Taiwanese Airline Apologises For Requesting Sick Leave Paperwork From Dead Employee

EVA Air, a Taiwanese airline, issued an apology for asking for sick leave paperwork from a flight attendant who had died, BBC reported. The incident went viral on local social media, sparking outrage with cabin crew union members demanding reforms in leave policies.

The 34-year-old flight attendant, surnamed Sun, died on October 10 after falling ill during a flight from Milan to Taoyuan. According to reports, Sun felt unwell on September 24 during the flight and was hospitalised upon arrival.

Her condition continued to worsen, but still, she was asked to provide proof of her sick leave application after her death. Some social media users, claiming to be her colleagues, alleged that she was pushed to continue working despite being ill. Notably, Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) reported that flight records in the last six months showed that she had flown an average of 75 hours per month, which is within regulatory limits.

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The family alleged that on the day of her funeral, a company's representative reportedly sent a message to her phone regarding the submission of documents for sick leave she had taken in September. Her family was forced to respond with a copy of her death certificate.

Meanwhile, the airline said the message for the sick leave document was an employee's mistake, and it was "conducting a thorough review" of the case. "The health and safety of our employees and passengers are our highest priorities," the airline said as quoted by the report.

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In a press conference, they said they had personally apologised to Sun's family. "The departure of Ms Sun is the pain in our hearts forever," Eva Air President Sun Chia-Ming said.

"We will carry out the investigation [into her death] with the most responsible attitude."

The incident has triggered concerns about the airline's work culture, with allegations of overworking staff and discouraging sick leave. EVA Air has been fined seven times since 2013 for staff overtime offences.