Let’s Talk About Probation

Nothing is more nerve wracking than being a flight attendant on probation, and SkyWest notoriously has one of the hardest and longest probations in the industry.  The company loves to say that our probation is no different than anywhere else, that no airline has any protections for probationary flight attendants.  But is that true?  What can and can’t a union do to protect probationary flight attendants?  We did a deep dive into the contracts and probationary policies of nine regional airlines: Envoy, Horizon, Piedmont, Endeavor, PSA, Mesa, Air Wisconsin, GoJet, and SkyWest.  Flight attendants at all these airlines except SkyWest are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA). 

Cindy Sjoquist is wearing her AFA pin during training at Air Wisconsin. Cindy is a guest on “It’s Time Live” episode 8.

Here’s how they stack up

What all the AFA-represented regionals have in common is that the length of probation, whether it can be extended and under what circumstances, and what protections the union can and cannot provide probationary flight attendants is stipulated in the contract.  That means that the company must abide by those terms and cannot change them.  In contrast, none of the terms of probation for SkyWest flight attendants appear in the Flight Attendant Policy Manual (FAPM), the closest thing we have to a “contract.”  The length of probation instead is found in the SkyWest Company Policy Manual (CPM), and it states “All new and rehired employees work on a probationary basis for the first 180 calendar days (flight crews one year) after their date of hire. Any significant absence of fourteen (14) days or more will automatically extend the probationary period by the length of the absence. If the employer determines that the designated probationary period does not allow sufficient time to evaluate the employee thoroughly, the employer may extend the probationary period for a specified period of time.”  Note that the company currently isn’t even following its own policy. 

New Hires Forced to Sign Document

At Initial New Hire Training, prospective flight attendants are required to sign a document that states that probation ends one year after successful completion of IOE, not the date of hire.  This can significantly extend probation past one year, as IOEs can be backlogged, and flight attendants may have to wait several weeks or even months before getting their IOE.  Because we don’t have the length of probation stipulated in a binding contract, as union airlines do, the company is free to change the policy unilaterally, without input or agreement from our flight attendants, or to ignore the policy altogether, as they’re doing now.

Listen to the podcast: “Let’s Talk About Probation”

Even when SkyWest followed its own policy and ended probation a year after the date of hire, one year is by far the longest probation in the industry.  Most AFA-represented regionals’ contracts stipulate probation is 6 months or 180 days from either date of hire, graduation, or “continuous active service.”  That’s half the length of SkyWest’s Flight Attendant Probation!  Some AFA regionals’ have probations that last 210 days or 7 months from completion of IOE (Horizon) or the beginning of Initial New Hire training (Air Wisconsin).  GoJet has a probation that lasts 270 days (9 months) from completion of IOE.

SkyWest’s Never Ending Probation

SkyWest management has often responded that our probation is longer because other airlines can extend probation.  But according to the CPM, SkyWest can do this too.  In fact, there are no restrictions put on either the length or the reasons for the extensions at SkyWest.  The CPM leaves it completely up to the company. AFA regionals have limits written into the contract about extensions, allowing them for the same length of time as any leaves of absence, or if for further evaluation, extensions can be limited to as few as 35 days to as long as 6 months.  No airline allows for extensions past one year for any reason other than leaves of absence.  SkyWest probation starts at one year, and then allows for extensions beyond that with zero restrictions!

Probationary Flight Attendants Benefit From Union Contracts

Another thing SkyWest management likes to tell new hire flight attendants is that a union cannot protect them.  While it is true that industry-wide, probationary flight attendants cannot grieve or get union protection against disciplinary action or termination, every single union contract stipulates that all other policy grievance procedures and union protections are available to probationary flight attendants.  So while a flight attendant on probation at a union airline cannot get union assistance for a disciplinary mark on their record or to protect them from being fired, they can get union assistance for any other policy issues, such as payroll discrepancies, being called out of order on reserve, duty length issues, or any other policy that is not a disciplinary action.  That covers a lot of ground, so there’s a lot of protection the union can provide to new hire flight attendants!  SIA, on the other hand, recently excluded flight attendants on probation from even voting for representatives as they are not afforded any protections SIA (supposedly) offers to other flight attendants.  By the AFA bylaws, probationary flight attendants become full union members at four months of continuous service as flight attendants at union airlines, which means they can vote anywhere from two to seven months before they finish probation.

