A longtime United Airlines flight attendant battling AIDS claims he was fired for taking sick days to see the doctor or otherwise tend to his declining health, which the carrier deemed “excessive medical absences,” according to state and federal court filings obtained by The Independent.
Timothy Panzl, 62, began working for United in October 1990 and was diagnosed with AIDS in 2002, his complaint explains. From then on, it says Panzl, a San Diego resident, was forced to call out roughly twice a month “for worsening health or medical appointments.”
This continued for more than two decades without major issue, according to the complaint, which maintains Panzl got approval for his days off and always provided a doctor’s note when he returned. But when he called out sick before a trip in June 2023, Panzl was informed he had been removed from the schedule, according to the complaint. He was then put under disciplinary investigation, and soon received a letter from management that said his “dependability record warrants termination.”
“Your actions were inconsistent with the Working Together Guidelines in the areas of professionalism – communicate and perform all duties in a safe, courteous, helpful, competent dependable and businesslike manner; and working dependably – keep your attendance regular and arrive at work at the time and on the day you are scheduled,” the letter read.
Panzl was stripped of all travel privileges, and instructed to FedEx back his crew badge and ID card, parking permit, company-issued flashlight and iPhone, battery packs, charging cables and “United blue protective cover and phone storage case.”
The complaint, which was initially filed June 5 in California Superior Court before being removed to San Diego federal court on August 8, says Panzl had “never been given any warning prior to his termination,” and that he had requested “approximately the same amount of excused absences as he had done for the past 21 years.”
Attorney Mahru Madjidi, one of the lawyers representing Panzl, told The Independent that United “unlawfully punished” his client after nearly 33…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…