Core4: DEPENDABLE SAFE CARING EFFICIENT

No relief on attendance and reliability tracking even after Coronavirus outbreak threatens United employees’ and public safety.

I guess Dependable $$$ is more Efficient $$$ than Safe or Caring. Show up, risk spreading Coronavirus to your family and others, or face termination.

 

 

Time for a Snickers

 

Trader Joe's is giving employees additional paid sick time to ensure they stay home when ill during coronavirus outbreak, and it's a brilliant business strategy

Trader Joe's is allowing sick workers to get reimbursed for their time off, in an effort to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

The grocery chain is encouraging employees who have symptoms or do not feel well to stay home until they have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours, according to a memo viewed by Business Insider.

"Since we want to reinforce this guideline, through April 15, your Captain has discretion to approve a reimbursement of AR [absence reserve, or sick leave and paid time off] for Crew Members who are unable to work due to respiratory illness," the memo reads. "Crew Members that are required to miss more than a full calendar week (7-day period) of work due to respiratory illness will have their personal situation reviewed by HR."

The memo instructs workers to alert a Captain (Trader Joe's term for manager) or Mates (coworkers) if they become sick during the workday, in order to be sent home immediately. Workers were instructed to familiarize themselves with symptoms of "many cold, flu, and other viruses (including COVID-19)," such as coughing, sneezing, fever, and shortness of breath.

"If you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, call your health-care provider right away," the memo states. "We are encouraging Crew who are exhibiting any of the above symptoms to see a medical provider and not come to work."

Company limitations on taking sick leave could result in people reporting to work with symptoms, to avoid punishment or lack of payment. By giving workers more freedom to take time off, Trader Joe's new policy could help prevent the spread of illness among workers, as well as shoppers.

One Trader Joe's worker expressed concern to Business Insider regarding the fact that absence reserve will only be reimbursed at the manager's discretion. The worker was granted anonymity in order to speak frankly about the situation, but their identity was confirmed by Business Insider. It also, potentially, signals to worried Trader Joe's customers that the chain is being more proactive in preventing the spread of the illness than competitors.

"For new or part-time crew members who don't qualify for health insurance, there's nothing about them covering healthcare expenses," the employee said. "So, the risk is still really high and we still just have to hope none of us get sick."

Trader Joe's did not respond to Business Insider's inquiry on whether it will cover health care costs for part-time or new employees seeking medical attention.

The memo instructs workers on personal hygiene, telling them to cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue or elbow, avoid touching their faces, and frequently and properly wash their hands. Workers have been instructed to continue routine cleaning, with no additional disinfection at this point.

Trader Joe's is also tweaking its free sample practices, with workers serving samples directly to customers and using a fork or spoon so customers do not have to use their hands to eat the sample.

Service workers are at risk

People working in the service industry are some of the jobs most at risk during the coronavirus outbreak, according to a Business Insider analysis of US Labor Department data.

According to Marissa Baker, an assistant professor at the University of Washington Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences department, hourly workers and employees who cannot work from home will face difficult decisions that could put them in danger.

"Do I stay home if I feel ill, or go into work so I can have a paycheck? What do I do if my child's school is closed, and I can't afford to stay off work?" Baker said.

Many retailers, including Target, are not offering workers additional sick leave despite coronavirus concerns. Adam Ryan, the liaison for the employee activist group Target Workers Unite and a current employee at a store in Christiansburg, Virginia, recently told Business Insider's Shoshy Ciment that he feels too worried to take an unpaid sick day.

"Even missing one day has a huge impact," Ryan said, regarding how he does not get paid time off or paid sick time.

 

What 'relief' do you want?
If you're sick, you're sick. Stay home.
How hard is that?

IF you get a call from someone cause you have exceeded the policy, so what.

I would bet that for the majority of pilots, this is a non issue.
For that small percentage of pilots who abuse the sick leave policy.. they will be nervous.. but again, so what?
If you're an abuser or not.. if you come down with something and feel it's in your best interest to go to a doctor, then go.
If you decide to self quarantine yourself, just do it.

FS, FP & FtC
Motch

 

I agree with Motch on this one... no one cares . 99.1 percent of the pilot group has zero to worry about . The clowns that abuse it maybe .

 

As a side note-
Flew up to BGR yesterday to pick up a LHR>ORD divert.
Seems the FO got sick in LHR and banged out.

THAT is being a Professional. He made the call.
Sure, it's a bit harder on the other two pilots who know had to fly to BGR un-augmented.. but so what.
Sure, it sucked a little more than usual for the passengers.. oh well.
Being a Professional is sometimes Hard.
Same with Flying the Contract.

(almost) ALL of us have flown when we were feeling a little under the weather. For most of us, we are type A personalities and want to get the job done.
But with this CV scare (panic!) going on, maybe we step back a little and re access ourselves before we get into the cockpit.

Just my opinon

FS, FP & FtC
Motch

 

I appreciate your post and agree with your sentiments but possibly a little TMI. I’m guessing the FO would prefer to not be identified which could be accomplished based on the info given. Just be careful. Cheers!

 

Our union does not recognize the attendance monitoring nonsense. Sick? Call in sick. Simple. Don’t answer or reply to any phone calls asking about sick use.

 

Are you saying that anybody who has more than the corporate defined and approved number of sick calls in one year is an automatic sick list abuser, and a “clown”?

Several years ago I had a severe arm injury. It tore the all the tendons loose from my elbow front and rear. The first two surgeries failed to reattach the tendons. It took two additional surgeries and multiple rehab appointments to get everything hooked back up and fully functional.

Between the surgeries I was able to come back and fly for a while then go back in and get the next operation. I spoke in depth with the flight office about all this prior to, during, and after each surgery. I got medical clearance after each one to come back and fly. Guess what happened on my 5th sick call for the year? Yep! I get a dependability monitoring call from the very same flight office and in fact the very same person I’d been talking to about this whole issue.

“Yeah we both know why I’ve had so many sick calls this year, we’ve talked about this in depth and YOU know what the issue is too.” Flight manager “It doesn’t matter, once you you hit 5 sick calls in 12 calendar months I’m required to council you.”...

These people (the flight office, and management in general) are not your friends and the dependability monitoring system doesn’t care if you are having a legitimate issue or not. Welcome to the clown show, and you Core4 that where the sun doesn’t shine...