Beware of long term sick
To those that survive let me tell you about long-term sick at EK.
During long-term sick, you will be paid full basic salary. They will pay all medical expenses, housing and education bills for the family.
It’s only for 12 months. 12 months and 1 day you will be let go. The 12 months goes by really fast.
Remember there is no short/long-term disability. Here at EK when your medical is suspended it can be indefinite. Which means it can go beyond the 12 months. No loss of medical license insurance policy. The only way to collect on the policy was to have your medical certificate revoked. If revoked and there were still some exclusions to collect, one exclusion is if you were to be diagnosed with depression, you can beyond 12 months, no payout. Out the door you go!!!!!
For me, my long-term sick went down to the full 12 months. It was a very stressful situation. I had to organize everything. I was dealing with 4 doctors outside of EK and 1 AME. Not to mention a GCAA medical review board. No one was talking to each other. It was a mess. Then when I did get my medical reinstated, I had to go in for a “special” EK physical fix exam. This exam report will be given to your chief pilot. If you chose not to take the exam you will be shown the door. This exam will give the company a report on the chances of you getting the same illness and whether or not you can remain employed. For me, I passed. But wait there’s more. About a month after being reinstated I was called in for a little chat. This time with HR and fleet. During this meeting you get to “defend” yourself for being sick. At the end of the meeting I was handed a warning letter. It was a 2 year “ level 3 capability” letter. Basically, meaning that If would get sick again with the same illness, during text 24 months I would be let go.
And just to and more stress to your life. Once the medical is reinstated. There will be medical restriction applied to keep the medical current. I had to be medically reviewed, by 4 different doctors + 1 AME, every three months in case of relapse for next two years. Between medical reviews and sim checks I felt every month could be my last month.
We are only human, we do get sick. I was not out doing extreme sports, did not get into a car accident, I didn’t fall down the steps and break a leg, I got cancer. I didn’t ask for it just happened. I’ve recovered + one-year cancer free.
Because of my surgery, chemo treatment 7 + months, I was unfit for sim and office duty. I believe, if I could have been fit for ground duties it could have saved me, but who knows.
Getting diagnosed with cancer at EK will only get your medical license suspended, initially, it could be revoked later depending on how you respond to treatment/recovery and or staging.
Because of my high sick time, all in the last 2+ years, fired, I am going home. I ready for it.
It will be a few years before EK will ever hire again. When it does the T/C Won’t be remotely close to what I was given. Shiny new jet syndrome can be considered an illness!!!!!!! The big takeaway from this is to understand the difference of a medical suspension/revocation of your medical certificate.
Last edited by chemo2018; 25th Jun 2020 at 21:16.