scheduled. The purpose of this policy is to set forth the Company’s expectations for regular attendance. Compensation for sick leave, procedures for medical leave of absence, and physical standards are found in the ALPA agreement. A pilot who accepts employment with ExpressJet and the responsibility for the safety of ExpressJet passengers and the general flying public, has a fundamental responsibility to report to work as scheduled. ExpressJet and the Federal Aviation Administration do not condone any pilot reporting to work when ill or otherwise incapacitated, and we understand that legitimate medical problems or unanticipated emergencies may result in absence from work. ExpressJet also expects you, however, as a professional airline pilot, to take all reasonable steps to minimize such “unscheduled” absences and maintain a lifestyle that promotes good mental and physical health, and regular, dependable attendance at work.

ATTENDANCE PROGRAM:
The ExpressJet Flight Operations Attendance and Reliability Program is a “no-fault” program. This means that occurrences, as defined by the Program, will be counted toward the disciplinary steps of the Program without regard for the reasons for the absence, including whether the absence was the pilot’s fault. Certain specified absences, however, are expressly excluded from the definition of occurrence. This program is designed to address the negative impact absenteeism has on the efficiency of the Company’s operation. A pilot should call Crew Scheduling to report that he or she is unavailable due to illness or injury as soon as the condition is known so a replacement pilot can be assigned. When a pilot is unable to fly due to illness or injury, he or she will be removed from all pairings until he or she is able to fly again. If a pilot who has missed any part of a trip reports that he or she is again ready to fly, the pilot will be allowed to rejoin the pairing at the next practicable station as determined by Crew Scheduling. An occurrence for the purposes of this Program is any failure to report on time for a scheduled work assignment, including a sick call, a missed trip, a late report, an emergency drop, or any other unplanned “lost time” incident. Occurrence specifically excludes the following excused and/or pre-approved absences: jury duty, military leave, vacations, qualified FMLA leave, pre-approved trip trades, authorized emergency leave, absence due to occupational injury, or any other absence excused by state or federal law.

STEPS OF PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE:
Except as specifically excluded above, every absence or failure to report to work on time may be counted as an occurrence. The Chief Pilot, or his designee, will evaluate each occurrence on a case-by-case basis and has the authority to skip a step/s in the progressive discipline process outlined below when appropriate. Consecutive days of absence because of the same illness or injury will typically be counted as a single occurrence. For the purposes of administering discipline under this program, occurrences will be counted by looking back over the 12-month period of active service immediately preceding the occurrence. For example, if you receive an occurrence on January 10, 2003, the discipline imposed will be based on the number of occurrences you have accrued since January 10, 2002. Generally, four occurrences during any 12 months of active service will trigger Step One of the progressive discipline steps outlined below. If more than four attendance events occur during any 12 months of active service, progressive discipline will be escalated appropriately. In addition to looking at the number of occurrences, the Company may also consider a number of other factors when reviewing excessive absenteeism— including the severity/total time lost, the length of time since the pilot’s last occurrence, and the pilot’s previous comprehensive attendance record. For example, a pattern of absences related to regular days off, leaves of absence, vacations, holidays and/or weekends may call the validity of a pilot’s absences into question. Appropriate discipline will be administered based on the individual circumstances at issue. All disciplinary actions will be conducted in accordance with the Agreement between ExpressJet and ALPA. The combination of certain types of occurrences or the particular circumstances surrounding an occurrence may warrant more severe consequences and escalation of progressive discipline at the Company’s discretion. See the discussion of Missed Trips and Patterns of Absence, below. The steps in the progressive discipline program are as follows:

STEP ONE - COUNSELING
When a pilot accrues four occurrences in a rolling 12 month period or otherwise demonstrates an unacceptable attendance record, the Chief Pilot or his designee will normally explain to the pilot verbally and/or in writing that the pilot is jeopardizing his/her employment because of unsatisfactory attendance, and that immediate improvement is necessary to avoid further discipline. This discussion will be noted as a Step One Counseling in the pilot’s personnel file.

