American Airlines is facing backlash after rolling out a new employee scoring system that critics say keeps tabs on flight attendants’ every move — from passenger reviews to their activity on Microsoft Teams — igniting accusations of workplace surveillance and putting California’s tough privacy laws in the spotlight.
The Me@Work program, launched in April, tracks a year’s worth of employee data before generating individual scores, according to the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), the union representing the carrier’s flight attendants.
American has told the union the platform is meant to help employees monitor their performance and development, not serve as a disciplinary tool.
But that explanation hasn’t quieted critics.
The score pulls from a long list of workplace metrics, including passenger satisfaction surveys, attendance, operational performance, flight-attendant-related delays, compliance with company procedures, Microsoft Teams usage, electronic flight bag compliance and how quickly incident reports are filed.
Flight attendants argue many of those measurements are influenced by factors they can’t control.
A poor passenger survey, for example, could reflect a delayed flight, faulty Wi-Fi, catering problems or a dirty aircraft rather than the performance of the cabin crew.
Workers have also questioned how the airline calculates “operational contribution” and whether system-wide disruptions could unfairly drag down individual scores.
The union is also demanding more transparency about how the ratings are created and what information feeds into them, arguing employees should be able to review and challenge data that could affect their records.
The fight has drawn particular attention in California, where some of the nation’s strongest consumer privacy protections also extend to employees of many businesses. Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as expanded by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), California residents, including employees covered by the law, have the right to know what personal information is being collected, how it is used, access that data and request corrections to inaccurate information. Businesses must also notify people about their data collection practices.
“Under the law, workers have the right to know when employers are monitoring them, what information is being collected, and how that information is being used,” the union wrote in an internal memo.
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“Employees must also have access to their personal data and the ability to request that inaccurate information be corrected or deleted.”
The memo added: “The reality is that me@work demonstrates American Airlines management has been compiling data on individual Flight Attendants without providing us the opportunity to request corrections or deletion when appropriate, view the specific data collected, verify its accuracy, or challenge incorrect or misleading information.”
APFA said it is seeking additional details about how Me@Work operates and insists flight attendants must be able to review and contest performance-related information tied to their records.
American Airlines, meanwhile, may argue it has already provided the required notices and remains compliant with applicable privacy laws. The controversy comes as the airline grapples with a sharp squeeze on profits despite reporting record revenue.
American posted quarterly revenue of $16.74 billion, up 16.3% from a year earlier. But net income plunged 88% to $71 million, while its operating margin fell to 2.7% from 7.9%.
Premium ticket sales jumped 19%, and corporate bookings climbed 26% year over year. At the same time, soaring jet fuel prices added $2.2 billion to quarterly costs after fuel expenses surged 83%.
The carrier also slashed its full-year earnings outlook to a range centered on break-even, -$0.65 to $0.65 per share, sending its stock tumbling 8% as investors reacted to the weaker profit forecast.
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