United Flight Attendants Need a Doctor's Note on Sick Days

United Airlines has just managed to tick off all of its flight attendants, by the sound of it. The airline has imposed a new rule requiring that attendants submit a doctor's note if they want to call in sick on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, reports Quartz. The outlet obtained a memo from the airline in which it accused employees of "misusing" their sick time:

• "We have seen a significant increase in sick calls over weekends this summer," it reads, adding that the "increase in sick calls has resulted in the need to require flight attendants to provide verification of an incapacitating illness from an accredited physician when making a sick call."

• Union responds: "Not only is this a willful Contract violation, it is yet another demonstration of management's lack of respect for Flight Attendants and our contract," reads a statement from the Association of Flight Attendants. It also complains that the airline sent out the email amid the chaos of the CrowdStrike internet snafu that snarled flights throughout the industry.
• The feds: Bloomberg reports that the US Labor Department is reviewing the new sick-leave policy to make sure it complies with federal rules.
• At American: The United controversy comes on the heels of flight attendants striking a deal with American Airlines that includes pay raises and averts a potentially disruptive strike, per the AP. Exact terms were not disclosed.

(More United Airlines stories.)