CC6524

Approximately four weeks ago, I developed mild cold/flu like symptoms. I felt unwilling to call unfit as I had had a period of absence recently and a second period of absence within that time scale would have triggered the first stage of the absence management policy. With each additional stage, the number of absences before disciplinary proceedings are started, reduce. The pressure not to trigger a stage overwhelms better judgement about self-assessing fitness to operate. When calling unfit, initial reactions are often hostile and suspicious with a feeling of being interrogated and pressured into describing sickness details and divulging medical information to colleagues. I continued to fly and my cold symptoms worsened. After managing to secure a doctor’s appointment I was told I had a large perforation to my eardrum. Having already had a period of six days absence, I face the prospect of losing pay entirely after three weeks, which conflicts with my unwillingness to return to work too soon after this injury and risk permanent hearing damage.

When routine illnesses are picked up, there is an unwillingness to report unfit due to the absence management process which can result fairly quickly in disciplinary procedures from a relatively small number of absences. This is in direct conflict with the legal requirement to not exercise the privileges of our attestation when unfit. In the case of longer absences for injuries/ medical conditions where flying is not possible or recommended by a physician, the sick pay provision is not adequate. 4 weeks’ pay in any 12 month rolling period which can quickly be exhausted through a small number of short term absences. The nature of the pay structure where base salary is very low and variable pay represents a large proportion of total pay also contributes to an unwillingness to report unfit.

Due to the above factors, a situation arises where crew members continue to come to work when they shouldn’t in order to continue to receive enough variable pay resulting in the higher chance of developing more severe conditions (e.g. perforated eardrums) and then there is an increasing likelihood that cabin crew will return to work sooner than they should because of the prospect of losing pay altogether and the risk of entering a disciplinary process under the absence management policy.

The resulting significantly increases the risk of significant escalation of medical conditions/ injuries. E.g.; permanent hearing loss after receiving pressure to return to work following a perforated eardrum, the cause of which was continuing to fly whilst experiencing cold symptoms.

Although there isn’t one specific individual that is verbally persuading us to go to work when sick, the systems, policies and procedures in place are built to do so. The threat of going into performance and attendance stages/ development plans, the worry of not being paid, the way you’re spoken to when calling in to inform them you are not fit to fly, the passive aggressive emails/phone calls from managers. It all intertwines to create an environment in which you’re scared/ worried about having to call in sick.