Short Term Disability

1. When is short-term disability an option?

When a non-occupational illness or injury occurs, which prevents a Flight Attendants from being able to perform their In-flight duties, STD is an option.

Three basic criteria must be met: 1) The insurance company should be contacted as soon as possible, but must be contacted within 30 days of the medical situation. 2) The medical doctor must make a diagnosis, which concludes that the Flight Attendant is unable to fully perform their In-flight, duties. 3) The insurance company must receive the paperwork from the physician stating the diagnosis of the Flight Attendant.

After seeing a physician and the determination is made that you are unable to perform the duties of a F/A, a call should be made to Hartford notifying them of the illness or injury. The insurance carrier will require a release of medical information. This should be a release for information, which is relevant to your illness or injury. The sooner the doctor forwards the necessary documentation to the insurance company, the sooner your disability will begin paying. This is probably the biggest hold up in claims not being paid in a timely manner.

A total of 180 days including the 5-day waiting period.

There is a 5-day waiting period and on the 6^th day, STD begins paying.

During the 5-day waiting period, trips missed will be paid automatically from the Flight Attendants sick bank, provided the sick-bank has hours available. If there are no hours available in the F/A’s sick-bank, trips missed will be unpaid.

Yes days off are counted.

Yes, when you know that you will be going on STD, you may elect to use as much or as little of your sick bank prior to going on a reduced income. (Section 14, C., 4.)

A letter requesting the specific amount of time to be used from your sick bank should be directed to the attention of Inflight Services Administration.

The company may not consider this an availability issue. Use of your sick-bank, before going on STD, was negotiated in our contract and is a benefit, which was costed into the agreement.

STD will pay 66 and 2/3% of your base salary of 70 hours or 66 and 2/3 of 75 hours if you were a grandfathered Reserve when the contract came into effect on May 1, 1999

US Airways will pay for trips which were worked prior to the 5-day waiting period and any trips which were scheduled and missed during the 5 day waiting period, provided there was time available in the Flight Attendant’s sick-bank to cover the 5 day waiting period. After the 5-day waiting period, Hartford Insurance will pay 66 and 2/3% of the balance of the hours not worked.

STD is paid weekly.

No, light duty while on STD is an option available to the F/A. It provides a means for the F/A to work hours on the ground and to get paid up to and over the 70 hour guarantee, as long as there are light duty positions available.

For every 2 hours worked on the ground doing light duty the F/A will receive 1 hour of F/A credit. For example, a F/A who works 70 hours a month would have to work 140 hours of light duty to get paid 70 hours of F/A credit. (140 hours divided by 4 weeks = 35 hours a week of light duty necessary to get paid 70 hours of regular F/A credit). If there is work available you may request to work more hours.

Yes, If you elect not to work light duty you will continue to get paid 66 and 2/3 % of your 70 or 75 hour guarantee.

Inflight Services Administration at Terminal 4 should be contacted and advised of your desire to participate in light duty. Your name will be forwarded to the return to work coordinator at US Airways headquarters. The coordinator will contact you with positions available.

US Airways issues your pay while performing light duty.

The Benefits Department has assured us that they will do their best to work around F/A schedules. Because the airline business is a 24-hour a day operation there is usually work available at various times, seven days a week.

If the department you are working in will be closed to observe a holiday and you wish to be paid, you must contact the light duty coordinator who will place you in another department, which will be open on the holiday. If you elect to not work the holiday, you will not be paid for the day.

Yes, you and your dependants may travel space-available on US Airways for the first 6 months of your disability. If you are working light duty you are considered on active status and retain all of your flight privileges.

No, including US Airways Express.

You will receive information US Mail from PayFlex giving you options for keeping your insurance premiums current.

While performing light duty your status is considered active and the premiums come out of your US Airways paycheck automatically.

Long Term Disability starts after your 180 days of Short Term Disability expires.

You are paid 50% of your Minimum Bid Guarantee.

You will then receive an additional 16 2/3%. Combined with your 50% you will receive a total of 66 2/3% of you Minimum Bid Period Guarantee.

The insurance premiums will be deducted from your disability check. Also the accrued premiums from the 6 months of Short Term Disability will be deducted.

No. Leaves of more than 6 months duration will result in suspension of the Employee’s pass travel privileges. Dependants will continue to be eligible. You may apply for emergency travel but requests may not be submitted earlier than 24 hours of travel. While on any leave of absence flight privileges are suspended on all other carriers. This includes US Airways Express.