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United Airlines has imposed new conditions on sick time that flight attendants had earned. Cabin crew members who call in sick from Friday through Sunday must now submit an Absence Certificate completed by a doctor. This certificate details the employee’s treatment plan and medical progress, going beyond a simple doctor's note.
The airline states this measure aims to reduce the number of employees calling out sick, noting an increase in sick calls over weekends this summer. However, the policy appears to violate the flight attendant contract and potentially some laws. Even if the rule is eventually overturned, it may discourage some flight attendants from calling in sick, leading to fewer fake sick calls but also resulting in more crew members working while ill.
Flight attendants who refuse to share personal medical information with the airline but do not work while sick are being threatened with termination. Demanding such information unless “particulars of treatment…are job-related and necessary for the conduct of business” has previously been deemed illegal and resulted in substantial fines. California-based flight attendants might have even stronger state-level claims.
