Narrative:

Flying while sick. Don't know of any specific violation during flight, but did miss several checklist items and radio calls during the day. Had flu-like symptoms the night before the trip, but hoped a good night's rest would allow recovery. Felt only somewhat marginal in the morning and seemed strong and alert enough to fly and did not want to suffer the $508 pay loss that calling in sick would cause. Our company has adopted a sick policy that intimidates and severely punishes pilots for calling in sick. This greatly affects your decision to fly or not fly when not clearly ill (vomiting, broken bones, etc). I believe it removes a very important safety barrier. The policy is no different, as it relates to safety in the cockpit, than removing a gear warning horn from the landing gear system. No one will intentionally land with gear up, but with human nature as it is the lights, bells, and crew confirmational callouts are necessary. I believe the ability to call in sick without fear and intimidation on those few days a yr a pilot is under the WX is just as much an accident prevention action as any other aviation human or mechanical system.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 PLT IS UNABLE TO CALL IN SICK DUE TO FINANCIAL REASONS AS A RESULT OF COMPANY POLICY.

Narrative: FLYING WHILE SICK. DON'T KNOW OF ANY SPECIFIC VIOLATION DURING FLT, BUT DID MISS SEVERAL CHKLIST ITEMS AND RADIO CALLS DURING THE DAY. HAD FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS THE NIGHT BEFORE THE TRIP, BUT HOPED A GOOD NIGHT'S REST WOULD ALLOW RECOVERY. FELT ONLY SOMEWHAT MARGINAL IN THE MORNING AND SEEMED STRONG AND ALERT ENOUGH TO FLY AND DID NOT WANT TO SUFFER THE $508 PAY LOSS THAT CALLING IN SICK WOULD CAUSE. OUR COMPANY HAS ADOPTED A SICK POLICY THAT INTIMIDATES AND SEVERELY PUNISHES PLTS FOR CALLING IN SICK. THIS GREATLY AFFECTS YOUR DECISION TO FLY OR NOT FLY WHEN NOT CLRLY ILL (VOMITING, BROKEN BONES, ETC). I BELIEVE IT REMOVES A VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY BARRIER. THE POLICY IS NO DIFFERENT, AS IT RELATES TO SAFETY IN THE COCKPIT, THAN REMOVING A GEAR WARNING HORN FROM THE LNDG GEAR SYS. NO ONE WILL INTENTIONALLY LAND WITH GEAR UP, BUT WITH HUMAN NATURE AS IT IS THE LIGHTS, BELLS, AND CREW CONFIRMATIONAL CALLOUTS ARE NECESSARY. I BELIEVE THE ABILITY TO CALL IN SICK WITHOUT FEAR AND INTIMIDATION ON THOSE FEW DAYS A YR A PLT IS UNDER THE WX IS JUST AS MUCH AN ACCIDENT PREVENTION ACTION AS ANY OTHER AVIATION HUMAN OR MECHANICAL SYS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.