Fort Worth-based American Airlines has introduced a new performance monitoring system which is already drawing scrutiny from labor advocates, as the surveillance in the workplace sparks privacy concerns in some US states. The new platform, which is known as Me@Work, will score flight attendants on a range of workplace metrics across the last 12 months.

The new platform will assign a score to the flight attendants’ performance via data collected; however, critics are already arguing that some of the metrics that are set to be used as part of the scoring process could be influenced by factors that are outside of the flight attendants’ control, meaning they could unfairly be punished.

Many Metrics Outside Flight Attendants’ Control

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American has positioned the Me@Work platform as an informational and developmental tool that will support flight attendants with insight into operational and customer service performance. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants ( APFA) suggests, as per a report by Newsweek, that this will be used for development, not for disciplinary purposes.

The new system has been met with criticism, as critics argue that a number of the metrics that will be scored are outside the attendants’ control, such as malfunctioning OnboardWiFi, aircraft cleanliness, or catering issues. These are unrelated to the performance of its airline crew members, and this has led to attendants questioning how the operational contribution is to be measured.

AFPA additionally has raised concerns around the scoring process, and where underlying data will be used. The Union has argued that the workers should be able to review, challenge or correct any incorrect information that may affect the overall score.

Penalized For Wider Operational Problems

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Results that are outside the flight attendants’ control, including delayed flights, operational challenges, or other factors that are unrelated to the performance of the individual flight attendant, have raised concerns around how this data will be contributed to the overall score, and whether these operational issues will be reviewed and transparent for the crew members.

The APFA has also argued that the attendants and their union should have the ability to correct information that affects the score, and added this statement as shared by Newsweek:

“We continue to have the right to dispute any attendance, performance, or disciplinary issue, including anything that may arise from or reflect on our record as a Flight Attendant, regardless [of] how that information is obtained.”

Privacy protection in the state of California has also played into this debate, with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) granting California residents the right to know which personal information has been collected and how it is being used. Additionally, the individual can request any corrections of inaccurate information.

Me@Work Is Facing Backlash Due To Privacy Concerns

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The AFPA has outlined that it continues to seek additional information on how the Me@Work platform will operate and stresses that the flight attendants be able to challenge performance and ensure accurate information is reflected in the records. AA, on the other hand, has already outlined that it remains compliant with applicable privacy requirements state by state. No regulatory body has yet to step in and conclude as to whether American has violated any state law on the matter.

The Fort Worth-based carrier is one of the United States largest airlines, and is a founding member of the oneworld Alliance. The airline maintains hubs at airports across the country, with its largest being that of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). The airline employs more than 130,000 team members, with approximately 30,000 of these individuals being flight attendants. Hubs detailed below:

American’s new rating system has been argued to improve accountability across the network, and while employee advocates continue to question how the performance scores will be calculated, the biggest question is how workers are going to be able to challenge the results, and what role the automated tool will play in evaluating its crew members.