EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury
General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Physical Injury / Incapacitation
Human Factors; Company Policy
On the bus from the hotel to the airport; beginning the second of a five day trip; one of the flight attendants noted that she couldn't hear out of one ear due to it being blocked. She was unable to equalize pressure. Both the CA (Captain) and I told her this was not ok to fly with and that she could rupture an ear drum and be left with permanent hearing loss if this went unchecked. We provided ways to mitigate the risk of a rupture but told her we couldn't make the decision whether she was sick or not; she had to make that call. She decided to continue the flight to see how she held up. Upon landing in ZZZ; she stated that she felt a pop in her ear; had more pain and was not feeling ok to continue the trip. She also stated that she had to call out sick on her last trip due to the same issue. She saw a doctor who ordered three days' rest; which had been completed; but the ear was not healed. Due to fear of reprimand by the company for calling out two trips in a row; the FA (Flight Attendant) was distraught and literally in tears as she struggled to decide whether or not to make the call. This is not the first time I've heard of FAs being afraid to call in sick; due to fear of retribution. This practice by the company creates an unsafe environment and left us with an FA that could not completely hear and may not have been able to perform a successful emergency evacuation. In our situation; the FA was easily replaced and after an hour and 20 minute sit; the next flight departed on time.Flight crews should not be second guessed or questioned on matters of flight safety; especially regarding their own feelings of being fit for duty. Crew scheduling and supervisors should simply follow the published procedures and avoid speculative; questioning and threatening language. I understand there are employees who abuse this privilege and those personnel should be handled appropriately. What is not appropriate is to coerce a crew member into flying when they are not fit. This goes counter to a culture of safety and is a direct result of the actions of company leadership. Perhaps; as part of the benefits package; the company can provide access to doctors who have a specialty in aviation medicine. This would provide more specialized care specifically for the job we do and can benefit the company by providing better assessment on return to service.
EMB-175 First Officer reported a Flight Attendant felt pressured to continue flight despite an ear blockage.