SkyWest Ignores Its Attendance Policies

One of the most difficult aspects of SkyWest probation is the stricter attendance policy and the fact that having any unexcused absences results in immediate termination.  SIA has said that SkyWest’s probationary attendance policy of five excused absences is more lenient than any other airline, but is this true?  Most AFA regional airlines have probationary attendance policies that allow for termination after three occurrences or “points.”  At first glance, that does sound stricter than SkyWest’s five excused absences.  But remember, SkyWest’s probation is one year, twice as long as most airlines!  Three occurrences in six months is actually a little more than the five for a whole year SkyWest allows.  Furthermore, although SkyWest is very clear in a chart in the eFAD and in INH training that probationary flight attendants are allowed five excused absences, many flight attendants have recently been fired for as few as three excused absences! In a year.  Compare that to three occurrences in six months at most other airlines, and that’s twice as restrictive!

Probation Can Be Addressed in Our Contract

When you compare apples to apples, it is clear that SkyWest’s probation is not only the longest and strictest in the industry but its terms are not governed at all by the FAPM, the closest thing we have to a contract, leaving probationary flight attendants with no protections whatsoever.  Once we unionize, we will be negotiating a new contract, one that will stipulate the length of probation (and we can fight for a shorter probation more in line with other regionals), under what circumstances probation can be extended, and provide for union protections and assistance for all non-disciplinary and non-termination policy disputes.  

Probation is never fun, but it can be improved, and the company can be held to policy.  But only with a real union.  So sign your authorization card today, and talk to other flight attendants about how much better probation can be once we have a union!

A Little Bit About Reliability

Because reliability is seldom in the contract, I could only get six of the nine airlines' policies (SkyWest and five others). I will list them below. Piedmont's appears to be the most restrictive as they count days absent rather than occurrences. Horizon allows 2 *unexcused* absences but does not specify a limit on excused absences. Air Wisconsin doesn't automatically terminate for reliability on probation, and one occurrence can be up to 8 consecutive days instead of our 6 (sick) or 4 (PE). Envoy gives you one point for up to 14 consecutive sick days compared to our 6.

ENVOY 

In the New Hire Welcome Packet, Envoy reliability is a point system, and Probationary FAs will be considered for termination if they exceed 3 points in 6 months. Sick call up to 14 consecutive days = 1 point; it can be longer than 14 days with a doctor's note. Personal call-outs not covered under emergencies = 1 point. 

HORIZON 

Attendance policy in contract but explicitly excludes probationary FAs. According to Horizon union reps, probationary FAs get probation extended for 2 occurrences in 7 months and are terminated after the 3rd occurrence while on probation (occurrences are unexcused absences) 

PIEDMONT 

Probationary Attendance Policy Agreement: 1-3 days absent (in first 6 months), coach & counsel. 4-6 days absent (in first 6 months), written warning. 7-9 days absent (in first 6 months), suspension. 2 UORs (Unavailable on Reserve), automatic termination. After probation, 13th absence in a rolling 1-year calendar is coach & counsel, 14th suspension, further absences 2 year commitment letter. 

MESA 

Mesa Airlines Employee Handbook: 6 occurrences in a rolling calendar year will lead to termination (applies to probationary and non-probationary employees). Consecutive days absent for the same reason = 1 occurrence 

AIR WISCONSIN 

In FA Manual: 3 sick calls in 6 months or a total of 5 a year, rolling calendar, then put into an attendance program. One sick call covers up to 8 consecutive days. The policy applies the same to probationary FAs (they are put into an attendance program for exceeding the call-outs, not terminated.)