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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/melentop on 2024-11-06 18:40:56+00:00.

Long Story. I’ve worked aviation EMS as a pilot for many years after retiring from the military. Great, stable job and still serving the local communities, so a sense of pride and community service is maintained. In the last few years, corporate decided that our flight volume was such that a second helicopter be stationed, co-located, with us as we we’re consistently one of the top performing bases in the company. Long story short, a different type of helicopter with different capabilities was to be co-located with us. Said new aircraft had a mix of a sister company ownership and our company nurses and medics. Odd setup. Different companies under one umbrella, but different rules for the crews. Crew=Nurse and Medic.

As a top performer, in the mean time, our base was given a newer, much faster aircraft with the hopes of increasing our already stellar productivity. We were always first call as the other base/aircraft was on reserve. Massive animosity ensued as our base would get 3-5 flights a day while the reserve, more capable aircraft was on hold for possible turndowns. Nurses and Medics all employed by the same company. Regardless of WX, our base was first call and often did back to back to back calls while the other, newer, more capable base/aircraft sat on reserve even on sever clear days. More animosity.

Fast forward to one of the nurses on the sh*t end of the stick being promoted to boss of both bases as far as base operations and facilities are concerned. Changes made and equitable flight volume distribution changes in effect and now the workload is much more even and honestly, fair.

But quick changes come with a reality check. Dope deals were made behind the scenes between and the two air bosses agreed who would take what flight and when. This information didn’t trickle down to my me or my other pilot who work the opposite shift. That’s important since we pilots generally show up 30mins or so early to help avoid late flights where we can’t bring the crew back. We have strict flight time regs we have to follow per the FAA or certificate action can happen. Read, we stop flying forever.

Background set for non-aviation folks, I walk in one day, 30 minutes early as usual and hear the tones go off. Flight request. I take it and we complete the flight with no issues…except the flurry of phone calls I get asking why I took it. Reminder that the new “rules” on which base takes which flight when are beyond me. I’m confused by the question and politely tell them to F off because I literally just did my job.

As the new base boss was still on the flight schedule for the day, I was elated to have a face-to-face about it. I was reemed about taking crews on overtime. HUH?, WHAT?, EXSCUSE YOU? That has NEVER been a thing in almost the decade I’ve worked here. We get the patient were they need to go, overtime be damned. THAT’S OUR FUCKING JOB.

Cue malicious compliance: Ok, if paying overtime is now a thing, I’ll comply. If we get a flight request that even remotely looks close to having overtime being payed, I’ll call her for approval before accepting. Don’t want to piss off the mythical bean counters in lieu of potentially saving a life.

This is not, by the way, a normal process to take a flight and I will not decline one over it, but I’ve enjoyed waking the boss up at all hours of the night over it. I didn’t start this, just complying. I’ve asked for written guidance on new policies, but until then, the 3am call will just keep coming.