A. A Flight Attendant is eligible for worker's compensation benefits with respect to an injury or illness arising out of and in the course of her/his performance of Flight Attendant duties. Claims shall be administered in accord with the applicable worker's compensation laws for the state in which the Flight Attendant is based.

B. A Flight Attendant must report the occurrence of an on-the-job illness/injury (OJI) to an Inflight supervisor as soon as she/he knows or should have known of the occurrence. The Flight Attendant is responsible for completing all necessary forms as soon as practicable.

1. OJI Occurring in the Phoenix Area:

a. Non-Life-Threatening

A Flight Attendant with a non-life-threatening OJI must obtain her/his initial treatment at the AWA Medical Clinic or other facility designated by the Company. Whenever possible, treatment must be obtained during regular business hours as designated by the Company. A Flight Attendant requiring treatment outside of regular business hours must contact the Company or its designee to be directed to an authorized location for treatment.

b. Life-Threatening

A Flight Attendant with a life-threatening OJI must obtain her/his initial treatment immediately at a facility designated by the Company or the nearest certified facility.

2. OJI Occurring Outside of the Phoenix Area:

a. Non-Life-Threatening

A Flight Attendant with a non-life-threatening OJI must obtain her/his initial treatment at a facility designated by the Company.

b. Life-Threatening

A Flight Attendant with a life-threatening OJI must obtain her/his initial treatment immediately at a facility designated by the Company or the nearest certified facility.

3. A Flight Attendant may choose her/his physician-of-record for treatment of the OJI. However, the Company may direct the Flight Attendants’ care to the extent permitted by law (e.g., if the Company becomes self-insured, it may designate physicians and facilities for treatment of the OJI.)

1. The Company shall pay protect a Flight Attendant who suffers an occupational illness or injury for the greater of her/his scheduled or actual credit hours (as per Section 3, Compensation, Paragraphs B.2.a. and b.) for the duty period in which the illness or injury occurs. The Flight Attendant will be required to return to work during that duty period if she/he is released to do so. Such Flight Attendant will be scheduled for release from duty no later than the scheduled release time of her/his original pairing or reserve assignment.

2. A Flight Attendant may use her/his sick and/or vacation bank in order to pay for trip(s) or reserve days which were scheduled to occur during the statutory waiting period before workers’ compensation payments may begin. (Note: Trip(s) are based on the Flight Attendant’s projected line as of the commencement of the statutory waiting period.) The waiting period will be otherwise unpaid. Unless advised otherwise by the Flight Attendant, the Company will assume she/he wishes to use accrued sick leave during the waiting period and will debit her/his sick bank accordingly. To the extent the Flight Attendant receives retroactive payments of worker's compensation benefits for the statutory waiting period, she/he will be required to reimburse the Company for the sick/vacation pay. In such instances, the Flight Attendant's sick and/or vacation bank will be credited accordingly.

3. To the extent the Flight Attendant misses trips as a result of an OJI during the month in which that OJI occurred, the Company will supplement her/his worker’s compensation benefits (wage replacement payments) to provide full pay and credit for the missed trips. Provided, however, the Company shall not supplement the Flight Attendant’s benefits to the extent the supplement would result in the Flight Attendant receiving compensation for more than eight-five (85) credit hours for that month. To the extent a Reserve Flight Attendant misses reserve days as a result of an OJI during the month in which that OJI occurred, the Company will supplement her/his worker’s compensation benefits (wage replacement payments) up to her/his minimum monthly guarantee.

