Airline Targets Sick-pay Abuse

[700UW]

700UW:

I know of people who are not sick who have called in sick for work. You and I both know there is sick absue and its wrong.

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

Yes it occurs, but it occurs everywhere, but it is not rampant, because the company has always had the policies in effect to stem the problem.

But I ask you again, do you have proof that the dollar figure the company supplied is true?

 

[USA320Pilot]

700UW:

700UW asked: "But I ask you again, do you have proof that the dollar figure the company supplied is true?"

USA320Pilot answers: I have not seen the books or statements and I have only read what has been published. Can you show me where the company's dollar figure is untrue?

By the way, even $1 of sick time abuse is excessive. This is one of those areas that is black and white, there is no middle ground because it's about integrity.

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

 

[700UW]

First of all I did not put out the dollar figure, and I asked you to prove it since you believe everything the company tells you when time after time they have lied to the employees.

Just like your pension and my airbii work.

 

[oldiebutgoody]

This of course explains why the sick rates increases exponentially around October 31 and December 25. Of course. What was I thinking???

And BTW, your explanation pertains only to the flight crews. How about sickness for gate agents and mechanics???? I don't think they'd touch a kleenex or serve food if they were offered a 1,000 bucks

Itrade,
I guess you've never been sick away from home? Airline folks frequently have to make a decision as to whether to leave on a trip when they are not feeling 100 percent, or call in sick hoping not to get ill while away. I know that in my history I have called in sick thinking that I was coming down with the flu or something, only to feel much better the next day. I guess that hasn't EVER happened to you. I agree the abusers SHOULD be dealt with by the company as it often dumps onto the honest people that work at UAIR, but there is a fine line between enforcing these rules and harassing folks into working sick. By the way, IT IS ILLEGAL according to the FARS for pilots and other essential crewmembers to work when they are sick. You know what would go a long way toward fixing this problem? Making this a better place to work, without all the negativity brought about by management policies like harassing folks to come to work sick!

 

[tadjr]

And BTW, your explanation pertains only to the flight crews. How about sickness for gate agents and mechanics???? I don't think they'd touch a kleenex or serve food if they were offered a 1,000 bucks

Yeah, I've never had the pleasure of touching a wet ticket thats been who knows where. Next time you are in the airport, look and see how many people carry their tickets in their mouth. We also get to "help" customers with kids, carry on customers, etc. Also, can I borrow your pen, do you have a garbage can back there, etc...
We also get to touch something (the ticket) that everyone has had their hands (or worse) on. Yuck. Thats why we have sanitizer at most of the podiums.
I must wash my hands at least once every half hour during my shift because of something that I've come in contact with.

 

[TheLarkAscending]

By the way, even $1 of sick time abuse is excessive. This is one of those areas that is black and white, there is no middle ground because it's about integrity.

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

And the continual abuse of violating CBA's is not about integrity? The number of filed grievances has never been higher because of that abuse, isn't that about integrity? You are so outspoken about defending the very people that will inevitably put you right out of this job. Amazing. And, no I don't agree with sick time abuse in any setting.

 

[BoeingBoy]

FWIW, it appears the $212 million figure includes all the cost associated with sick time use - the cost of overtime or reserve crewmember to cover for the sick employee at the very least. The article in the company newspaper talks about cancelled flights, etc. Don't know how often that actually happens (other than when a required crewmember gets sick on a trip and no replacement is immediately available) but I assume that whatever the cost (lost revenue) is also included.

Jim

 

[planejane]

I don't work for U, but I live in an area saturated with U employees. Always available for their kids soccer, basketball and whatever, whenever. They always have said plain and clear - "well, I should be in New York, Orlando,....." I have witnessed first hand the blatant abuse of sick calls and these are not your elderly U employees. Even if they have 20 -25 years, most are in their mid 40's with very active children. U should just hire private investigators and get the constant abusers off the payroll. That would be monies better spent than scrutinizing all sick.

 

[ITRADE]

And BTW, your explanation pertains only to the flight crews. How about sickness for gate agents and mechanics???? I don't think they'd touch a kleenex or serve food if they were offered a 1,000 bucks

Yeah, I've never had the pleasure of touching a wet ticket thats been who knows where. Next time you are in the airport, look and see how many people carry their tickets in their mouth. We also get to "help" customers with kids, carry on customers, etc. Also, can I borrow your pen, do you have a garbage can back there, etc...
We also get to touch something (the ticket) that everyone has had their hands (or worse) on. Yuck. Thats why we have sanitizer at most of the podiums.
I must wash my hands at least once every half hour during my shift because of something that I've come in contact with.

