so if one get the flu for say two weeks, that is what, 3-4 occurrences?

If you call in for 3 4-days in one year (6 "occurrences"), then if you call in one more time you will be terminated, according to the memo, because 7 is all you get.

They don't want to be caught with not one extra crewmember on reserve in the fall! There is alot they can do with that one extra FO's salary. They can...

1. Have a very small office party
2. Fix the copy machine
3. Replenish the petty cash box
4. Buy an extra lot of paper for memos
5. Pay the phone bill
6. Give the CEO a small bonus
7. Hire a maid to clean the CEO's office
8. Get a happy ending massage

...any other ideas?

This is nothing more than a band-aid fix for July and August. Its a scare tactic aimed at the few pilots that were planning on sickation this summer.

I say have fun, go camping...:-)

If you haven't noticed the policy has not come out officially.... the union came up with many red flags (FAR/HIPPA legalities) for the company and they are coming to their senses that a sick call policy by the holding company of Colgan would be a media field day. We are working on a communication to the group but are still waiting for a "final answer" of what the company is going to do now.

So i take it the current sick call policy is still on for now?

If you go on to the current company site and look up the attendance policy from the employee handbook there is no "new" policy as of today. Keep in mind the precursor to the anger is stemming from a "MEMO". This could all change at 8am tomorrow or never, but currently the existing policy has not been updated to the "not allowed sick" policy.

what we should be keeping a very close watch on is S.L and the V.P of flt ops position. If he takes over, the whipping of the pilot group will never end. this will be just the beginning. ask any of the guys that were around the last time he was chief pilot. he is a pure pilot hater.

The "verification of absence" policy contains an explicit violation of HIPAA law--something to the effect of management may request details concerning the illness resulting in the sick call--that is one of the most clear-cut violations of HIPAA I've ever seen...

I HIGHLY recommend giving a signed letter to your dr's office explicitly re-iterating that you DO NOT authorize the release of ANY details of your medical condition to ANYONE without your explicit written permission on EACH occurence your records are requested by anyone but yourself...

Many people blindly sign the flurry of paperwork the dr's office gives them when admitted as a new patient--sometimes this includes a HIPAA release form...I'm uncertain if those release forms ever state employer or other party if required by law....

Either way--it's worth revisiting your dr's office next time you're in, and handing them a letter stating you deny any information to be released to your employer...

Pinnacle cannot fire you for refusing to release details of a medical condition...

The concern is shared by many.