STEP TWO - WRITTEN WARNING
When a pilot accrues five occurrences in a rolling 12 month period or otherwise demonstrates an unacceptable attendance record, the Chief Pilot or his designee will normally issue a letter to the pilot warning him/her that the pilot is jeopardizing his/her employment because of unsatisfactory attendance, and that immediate improvement is necessary to avoid further discipline. A copy of the Step Two Written Warning will be maintained in the pilot’s personnel file.

STEP THREE - TERMINATION WARNING
When a pilot accrues six occurrences in a rolling 12 month period or otherwise continues to demonstrate an unacceptable attendance record, the Chief Pilot will normally issue a final written warning notifying the pilot that failure to immediately improve his or her unacceptable attendance will result in termination of employment. A copy of the Step Three Termination Warning will be maintained in the pilot’s personnel file.

STEP FOUR - TERMINATION
When a pilot accrues seven occurrences in a rolling 12 month period or otherwise continues to demonstrate an unacceptable attendance record, the Chief Pilot, in consultation with the Senior Director Of Flight Operations and the Human Resources department, will conduct a meeting with the pilot to discuss his/her unsatisfactory attendance. A pilot with seven (7) or more attendance events in a rolling twelve month period will normally be terminated.

MISSED TRIPS:
Missed Trips are the most serious violations of the attendance program because they have the most severe impact on the Company’s ability to staff flights, maintain on-time departures and prevent cancellations. Consequently, progressive discipline will normally be escalated for missed trips and other similar occurrences that seriously impact the Company’s operation. For example, a pilot’s first missed trip occurrence in a rolling 12 month period will normally result in a Written Warning as a minimum level of discipline. Two missed trip occurrences in a rolling 12 month period will normally result in a Final Written Warning as a minimum level of discipline. Three missed trip occurrences in a rolling 12 month period will normally result in Termination. Any questions about the application of this program should be directed to the SR. Director Of Flight Operations and/or Human Resources.

PATTERNS OF ABSENCE:
Abuse of the sick leave will not be tolerated. Certain patterns of sick calls may result in an investigation by the Company to determine whether a sick call was justified. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Any sick call that coincides with the Company’s refusal to grant a personal drop request.
2. Anytime a pilot on reserve notifies Crew scheduling of a sickness after being assigned a duty assignment. (SKAA-Sick call after assignment)
3. Any sick call associated with a pilot’s inability to get to his/her assigned domicile.
4. Sick calls that occur in conjunction with the beginning or end of vacation or days off.

Abuse of sick leave can result in immediate disciplinary action (beyond that outlined in the steps of progressive discipline, above) up to and including termination. Nothing in this program precludes or in any way limits the Company’s authority to take appropriate action to investigate and otherwise discipline any pilot suspected of sick leave abuse. If sick leave abuse is suspected, the Company reserves the right to require a pilot to verify illness with a doctor’s report. Probationary pilots are expected to maintain an excellent attendance record. All occurrences will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine what, if any, discipline will be administered.

One thing I would like to make aware to my Expressjet people is that if you pick up a trip on your day off in the SLIW, and then call in sick for that trip, IT WILL NOT count towards our A&R program and it will not be counted as a sick call.


1) You have to email Payroll after you call out sick so they can adjust your sick bank, because it automatically takes it out when they place SKLV on your Master Schedule.
2) I understand we have people on furlough so I would hope people would not pick up OPEN TIME TRIPS, however it is in our contract. Maybe drop your line value down as much as you can, even down to ZERO in the SLIW, then pick up open time trips up until your awarded line value, then any sick call you have will not count as a sick call


* As far as I am concerned if your sick, your sick, CALL OUT, even if you are on a TERM warning, it is ILLEGAL to fly sick and they simply can not terminate you for it, HOWEVER you use a lot of sick time, you may get canned on your first legitimate mistrip etc........

