10.02.20 – Furlough Pay and Medical Benefits

Friday, October 2, 2020

Furlough Pay and Medical Benefits

Flight Attendants subject to involuntary furlough contractually receive severance pay based on the average number of hours flown in the 12 months prior to the effective date of the furlough found in JCBA 23.C.13. and their Occupational Seniority, as communicated in previous hotlines. The number of months a Flight Attendant is paid severance pay is known as the Furlough Pay Period. Along with the furlough severance pay, a Flight Attendant contractually receives medical benefits at active rates during this Furlough Pay period (JCBA 23.C.14.).

After the Furlough Pay Period, severance pay and medical benefits at active rates end, and the flight attendant is given the option to elect into COBRA medical coverage at full rates for a maximum of 18 months. If the Flight Attendant elects to continue medical coverage through COBRA, their medical benefits are no longer paycheck deducted but instead become direct billed from the COBRA administrator, Alight Solutions.

The Furlough Pay period starts with the effective date of the furlough, October 3, 2020. The use of this date is to factor in carryover sequences and to align the date with adhering to JCBA 23.C.3. contractually. The Flight Attendants who did not have carryovers into October will receive a daily rate for October 1-2. Due to the effective date of furlough being 2 days after the start of the October month, the Furlough Pay Period is extended by two days to compensate for the delayed start of the effective involuntary furlough date.

There has been confusion on how the Furlough Pay Period interplays with the effective furlough date, actual paycheck cycle, and medical benefits deductions at active rates. Nothing is changing in the paycheck cycle and how medical benefits are typically processed. Three things to know to help understand how the paychecks work during the Furlough Pay Period are:

1. The paychecks disbursing your furlough pay end after the actual furlough pay period due to the difference in paycheck cycle and the furlough pay period.
2. Like our normal pay paycheck, the furlough pay is one cycle behind the hours being paid.
3. Medical benefits are paid in “real time”, so the furlough paycheck is deducting medical benefits for the dates aligned with the paycheck.

Below are example charts using a Furlough Pay Period containing a half month and a Furlough Pay Period containing all full months:

If you would like to receive periodic updates from the Company at your preferred email address, you may update your email with the Company by clicking here.

To update your information with APFA, go to APFA.org > Members > Update Your Info. You will continue to have access to the APFA website after the effective date of your furlough, so no steps will change if you need to update your information at a later date.

If you are unable to log into APFA.org, you can email APFA’s Membership Administrator, Erika Reino at [email protected] or call 817-540-0108, ext. 8153.

In Solidarity,

Brian Walsh
APFA National Contract Chair
[email protected]

Cathy Sharp
APFA National Health Chair
[email protected]