Don't get sick at EK

[Visual Procedures]

Does that mean if I call sick at 2200 for a departure at 0300 that will be counted as my two calendar days used up, even though I'm only going sick for one flight?

Yep. The FCI 'slashing our rights' down to just 1 self certified sickie every month.

My gosh.. Thats only 12 per year!! How will some people ever get by

[mensaboy]

First off I don't know one pilot who calls sick for 'social event' reasons, or just because he doesn't feel like going to work. Pilots generally enjoy going to work and we have, throughout the history of Emirates Airline, had a 'book-off' rate about 5% of cabin crew. I'm not slagging cabin crew, it's just a fact. (I base that 5% guess on my observations, but I think it is fairly accurate)

Secondly, calling in sick at 2200 for an 0250 departure does not mean 2 calendar days. In one instance (of my 7 times sick since my arrival here) they tried that crap with me and I followed it up. They reversed it and only counted it as one day. Still, I will only call after midnight now because I can't be bothered to go thru the weeks to get it changed ! Screw the 4 hour nonsense...... I woke up SICK. End of story.

Follow things up! Make a stink! Document everything! It sucks to have to do this, but if we don't, these insane practices will continue and even get worse. One word of advice... always sound reasonable and do not use inappropriate words with the clowns in scheduling.

Oddly enough, when I follow up on something crazy, they knuckle under... provided of course I am correct. Following up, includes sending an email which recounts the phone conversation. This is documented and verifiable proof that they have lost their minds in rostering. You will be surprised how the FDM's and Fleet Managers change their tune when something is put in writing!

Quality of life, fatigue, and health (therefore safety) are the ultimate goals here. This is not a battle to try to work easy schedules, it is a justifiably war against stupid rostering practices. A big smoking hole will be the net result if we keep caving in.

PS. yes i'm happy to have a secure job and I do appreciate it, but there is a limit!

[BigGeordie]

VP, I don't know any pilots who would call sick every month, although if things continue as they are a few might be tempted. The point is that I may need to go sick for 48 hours. If an office worker does that it would be two sick days. If I do it it could count as up to four, and would require a trip to the clinic with all the aggravation that involves- not to mention the cost to the company. That doesn't sound like "sharing the pain" to me.

[Wiley]

Slighly off topic, but has anyone had the pleasure of "the van" rather than the much-touted (by Capt America) Saab wagon to go home after an all nighter? You share this very social experience with three other pilots, all of whom live at different destinations. Fun (not!) if you're unlucky enough to be the last to be dropped off.

What's next? Pickup in a larger crew bus, like (with?) the cabin crew, with departures every 20 minutes from a few central locations? Or, as I note the new Metro has a station right at the New EGHQ, (and sticking with the EK policy of "maximum automation at all times"), in the future will we get ourselves to and from work in the driverless Metro?

[Schibulsky]

Just to give you an idea how up our management already is:
A"they stealing from the company"AR threatened to fire everybody who call sick after some VP pointed out that his stupid new NCC roster might lead to more fatigue related sickness.
O-tone: "I fire them, i can run the NCC with grade 7 employees"
I think thats the grade of the rostering guys!
One guy already got phoned at home after calling one day sick and was told to see a doc!!
Just a matter of time till they tighten the screws even more.
Btw have you noticed? the very good and detailed post of somebody from NCC about the situation there was deleted
Keep discovering
Finally after the outrage about the new NCC roster, some VP clown from Performance Development came up with the mother of all rosters:
6 night 3 off 6 late 2 off 6 early 1 off....
Scotty, beam me up....

[Fart Master]

Muttley...... I agree with you 100%, couldn't have said it better.

I think Mensa had a very valid point about this 4 hr rule, I couldn't give a sh*t about it, if I'm sick less than 4 hrs from ETD then I'm sick.... end of story, you don't / can't book food poisoning etc.

Guys please don't fear the people in their Ivory towers, it's just mouth music

[Visual Procedures]

Hey Big G..

VP, I don't know any pilots who would call sick every month

That was my exact point, thrown out through what I thought was a thin veil of sarcasm..

The point is that I may need to go sick for 48 hours. If an office worker does that it would be two sick days. If I do it it could count as up to four, and would require a trip to the clinic with all the aggravation that involves

You were meant to be at work, probably for more than 8 hours. And so you now have 4 days to choose when to drag your arse down to the clinic, which should definitely take less than 8 hours despite no doubt having to spend 15 minutes travelling up to the 9th floor of the car park behind some local woman in her Nissan Armarda, chuckling to yourself every time she hits the curb.

And once you've done that, you still have your 'monthly sickie' up your sleeve

[EK Snorkel]

Seaman Staynes

Crew control is not allowed to ask about your medical condition, neither is Fleet Management, HR etc.

Doctors are bound to professional discretion.

Patient/physician confidentiality! This even applies in a 3rd world country like the UAE

For EK it's only "sick" or "fit" nothing else.....