You get 6 consecutive days with the same 'illness' and then you get put on CA program. It's a BS deal many of us have been advocating to see changed. From what I've heard it's being discussed as part of the comprehensive work rules changes being talked about between mgmt and a pilot committee right now. Word is we'll be going to a bank system like everyone else.
To be clear, here's how it works:
You get sick with the flu in Feb, you call off a 4-day and you get paid, no questions asked. You miss the next trip and you only get paid for the first two days of it, then you get to fill out the CA paperwork and collect from CA. Because VA is a CA company they can do this. Like I said, a BS deal.
Beyond that, say you call out again in June for a boil on your a$$. Again, you get paid for the first consectutive six days and have to file for CA SDI if you go beyond that.
If you have some sort of catastrophic illness and go out for awhile, you get paid for the first six days, then start drawing from a "catastrophic sick bank" that you accrued six days per year of (4 years = 24 days) at 3.5 per day. When that runs out you go on CA SDI for 6 months. After that we have co. paid LTD through a private insurance provider.
I'd bet many CA companies do this for the plain fact they can. CA has made it easy for companies to shuck this liability.