Record Improvement

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Contract 101

Article 32 – Attendance Policy

Record Improvement

The Point System for Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants is designed to allow you opportunities for absences (both excused and not) and mistakes, while providing numerous chances to improve your points record. SWA issues points for chargeable occurrences, such as unexcused absences and No Shows. As points accumulate, you will move through levels of discipline leading up to termination. Warning emails will be sent to your SWA email account (wnco.com), but points will continue to accrue even if you do not receive or acknowledge your point status.

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THE CURRENT STATUS OF YOUR ATTENDANCE POINTS!

Discipline Chart for Point Accrual

Flight Attendants receiving chargeable occurrences for absenteeism will work their way through these steps of discipline:

“How do I find out how many points I have?”

At any time, you may call or email your Inflight Supervisor to find out the status of your points. You may also email Inflight Attendance and Leave. It is important to know where you are on the point chart, not just to avoid discipline… but to ensure that your points – and any record improvements – have been calculated correctly! We recommend emailing your Inflight Supervisor or Inflight Attendance Leave monthly or at minimum once per quarter. Inflight Attendance and Leave can also provide your FMLA qualifying hours upon request.

Email: InflightAandL@wnco.com

“How do we accrue points?”

Chargeable occurrences have a set point number associated with them. (Art.32.6)

Reported Illness Less Than Two (2) Hours Prior to Scheduled Check-in of Trip (SL1):

There has been a significant increase in late sick calls! Please remember to utilize ERS (when applicable) or notify Crew Scheduling as soon as you know that you are too ill to work. The points accrued for a late sick call cannot be removed with a Doctor’s note, PIN, or INT FMLA.

Might Be Late (MBL) and BONUS MBL (BMBL):

REMINDER: You must specify that you are using your BONUS MBL when calling Crew Scheduling. 

Reserve – Report of Illness after Assignment (SLA):

If you self-assign or acknowledge an assignment prior to contact hours and then need to call/report in sick, you will not accrue the 0.5 point as long as you call/report before your contact hours begin.

The 0.5 point is accrued when you call/report in sick after your contact hours have begun and Crew Scheduling has initiated contact for an assignment (SLA). The penalty 0.5 point cannot be removed with a Doctor’s note, PIN, or INT FMLA. Please remember that not being within two (2) hours driving distance of Base during contact hours on Reserve may cause you to be in violation of Class 1 Section 17 of our Work Rules and Expectations and could result in discipline, up to termination. SWA will likely conduct an investigation after any Reserve UTC and/or SLA. You may be required to see a Company-designated physician to verify illness for an SLA.

Perfect Attendance During a Quarter

For every calendar quarter where you have perfect attendance, 2 points will be deducted from your point total. Every other record improvement allows you to reduce your point total, but perfect attendance is the only way to get your attendance points to -6.

“What exactly constitutes “perfect attendance”?

In order to receive perfect attendance, you must report for all scheduled work assignments, regardless of excusal. Having no chargeable occurrences is different from perfect attendance. Bereavement Leave, Jury Duty, Witness Leave, and an MBL for which no points are charged will not disqualify you from perfect attendance.

“Do I have to fly at least 78 TFP in order to be eligible for perfect attendance?”

No. There is no minimum flying requirement to record improve or attain perfect attendance. Many people confuse record improvement with previous SWAG and Guest Pass Programs.

It’s important to remember that in our Contract, there are no flying minimums.

“So… I have to be perfect to get the perfect attendance record improvement?”

Pretty much. The easiest way to look at it is if there is any GREEN on your screen (except for Jury Duty, Bereavement Leave, Witness Leave, and an MBL where no points are accrued), you will not be eligible for perfect attendance. Excused absences are considered a non-chargeable occurrence… but they are an absence none-the-less.

“I started the 3rd quarter with 1 point and have perfect attendance. How many points will I have starting the 4th quarter?”

With Perfect Attendance During the Quarter, your points total will be reduced by 2 meaning you will begin the next quarter with -1 points. With perfect attendance, we can bank up to -6 points.

“I had to call in sick but used Oakland Sick Leave (OSCK). Does that disqualify me from perfect attendance?”

Yes. Because you missed a scheduled work assignment due to illness, you did not have perfect attendance. You did use a valid leave (OSCK) to excuse your absence, making it a non-chargeable occurrence.

No Chargeable Occurrences During a Quarter

If you are active the entire calendar quarter and have no chargeable occurrences, your point total will be reduced by 2 points. Contract 2024 changed this record improvement to allow for banking attendance points up to a max total of -2.

“What exactly constitutes a “chargeable occurrence”?

