I enjoy politics. No, this is not a political post – it has relevance to the story. A big philosophical question about politics is the idea of regulation. Do we need rules to force people to do the right thing or are we better off focusing on teaching character and simply hoping they do the right thing to give more freedom? I know where I stand on the situation.
It appears we know where United Airlines stands on the issue as well. Unfortunately, their attempt at regulating behavior may have gotten them in trouble with the regulators – a fun little twist to an unfortunate story.
Tl;Dr – United thought too many flight attendants were calling in sick on the weekend and disrupting flights, so they created a policy where they can call in sick provided they get a doctor’s note. It may or may not violate labor laws or the union contract.