My father was very ill and in the hospital and I was working a flight back to the area the hospital was. As soon as I landed I raced to the hospital, where the nurses told me he would probably not make it through the night. I was scheduled to work a "cocktails only" flight back late that night, so I called my scheduler to say I would not be working it as I would stay by my father's side. Each scheduler passed me off to a scheduler in another domicile (I had to call long distance from a pay phone each time as they would not transfer the call). Each one put a guilt trip on me until the final scheduler really did it--he said I was selfish to force my flying partners to pick up the slack for me and that I needed to work the five hour flight home and then I could fly back to see my father the next day if he was still alive (a 5 hour flight)! I was almost guilted into working as they threatened disciplinary action. My father did die very early the next morning and I was with him. I came home from making the arrangements a few days later with a case of bronchial pneumonia. I tried to work anyway but became sick enroute. I was given a verbal warning. (I had never been disciplined for anything prior to my dad's death and only had accolades and awards in my file.) One month later while on a flight my house was burglarized. Everything of value was taken. I was devastated when I called work to tell them that the police needed me to provide details for the investigation BUT...I was told to show up at the airport or else. I was disciplined and told that for the next year I had better not even be late or else. I was told I had no right to have stayed behind with my father as I had an obligation to the company first. Funny, the year before, my ex's stepfather died--he was a celebrity--and we were given first class tickets on another airline for the funeral, my ex got time off with pay (he flew for the same company), and the CEO sent a humungous arrangement of flowers from the "concerned" employees. My father was "just" a hard-working blue collar worker, and I never even got a card.