Chargeable occurrences are essentially situations where you accrue points, such as:

• Sick Call with no Doctor’s note, PIN or INT FMLA

• Untimely Report of Illness (SL1)

• No Show (NS)

• Unable to Contact (UTC)

• Failure to Report (FTR)

• Might Be Late (MBL) – not FREE (quarterly) or BONUS (1per year)

“What other occurrences cause a Flight Attendant to be disqualified from quarterly record improvement?”

• Any Leave of Absence (other than Jury Duty, Witness Leave, Funeral Leave, or an OJI of 7 days or less once per calendar year)

• Fatigue pull determined not to be caused by operational or duty-related factors

“What are some examples of non-chargeable occurrences?”

• A sick call for which no points are accrued (i.e., valid quarterly Doctor’s note/PIN, Intermittent FMLA, applicable State Leaves)

• Weather and Natural Disaster Absence (WDA)

• Emergency Family Leave (ELN)

• Fatigue pull determined to be caused by operational or duty-related factors

• OJI occurrence of seven (7) working days or less (limited to once per calendar year)

• Intermittent FMLA (LME or LMN)

“If I use my PIN, am I still eligible for this record improvement?”

Yes. A sick call covered with a quarterly PIN is considered a non-chargeable occurrence and will not prevent you from having two (2) points deducted. You can extend a PIN by attaching a Doctor’s Statement within 14 days after the ending of the last day of absence due to the initial report of illness. A single continuous occurrence of illness (PIN with Doctor’s Statement) will not prevent you from having two (2) points deducted and is considered a non-chargeable occurrence. However, sick calls that aren’t excused with a PIN, Doctor’s note or Intermittent FMLA are chargeable occurrences.

4th Quarter and December Bonus

The end of the calendar year brings with it a couple BONUS record improvement opportunities! By taking advantage of these opportunities, you can quickly see your point total diminish… or go away completely!

“What is the 4th Quarter Record Improvement Bonus?”

If you have four (4) or fewer points, and you do not accrue more than (one) 1 point total in October, November and December, your point total will be reduced to ZERO!

“What if I have perfect attendance that will reduce my points to -1? Will I still only get the 4th Quarter Bonus and only go to zero?“

No. You will be given whichever record improvement is most beneficial to your situation. So, if Perfect Attendance During a Quarter will reduce your points more than the 4th Quarter Record Improvement Bonus, you will be awarded perfect attendance.

Keep in mind that the December Record Improvement Bonus will be applied in addition to any other record improvement. This means that the 4th quarter (OCT – NOV – DEC) is an incredible opportunity to reduce your attendance points total!

“I am at -6 points and had perfect attendance in December? How does this affect my points bank?”

If you have perfect attendance in December, your point total will be reduced 1 point, even if that takes you into (or further into) the negative. In your situation, you will bank the maximum number of points and be at -7 to start the new year. The December Bonus point is the ONLY way to bank the max of -7.

“If I called in sick in November but have perfect attendance in December, will I still qualify for the December Record Improvement Bonus?”

Yep! The December Record Improvement Bonus is specific to the month of December. Your absence, whether excused or not, in November will not affect the December Bonus. If active the entire month of December, you will start the new year with 1 less point, up to a maximum of -7 points in your bank.

Terminations for “pointing out” (or getting to 12 points) are on the rise… and they are usually preventable! If you would like assistance creating a points reduction plan, email: education@staging1.twu556.org

16-Month Roll Off

With the ratification of Contract 2024, the 16-Month Roll Off will sunset. Any points that accrued before the start of the “sunset period” will continue to roll off as explained in Article 32.7.D (and in this resource!). Any points accrued starting February 1, 2025, will NOT roll off.

“What exactly is 16-Month Roll Off?”

Article 32.7.D states that any accrued attendance points will be deducted from a Flight Attendant’s point total 16-months after they are accrued, as long as their point total doesn’t reach zero. Once zero points are reached, it is considered a “fresh start” and the 16-Month Roll Off will restart.

“I got a No Show on January 1, 2024. When will the 2.5 points be deducted from my point total?”

If your point total never reaches zero (0), the 2.5 points accrued on January 1, 2024, will be deducted from your point total 16 months after the accrual date, which would be on May 1, 2025. This scenario is based on 16 months of active service.

“Does the “sunset” of the 16-Month Roll Off mean I’m stuck with accrued points forever?”

No! There is no such thing as “permanent points.” The language in Article 32.7 about Perfect Attendance During a Quarter, No Chargeable Occurrences During a Quarter, Fourth Quarter Record Improvement Bonus, and December Record Improvement Bonus are still in the Contract and can be used to reduce your attendance points total.

What is a “fresh start”?

A “fresh start” refers to when your point status hits zero. When that happens, your 16 Month Roll Off starts fresh from that date…. So any point accrual from that moment on will be eligible for the roll off, unless the Flight Attendant hits zero again.