This is true, but there seems to be a clear consensus that the peaks seem to surge around holidays.

 

[PITMTC]

Holidays yes, but let's not forget when a sports team is in the finals. Like football play-offs.

 

[TransatlanticFlyGuy]

Amazing how if you don't follow PIT's party line, you are either a problem, management, or a combination of the two.

Well isnt that the truth! Amen!

 

[airlineorphan]

"planejane" wrote:

U should just hire private investigators

I believe they already do.

But none of this is really seriously about curtailing sick abuse. It's about creating a buzz and a spin in the media and on the boards which broadly brushstrokes the employees as being a bunch of thieving cheaters. Seems to be working too. It will be implemented in a manner best designed to create misery and fear in the workplace with the hopes of driving top of the payscale people to quit. It will involve a fishing expedition to find whatever management might be able to use against people. The effect will actually tend to be an increase in the number of people who are sick because of increased stress in the workplace and a higher incidence of employees coming to work sick and spreading whatever they've got.

Smoke and mirrors, folks. The fact is that SuperDave and LiquiDave and their coterie in CCY could teach all of us a thing or two about thievery and violations of trust. Harassment of legitimately sick employees is legendary at U. Even before 9/11 became the excuse of the day, there were supervisors notorious for hassling breast cancer patients for using their sick time to deal with chemo and the like.

Perhaps in a happy-happy land of imaginary make believe, where unicorns and pixies romp through magical fields of sparkling rainbow trees, the company might implement a sick time abuse control policy that would be handled fairly and without the harassment effect. Sorry, but this company has a track record of lies and deceit and all would be wiser to keep this in mind before you get all high and mighty about "omigod! they're calling in sick!"

Boeingboy, I believe you are correct. Assuming that the 212M number is about double what it costs in sick-time pay alone, then it means that about 6% of the workforce is out sick at any given time. I don't believe that this is particularly high. In fact, it is probably comparatively kind of low.

-Airlineorphan


Check out the classic song, "The Sick Note" here...

 

[PITbull]

USA320,

BTW, that $212 Million number, no one in CCY can attest to, but will use your number anyway for principle. CCY does state that sick cost usage per month for f/as is currently $1.2 Million per month.

Now looking at the $212 Million, would mean that $27,000 employees aren't coming to work, so who is operating the airline and flying....ah, management?

The quote for our $1.2 million per month is all lost time...OJI, LTD etc. However, with that same continued thought as above, there are only 5,200 f/as left on the property, the $1.2 Million per month would equate to $14 .4 million per year Again we are 5, 000 of the 27,000 employees.

So you have to ponder, if the numbersquoted by mangment above are correct and managment is telling no tale....What groups are spending $198 million in sick taking 5,000 f/a out of the quation of the 27,000 employee population spending this alledged $198 million?

In essence, that means 22,000 employees are spending the remainding $198 million. Approx $50 million per labor group that are left. I thought the flight attendnts were THE most abusive group and according to the numbers above our lions share of this so called abuse of sick is $14 million per year. Something dosn't jive with these figures!


Wow! Could that mean there is another group that is 3 times more abusive than the f/as and no one knows it???????????

I think it might be the mangement group's sick abuse. They get the bigger bucks.

 

[PITbull]

I don't work for U, but I live in an area saturated with U employees. Always available for their kids soccer, basketball and whatever, whenever. They always have said plain and clear - "well, I should be in New York, Orlando,....." I have witnessed first hand the blatant abuse of sick calls and these are not your elderly U employees. Even if they have 20 -25 years, most are in their mid 40's with very active children. U should just hire private investigators and get the constant abusers off the payroll. That would be monies better spent than scrutinizing all sick.

Company has already hired video survalence. They got all doors covered. LOL...

Oh, and btw, you imply that your 1 person represents the entire group of employees at U....

GO POUND SALT!

 

[tadjr]

Maybe now would be a good time to revisit the 20 swaps a quater shackle. I know a lot of people say, I cant swap at all, etc, however in the past 3 months we've had 3 different schedule changes. People who were working at night are now on the morning and vice versa, days off are different, etc. I dont have kids or a s.o. to worry about, but I imagine it can get hard for someone to plan anything with these kind of changes.
"Hey I'm on the morning shift, go ahead and sign up for tball. Oops now I'm on nights sorry gotta canx it. Hey I'm back on mids so I can probably get you to the games in time."
Instead of "burning one" people who need off and arent sick could take a day off. Of course not everyone is going to do the right thing and swap off vs calling off (get paid!), but there are quite a few people who would do the right thing if they werent handtied.
How much in possible cost savings would that be vs the cost to the company to change the policy ($0)?