While I'm not with XJT, I completely agree with your last statement Joey!

I've always (and by always I mean the last 2.5 years) said that if you're sick, you're sick and should not be at the controls of an aircraft carrying passengers. END OF STORY. If you've got the squirts, the coughs, congestion, sinus problems, or anything, you're legally not fit to fly. If your company fires you for calling out sick, take it straight to the Union/FAA/Local news channel and get a lawyer.

SOURCE: FAA HANDBOOK FSIM 8900.1



3-1930 CREW MEDICAL QUALIFICATION AND PROCEDURES DURING TEMPORARY MEDICAL DEFICIENCY.
A. Responsibility of Operators and Flight Crewmembers. 14 CFR part 61, § 61.53 and 14 CFR part 63, § 63.19 preclude required flight crewmembers from flight duty while they have a known medical or physical deficiency. These sections rely solely on the ability of flight crewmembers to honestly determine their medical fitness. It is incumbent on individual airmen to be certain that they have no illness or physical impairment that would affect their medical fitness for flight. The NTSB believes that air carrier operators should share the responsibility for verifying flight crewmembers medical fitness for flight duty. However, it is not always easy for operators to determine the extent of a crewmember’s medical fitness. In order to maintain the highest level of safety, required flight crewmembers must not fly under conditions that would make them unable to meet the requirements for their current
medical certificate. This decision should not be influenced by fear of company reprisals.

B. POI Responsibility. POIs should encourage their assigned air carriers to have established sick leave policies and procedures, especially those concerning the release of flight crewmembers from duty when they develop sudden temporary illnesses, such as colds, flu, or fevers. These policies and procedures should not discourage flight crewmembers from taking sick leave when they are ill.

RESERVED. Paragraphs 3-1931 through 3-1945.:D

Just out of curiosity, what is a "missed trip" and how is it different from a normal sick call? Every time I call in sick, I miss the trip in question...so three sick calls in 12 months is termination???

Guy didn't show up for work, he missed his trip.

Read his schedule wrong. OR, decided to throw the dice on a commute, left himself one flight to get to work say 20-30 mins to show time, got on said flight, said flight ends up holding for 30 minutes, THEN diverts, etc.

Think of it as an unexcused absence. May be argued to be considered job abandonment. They tell us that you will never be fired for sick calls (even though their policy says they will). But as Mr. Meatballs says, they can fire you for a missed trip after having six sick calls in the last 12 months.

Also, one sick call can be extended up to 14 consecutive days.

ASA gives occurrences for any absence unless you fill out FMLA paperwork which usually requires a doctor's visit. The official policy is 3 in 6 mos or 4 in 12 mos = verbal warning. 4 in 6 or 5 in 12 = written warning. 5 in 6 or 6 in 12 = threat of termination if any new occurrences come up in the next 12 months.

Now, if you show up with your ALPA rep and have valid reasons (doctor excuse or not), none of the above is enforceable.

RAH... 4 gets you a call and a copy of the policy sent certified. 7 gets you suspended, 8 shows you the door.

Has it occurred to any of you that this site is searchable by google (no password required to browse) and that the media may be trolling here to dig dirt about "those unsafe regionals". Think about that before you start cutting/pasting company manuals (Nevets) and talking about how your company punishes you for calling in sick.

None of ASA's attendance policy is enforceable, period. No ASA pilot has EVER been fired for calling in sick. When I was an ALPA rep, we had several people with 10+ "occurences". We DARED them to fire the pilot or even give them a "last chance letter" (call in sick again and you're fired". They wouldn't pull the trigger, because they knew the FARs are on the pilot's side, and they would lose the lawsuit over the termination.

I got my 4th in 12 mo. while on probation - the union does not defend us while on probation. But generally, I agree, there's no way they can enforce the policy.

