Date: 201812
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Light: Night
Aircraft: EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Parked
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Human factors: Fatigue
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Attendant
When detected: Aircraft In Service At Gate
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Company Policy; Human Factors
Primary problem: Company Policy

Narrative: I was called at XA:08 (and woken out of sleep) for a local; on the phone crew support said I was getting a 2 hour callout. As soon as I got off the phone with them I looked at my trip and it was a XB:40 departure; so if I had taken my rightful 2 hours it would have delayed the flight. So I hurried out the door; got to the airport just about one hour after I was called; checked in by XB:18 and managed to get the flight out at XB:44. Only 4min past schedule instead of hours. I sacrificed my time so the company could save-face. I worked a long flight; then a quick turn and did another long flight to finally arrive in ZZZ; where I was supposed to deadhead back to ZZZ1. My flights were very chaotic and I was exhausted by the time I arrived in ZZZ for my deadhead. I was in line for my flight back to ZZZ1 when crew support called me to tell me they added duty time to my day and I was supposed to work a flight to ZZZ2 at XN:16 (later that night). I analyzed myself and with the rushed start to my day and the kind of flights I had; I concluded that I was fatigued and not fit for duty. I called crew support back and explained all of this to them. They told me there was no one else to work this flight so if I didn't then it would be canceled; and I would get [a negative mark on my record] because I'm still on probation. I was very confused that they were more interested in my being on probation than the fact that a crew member is not fit to fly. I went into the airport bathroom and cried because it was all I could do with the thought of having to work another 5 hrs with the level of exhaustion I was experiencing. I called back about an hour later to ask again if anyone else was available to work the flight. I informed her that; again; I was not fit to fly. She connected me to [Crew Support Center] to discuss the fit to fly program. I was then met with the same answers; that if I try to call off for fatigue it's very unlikely that it would be approved and I would get [a negative mark. The company] did not acknowledge a crew member calling out for help because of fatigue and admitting not fit for duty and refused to help. With no other option I went to my gate to meet my crew to work the flight. My Captain also concluded that I was not fit for duty and called crew support. They told him I was fit and I needed to work the flight. [The company] did not handle this with 'safety first' for the sake of the passengers. [The company] would not allow a crew member to call off for fatigue admitting they were not fit for dutyThis needs to be addressed within the administration of [the company] so that we are protected by our company to be able to acknowledge not being fit for duty for the sake and safety of our passengers without fear of termination on probation or punitive actions.




Synopsis: ERJ-175 Flight Attendant reported calling in 'not fit to fly' because of fatigue; but was forced to work under threat of punitive action by the company.