United Airlines claims that there has been “a substantial increase” in the number of flight attendants calling in sick, representing fraud and abuse of sick leave. As negotiations over a new labor contract continue, are flight attendants engaging in a sickout?

Sickout? United Airlines Concerned About “Substantial Increase” In Flight Attendants Calling In Sick

A flight attendant  forwarded Live And Let’s Fly a memo that United sent out to flight attendants on August 1, 2025 concerning an uptick in the number of sick calls:

We are experiencing a substantial increase in the number of flight attendant sick calls across the system due to misuse or abuse of sick leave. While most flight attendants are working as scheduled, those who are misusing sick time are shifting their work onto other flight attendants and putting our operation at risk.

Section 13.C.5 of the JCBA allows the company to require an absence certificate when circumstances suggest ongoing abuse or misuse of sick leave. In May, an independent arbitrator confirmed this right and the AFA has communicated it to its members.

We can avoid requiring absence certificates if sick leave volume returns to normal levels.

While the memo adds, “No one should ever feel compelled to come to work when they’re ill,” it also mentions that the surge in sick calls “puts our ability to operate on time at risk and spreads work to the vast majority of flight attendants who work as scheduled.”

When employees start calling in sick as a group during a labor dispute, it is called a sickout, which is a form of industrial action or a type of strike that involves a collective, coordinated absence from work due to illness. While technically different from a traditional strike, it serves a similar purpose: to disrupt operations and exert pressure on management to negotiate better terms or resolve grievances.

Given that there is no pandemic this summer or other uptick in illness, it does seem suspicious if United is receiving a statistically significant surge in sick calls. The timing is suspicious: as flight attendants express anger over the tentative agreement (voting it down by a lopsided majority), perhaps many are sending a message to the AFA-CWA union that it better step up its negotiation efforts?

The consequence for flight attendants who are really sick is high: while obtaining an absence certificate is not an overwhelming burden, it’s not the sort of administrative matter you want to deal with if you’re ill.

John Slater, The Convenient Scapegoat

Parallel to all this, JonNYC shared a letter from the AFA cheering the retirement of John Slater, United’s Senior Vice President of Inflight.

The AFA-CWA sees Slater’s legacy as “inhumane” and conveniently scapegoats him with its own failure to bring flight attendants a contract they could endorse. Did Slater “constantly” question the “integrity” of flight attendants? I read just about every memo he sends out and I just don’t see it.

CONCLUSION

As United Airlines experiences a surge in flight attendants calling in sick, it is warning that more verification may soon be required to document illness. If flight attendants are playing games like this, it’s a true shame…these unhelpful (and illegal) antics will not win you a better contract.

To the flight attendants who read this blog: Is this a serious concern, or is this simply management trying to intimidate? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

> Read More: United Airlines Declares Victory In Campaign To Reduce Sick Leave Abuse By Flight Attendants

image: United Airlines