You are no longer required to provide ANY personal medical information to them. It is in the HIPPA laws. If you want to provide a doctors note, all it need say is, you were seen, and are fit to return to work.

Correct, most airline sick policies are no longer enforcable. HIPPA and federal court decisions have made it almost impossible to actually fire somebody for being sick.

They have to document a "pattern of abuse," have held counseling sessions to try and mediate the problem, and you have to have run completely out of time in your sick bank.

Will they fire you, yes. When you sue in court you will get your job back, with lost wages.

get a lawyer... they can't enforce that type of policy. It has to be done on a case by case basis, the person has to be out of all sick time, they have to have been deemed a sick time abuser by showing a demonstrated pattern of calling in sick at certain times.... always sick on holidays, always sick on birthdays, always sick the last two day sequence of the month, and the first two day sequence of the next month.... there HAS to be a pattern to be a sick time abuser.

a flat blanket policy like that one is just asking for a lawsuit.

ours is dont get sick

Why? Let them search the site! More regional pilots need to start talking to the media and exposing the terrible operation that is the regional airline industry.

It's about time the media, public, government...etc are finally realizing the majority of pilots do not make $300,000/ year and only work 10 days/ month. Most operate under harsh work-rules, the sick policy being just one of them. Pilots love to **** and moan about how crappy the industry is; well, people are finally listening and you come on here and tell them to mind their statements. FAIL!

If the regional companies have nothing to hide, because they operate with proactive policies, treat employees as people, not liabilities, there should be no concern on what the media will find. These mgmt types are finally getting what they deserve. They're being exposed as the scumbags they really are. In fact, here's to the demise of ALL regionals! Bring the flying back to where it belongs, the mainline partners.

[quote=John Pennekamp;643051]Has it occurred to any of you that this site is searchable by google (no password required to browse) and that the media may be trolling here to dig dirt about "those unsafe regionals". Think about that before you start cutting/pasting company manuals (Nevets) and talking about how your company punishes you for calling in sick.[/quote]

Gee I don't know perhaps the word needs to get out!!:eek: What a concept.

Yeah I totally agree, not that anyone would care to write a story about this unless it somehow relates to blood-shed. (Regional pilot flys sick for fear of job, crashes plane) Don't be intimidated by mgnts attempts to manipulate you. My last company you had to check in with the CP before returning to work, get permission to commute, and if you had more than 4, meeting with first step advisory warnings. Its total crap. Pilots are (for the most part) honest working people, yet we suffer some of the hardest work rules. I don't know anyone (in different industry) who worries about a sick call. how did it come to this?

EXACTLY...

we have a pretty bad one... any time you call in sick (doesnt matter if it's first time or fourth time) the crew schedulers have discretion to ask you for a doctor's note (before transferring you to the chief pilot's number). now, as you know, there are a ton of everyday ailments that wouldnt pass the IMSAFE test, yet wouldnt be cause to drag yourself to the doctor either. (the common cold, for example... you wouldnt go to the doctor for this one even if you werent a pilot, because there is no cure for it anyway.)
what do you guys think of this?

If I'm sick, I go to the doctor. Doesn't matter what it is. $15 is cheap insurance to keep the company from doing ANYTHING to you! If you go to the doctor, tell them what's going on with you, tell them what your job is, and when you have to work, all the legs you have to fly. From my wife, a medical professional, "No doctor in their right mind will be willing to put their practice or license on the line if a pilot tells them they are not up to flying and their company wants a sick note." Because if something does happen, you went to them, they said you were okay to fly.... you get the drift.

Pinnacle:

4 in 12 months = verbal warning (w/base mgr meeting)
5 in 12 months = written warning (w/base mgr meeting)
6 in 12 months = written warning (w/base mgr meeting) requesting you deeply consider if you really want to work for Pinnacle Airlines. You also get your next trip dropped.
7 in 12 months = Possible termination

I believe after the 5th they may also send you to their doctor in Memphis for a "checkup"..