1. After the bid month in which the OJI occurred, the Company shall supplement the Flight Attendant's worker's compensation benefits (wage replacement payments) as follows:

1. If the Flight Attendant’s twelve (12) month average is at or above the minimum bid period guarantee ("MBPG"), then the Company shall supplement the Flight Attendant’s worker’s compensation benefits (wage replacement payments) up to the MBPG.
2. If the Flight Attendant’s twelve (12) month average is below the MBPG then the Company shall supplement the Flight Attendant’s worker’s compensation benefits (wage replacement payments) up to the twelve (12) month average.
3. A Flight Attendant on an OJI Leave may use accrued time from her/his Perfect Attendance OJI Bank to supplement her/his pay for trip(s) and/or reserve duty day(s) missed, to a maximum of eighty-five (85) credit hours per month, as provided in Section 15, Sick Leave, Subsection E. Such Flight Attendant must exhaust her/his Perfect Attendance OJI Bank before exercising the option in Paragraph d., below.
4. A Flight Attendant on an OJI Leave may also use sick or vacation time to supplement her/his pay for trip(s) and/or reserve duty day(s) missed, to a maximum of eighty-five (85) credit hours per month.

1. The amount of supplemental compensation provided by the Company shall be adjusted downward to reflect any federal or state income tax benefit received by the Flight Attendant as a result of receiving worker’s compensation benefits.
1. Worker's compensation benefits and supplemental payments made by the Company will be reduced (as allowed by the applicable worker's compensation statute) to the extent the Flight Attendant receives income from other sources such as disability benefits and/or outside employment.

7. A Flight Attendant shall receive one (1) hour of pay for every two (2) hours of work performed during a light duty assignment. A Flight Attendant shall receive credit for each hour of work she/he performs in a light duty assignment. A Flight Attendant shall make reasonable efforts to schedule rehabilitation and/or physician visits necessitated by the OJI so as not to interfere with the light duty assignments. If this is not possible, the Company shall provided reasonable time off from light duty with pay for such rehabilitation and/or physician visits.

1. All medical, dental, and vision benefits shall continue to be available to the Flight Attendant on the same basis as an active Flight Attendant for a maximum of one hundred eighty (180) calendar days during an OJI leave pursuant to this Section. Provided, however, time periods during which a Flight Attendant performs a light duty assignment will not be regarded as part of this one hundred eighty (180) day period.

1. Premiums for these benefits will be accrued (at the rate charged to active Flight Attendants) for up to one hundred eighty (180) days, or where possible, deducted from any supplemental payments made by the Company. If the Flight Attendant returns to work within or at the conclusion of the one hundred eighty (180) day period, any accrued premiums will be deducted in equal increments over the next four (4) pay periods. If the Flight Attendant does not return to work within the one hundred eighty (180) day time frame, she/he will be required to pay the accrued premiums during the thirty (30) days following the one hundred eighty (180) day time period.
2. A Flight Attendant who remains on an OJI leave beyond the one hundred eighty (180) day period described in Paragraph E.1.a., may elect to continue coverage for medical, dental and vision benefits pursuant to COBRA continuation rights, provided she/he pays the full premium. If the Flight Attendant returns to work after COBRA has been exhausted or benefits have otherwise terminated, she/he will be subject to all applicable plan provision (e.g., waiting periods, pre-existing condition) exclusions.

3. A Flight Attendant shall retain sick leave and vacation throughout an OJI leave, and shall accrue sick leave and vacation for the first thirty/thirty-one (30/31) days of the OJI leave. A Flight Attendant shall also accrue sick leave and vacation while she/he is performing a light duty assignment.

4. Contributions to 401(k) and Tax-Free Spending accounts will cease during an OJI leave and resume upon the Flight Attendant's return to work or during the time period she/he performs a light duty assignment. Where possible, the Company will adjust the Flight Attendant's Tax-Free Spending account contributions upon her/his return to work or during the light duty assignment so that the Flight Attendant will meet her/his annual Tax-Free Spending Account pledge.

5. Life insurance shall continue to be available to the Flight Attendant on the same basis as an active Flight Attendant so long as the duration of the OJI leave or any combination of consecutive leaves of absence does not exceed twelve (12) months. Provided, however, time periods during which a Flight Attendant performs a light duty assignment will not be regarded as part of this twelve (12) month period.

