FC5424 - Forcing the check of delayed reports
Initial Report
In a recent memo to all crew via our Pilot Base Manager, we were reminded of the company’s new policy on delayed reports. 2 hours before our report time we are now expected to check and confirm any delayed report times. This therefore places a requirement on us to interrupt our rest period regularly in summer months [when we are having] minimum rest to check for a delay. With no delay this has now reduced our rest period by 2 hours and effectively increased our duty by 2 hours. Additionally, it is stated that if we do not check at 2 hours and we report for work at the correct report time and there was a notification, we MUST accept the delayed report or be placed N/A. This constitutes a punitive measure and threatening stance by the company to force a change that is against the FTL policy. Delaying a report time [and communication of this] is solely a crewing function in which they are required to get hold of us. [They should not] rely on an app and force crew to be the custodian of that change. The culture in the airline is such that I feel unwilling to ASR this policy due to [possible] repercussions.
There is a feeling of a bullying culture in general management and training and if you speak out you will then be the next target.
Whilst I accept it is sometimes necessary to delay a report, I do not accept that I have to either reduce my rest period to accept it or be forced to accept it later as I missed it. Simply put on an early shift my alarm goes off inside the 2-hour window. I therefore get up change and head to work. I would not check my phone, iPad or apps at this point. But I may now be forced to accept a significant delay which has not been effectively communicated, pushing me into removing myself from a duty as it would not be possible to complete inside the original duty time length from original report.
CHIRP Comment
CHIRP has received several reports this year from different airlines concerning this issue, namely crews having to check an App during a rostered rest period to confirm if a delayed report time is in place, thereby reducing the time available for rest. The three airlines concerned all use 2 hrs prior to the planned reporting time to require crews to go on-line and check an App for updated information. Some airlines are reported to give a crewmember an N/A code (“was not available for duty”) against their name if they don’t see the App notification and report for duty at the originally promulgated time.
However, notwithstanding the above, CHIRP believes that the onus should be on the airline to contact the employee rather than the employee regularly interrupting rest to check for a potential delay that may not have occurred. It is accepted that airlines will be responding to intense commercial pressure and sometimes feel they must make decisions that are to the detriment of crews, but still reasonable. This is a good example of the challenges to stay within what James Reason called the ‘Safety Space’, safety vs operational efficiency.