I’ve covered United Airlines’ hostility to remote work for its headquarters employees. A group that says it represents 325 employees at American Airlines ‘Skyview’ campus headquarters near the Dallas Fort Worth airport say their airline has been hostile to the idea as well, and are petitioning for jobs that can be done remotely to be permitted to do so, following the advice and request of local governments.

We are writing today to express our extreme concern with the current company direction as it relates to HDQ/SKYVIEW employees who should be able to work from home during the current COVID-19 situation. Things aren’t getting better and the numbers around the world, in the US, in Texas, and in DFW keep rising. Our concern is no longer where we’ve traveled or if we’ve come into contact with someone who traveled to an area experiencing an epidemic—this is now a pandemic.

American provides HDQ/SKYVIEW management and support staff with all of the necessary tools to work from home: laptop, VPN, soft phone, Syncplicity, chat and video chat programs, and more.

Dallas County has issued a shelter-in-place order. Many of us live in Dallas County and have been told not to commute to work if that work can be done at home. Other states, counties and local governments around the country have done the same. Let’s be honest, “social distancing” is possible in our “open office” environment. And while you’ve allowed employees who are sick to stay home, the CDC and WHO stated within the past 24 hours there are more asymptomatic people in the US than those who are symptomatic. You’re putting us at risk.

Companies large and small are allowing employees, whose job functions allow, to work from home. We feel by requiring us to report to a large office with hundreds—even thousands—are present is reckless. No matter the food, sanitation, and other policies you’ve put in place, they’re not enough. American has spent considerable amounts of money and provided us with the tools we need to work from home.

Yes, airlines are essential services as defined under government shelter and stay-at-home orders, our job functions can be completed at home—at home in a safe environment where we can concentrate on the work we need to do—not work about being enclosed unnecessarily in a building where there is a much higher risk.

We ask you create a policy to allow HDQ/SKYVIEW employees to work from home until the pandemic reaches a level where recommendations such as social distancing are no longer in effect.

Respectfully submitted,

Over 325 SKYVIEW 8 Employees Who Have Organized Online