1. Any premiums for these benefits will be accrued (at the rate charged to active Flight Attendants) for up to one hundred eighty (180) days. If the Flight Attendant returns to work within or at the conclusion of the one hundred eighty (180) day period, the accrued premiums will be deducted from her/his paycheck. If the Flight Attendant does not return within that time frame, she/he will be required to pay the accrued premiums during the thirty (30) days following the one hundred eighty (180) day time period.

b. The Flight Attendant's life insurance coverage will terminate after she/he has been on an OJI leave or consecutive leaves for twelve (12) consecutive months, unless the Flight Attendant obtains approval for a waiver of the premium or converts her/his life insurance to an individual policy prior to the expiration of the twelve (12) month period.

1. The Company may assign a Flight Attendant to light duty during an OJI Leave.

2. The maximum number of days the Company may assign a Flight Attendant to light duty in a month will be determined by dividing her/his twelve (12) month average by the minimum daily guarantee. (For the purposes of this calculation, the twelve (12) month average shall be no more than seventy (70) and no less than forty-five (45) hours. The resulting figure will be rounded-up to determine the maximum number of days of light duty.

3. The Company will make reasonable efforts to accommodate the need of the Flight Attendant when selecting the days and times of the light duty assignment.

4. A Flight Attendant will not be required to travel in order to perform a light duty assignment when her/his residence is outside the greater metropolitan area in which the assignment is to be performed.

5. A Flight Attendant shall continue to receive any child care subsidy while performing a light duty assignment.

1. Family Medical Leave shall run concurrently with an OJI Leave.

1. A Flight Attendant shall retain and accrue seniority and longevity for the duration of an OJI Leave.
1. Payroll deductions for uniforms shall cease during an OJI leave and shall resume upon the Flight Attendant’s return to work.

4. A Flight Attendant who is on an OJI Leave during the vacation bid for the following year shall bid for vacation for that year in the Shuffle Bid upon her/his return to work. A Flight Attendant who has a vacation scheduled to occur during an OJI Leave shall have the following options:

a. Receive vacation pay when she/he returns from the OJI leave on the paycheck containing the pay exceptions for the end of the next calendar month;

b. Reschedule her/his vacation, if vacation groups are available;

c. Trade vacation periods with another Flight Attendant;

d. Receive vacation pay for the unused vacation on the paycheck containing the pay exceptions for the end of that calendar year if she/he cannot trade or reschedule her/his vacation by the end of the year;

e. Receive vacation pay at any time after returning from the OJI leave through the end of the calendar year in which the OJI occurred.

5. If a Flight Attendant becomes a candidate for reduction in force or furlough during an OJI Leave, she/he will come under the applicable reduction in force/furlough guidelines.

6. A Flight Attendant who has been on an OJI leave shall not be returned to duty as a Flight Attendant until she/he has completed any necessary requalification training. A Flight Attendant on an OJI leave may attend recurrent training if approved in advance by the Inflight Department in accordance with Company policy. The Company will not unreasonably deny a Flight Attendant's request to attend recurrent training.

7. A Flight Attendant on an OJI Leave during her/his probationary period shall have her/his probationary period extended accordingly.

8. A Flight Attendant's pass eligibility as per Section 27, General, Paragraph Q. (excluding those awarded for perfect attendance) shall not be affected during an OJI Leave.

9. A Flight Attendant who engages in outside employment during her/his OJI Leave must advise Inflight management prior to engaging in that employment and must comply with Company policy regarding secondary employment.

10. An OJI Leave shall not last longer than three (3) years, unless the Company and the Union mutually agree in writing to extend the leave for up to an additional two (2) years. A Flight Attendant who fails to return to duty from a leave of the applicable duration shall be deemed to have voluntarily resigned from her/his employment and removed from the Flight Attendant System Seniority List.

11. Prior to returning to duty as a Flight Attendant, the Flight Attendant will be required to present a physician's statement, satisfactory to the Company, verifying that she/he is medically fit to perform all required Flight Attendant duties.

12. In the event there is a dispute concerning a Flight Attendant's fitness for duty, the procedures set forth in Section 18, Physical Examinations, shall be utilized.