On Jan. 31, Singapore Airlines (SIA) air stewardess Vanessa Yeap was found dead in a San Francisco hotel room.

She was the leading stewardess on a long-haul flight from Singapore to San-Francisco, with a stopover in Hong Kong.

She was due to be on the return leg of the flight.

Her untimely passing triggered an outpouring of condolences, but at the same time, stories started to surface regarding SIA and their policy on medical leave.

Stories of SIA's medical leave policy

One of the more widely-shared stories is a comment from one Phillip Lim, who alleged that staff cannot take medical leave without affecting chances of getting interviewed for a promotion.

The comment, originally left on a Facebook post of a media report on Yeap's passing, was captured and shared individually on Facebook.

Here's what it says:

Condolences to the grieving family.

Would also like to highlight the current practices with regards to obtaining a genuine MC in SIA. Many fatigued crew opt to push themselves to operate flights even despite the fact they may be genuinely ill. This stems from the current practice whereby the company REWARDS crew who maintain an MC free record each year. Points are deducted from their annual sevice performance for every day of MC taken. This can drastically affect their rankings when it comes to promotion to the next rank. Just a day's MC can slide one way down the rankings. Thus, in this competitive environment and despite the fact that the MOM FORBIDS companies penalising their staff for taking sick leave, we do have staff forcing themselves to operate flights even though they are genuinely ill. The relevant authorities ought to look into this matter, to ensure SQ crew have their health and well-being taken care of.

Lim's claims are corroborated by Facebook user Aaron Tan, who says he is an ex-SIA air steward.

In a Facebook status, Tan said he resigned from Singapore Airlines because the medical leave he had to take from injuries he sustained after getting into an accident was classified as "casual", as he wasn't hospitalised. He alleges, similarly, that this classification would have affected his chances of being promoted:

Two types of leave

According to The New Paper on Feb. 4, two anonymous air stewardesses were quoted explaining that there are two types of medical leave:

1) "Casual" MC, which would include minor ailments such as stomachache and fever.

2) "Non-casual" MC, which covers more serious illness.

Out of fear of affecting prospects of promotion and contract renewal, one of them was quoted as saying she had not taken a single "casual" MC in the past eight years.

She added that she understands that the policy prevents the abuse of medical leave, but also expressed concern with long-term effects on the health and welfare of cabin crew, what with the possible spread of illnesses in a confined area.

SIA responds

Also quoted in TNP is an SIA spokesperson, who reportedly said working while on MC is a "disciplinary lapse".

The spokesperson went on to say that crew are "encouraged to rest and recuperate at home" when on medical leave.

SIA said crew members have 28 days of paid medical leave and six months of paid hospitalisation leave for more serious illnesses.

Additionally, the paper reported, SIA stated there is no reward for an MC-free record, but simply "a reflection of personal pride", showing that the crew member is good at managing his or her health.

On the issue of taking medical leave affecting a crew member's performance rank or rating, however, the spokesperson said that the productivity of employees and work attendance is "important for a successful airline operation."

More stories emerge

After the TNP article, more Facebook users claiming to be former SQ crew came forward to back up what Lim, Tan and the two anonymous air stewardesses alleged:

One claimed there was previously a monetary reward of $200 - $300 for not taking any medical leave, but noted that this may have been stopped:

However, some noted this could be a common practice — albeit nasty — that is observed in other airlines, too, even companies in other industries:

Others debated the nature and difficulty of the work the cabin crew do as well:

But perhaps this is what matters most:

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