The company also "requires" doctors notes for all holidays and the Super Bowl.

This has been discussed before and even if your company requires you to get a "doctors note" all you need is something saying you went to the doctor. They do not have the legal right to know more than you just went to the doctor.

I am not sure if it is true or not but I heard of a guy calling in sick 12 times in one year and he was told he would be fired if he did it again. He called in sick again and nothing happened. Has anyone ever heard of someone actually being fired for sick calls?

Don't get the "squirts" during sterile cockpit. If you do, request to climb back up to 11,000' , hold at present position and hit the Lav.:D

This is one of the things I hate about sick policies in the airlines. I was told that my sick time can only be used for my illness and injuries. What if you have kids? Kid get sick every now and then. Am I suppose to leave my 3 year old at home and have then take care of themselves. No other industry in the country would even think of such madness. No chief pilot, VP of Ops, President, or CEO have to answer to someone above them when they sick, their kids are sick, or spouse/girlfriend(s) are sick. Why should we?

FMLA will cover that nicely...and they cannot hold FMLA against you in any way at all. It does not count as an absence.

Just make sure your kid stays sick for 4 days (FMLA mins). Any doctor would provide a note to that effect, they know how FMLA works and there's no point in sending them back to daycare if they might still be contagious ;)

If your company is not flexible with stuff like that, they deserve to get hit with FMLA at the drop of a hat.

That thought had was precisely why I posted it word for word.;)

I don't believe I have broken any of my company's rules by doing it (its not in any "company manual:). If I have, someone please point me out to it and I will apologize and remove it. People at my company know that this is my biggest pet peeve so there is no secret there either.

There is no FMLA mins. Your company may have that restriction. But this assumes you qualify for FMLA to begin with (I don't believe the was the intent of the law though). Anyways, for any of you who work in California, there is a law called Kin Care that is specifically for the use of your sick bank in order to tend to the illness of your spouse or kids (maybe even grandparents, I can't remember).

That's great in theory, but the reality is it will only cause more or a knee jerk reaction, and lead to over regulation of the regional industry. The FAA has already been pressured to react. It's coming, and when it gets here, we're going to wish we never complained.

We needed to complain, because the fact is (and please search away):

At regional airlines:

Pilots ARE punished for calling in sick.

Pilots ARE punished and outright harassed for calling in fatigued.

It is disgusting, offensive, and outrageous, and needs to change now.

Speaking of which, I do have to say that one positive step forward for XJT is that they have now required you to submit an ASAP when calling fatigued instead of dealing with the chief pilots' office.

This happens at all carriers, we have one pilot they have destroyed for getting sick and for having family get sick and attempting to use the Family Leave. They lose the paperwork or the person who can authorize it is on vacation or they outsource the management of it to companies like Aetna ( the scum of the insurance business ).

It is pretty decent over here at SKYW. I have called in sick, sick kids, wife sprained ankle, emergency, fatigue and never had anyone even question it. I don't think we have a limit on sick calls.

Yeah, they handle issues of that nature just like most decent non-aviation companies would. If you have a reasonable excuse, you are off the hook. The fact that people think that's something special reflects very poorly on our industry...educated, licensed professionals get treated like illegal immigrants in a sweat shop.

What is your sick bank accrual rate?

user time is (after 90 days) .0193 per hr, (2 years) .027, (5 years).0385 and you max out at 240 where after you hit 240, you must use it before any more is added to the user time "bank".

Horizon is not so bad. They used to require a call to a voicemail for the chief pilot's office in addition to crew scheduling. Now they only require a call to crew scheduling.

My toddler son started daycare in January. He got sick a lot, and got my wife and I sick a lot. Between all that I ended up having to call in sick a bunch. Didn't hear anything about it from managers. And in fact, they let me use some vacation time to cover a missed trip after my sick time ran out.

Most definitely not all positives around here, not even close. But I am happy with how they handle sick calls (at least in my case).