Jet Blue Flight Attendant Rage Resonates With Workers

By now—unless you've been prospecting for zinc in Siberia—you've probably read and heard about Steven Slater and his dramatic last day at work. 

The JetBlue flight attendant literally pulled the chute on his career during a heated confrontation with a passenger who Slater says was acting rudely. After Slater used the jet's PA system to curse the passenger, he grabbed a couple of beers, popped open the emergency exit, waved goodbye, and swooshed down the inflatable slide into unemployment and jail. His meltdown became the stuff of legend and created a throng of admirers for a man who—for many—has become the living embodiment of a Johnny Paycheck song.

Some scolds have noted that Slater's actions were unprofessional and irresponsible. In fact, the blow back for Slater—always predictable in the media saturation cycle—has already started with investigators questioning passengers on the flight and the flight attendants about their versions of the events.  

Was he irresponsible? Of course! That's why his stunt reverberates with so many working and middle class Americans who've had their fill of being responsible and playing by the rules their whole lives, and who still find themselves living one paycheck off the street. Is Slater's version of events the truth? I don't know. It almost doesn't matter. The specifics of the stunt are not as important as the symbolism. 

This recession is taking its toll on the psyche of the American worker, and the frayed edges are showing. About 14.6 million people are unemployed, and there is no indication that their prospects are going to improve any time soon.  

Many people who've been fortunate enough to keep their jobs have seen their life's savings diminish or disappear, or their home values plummet. Many haven't received a pay raise of any size in years. Some employers have stopped their match on already-battered 401(k) plans, and are using the recession as a worker retention strategy. Health insurance premiums continue to increase at a rate well above inflation, along with co-pays and deductibles, even as health insurance companies post record profits and shower their top executives with what some would argue is obscene compensation.   

This is the environment in which many working and middle class Americans find themselves. And many of these same people are either employees at your healthcare workplace, or they're walking through your doors as patients.

There are obvious comparisons between the job demands on a flight attendant, and those made on a frontline healthcare professional. Both occupations bring a heavy burden of responsibility—often incommensurate with the pay—and require dealing with an increasingly resentful and irritated public, often at their worst in stressful environments. The flight attendant and the healthcare professional are often scapegoats for problems far beyond their control. The public doesn't want to hear why the plane is delayed, or why they've been waiting in pain and in fear for two hours in your ER without seeing a physician. They have a problem, and it's your fault! 

We're already seeing more instances of rowdy patient behavior and outright violence in the hospital setting. Can we expect to see a sequel, perhaps "Revenge of the Nurse?" Will some fed up, angry healthcare professional "Pull a Slater" on his or her way out the door?

For the most part, the healthcare sector has been spared much recession-related misery because skilled healthcare professionals remain in demand in most parts of the country. That doesn?t mean that healthcare workers are happy, or that they're not stressed out, or that they don't carry deep frustrations about their jobs. Add a potentially volatile patient mix—and the ingredients are prepped for a major meltdown.

I cringe at phrases like "teachable moment," but that may apply with the Steven Slater affair. His stunt is something that everybody who has ever held a job can relate to, regardless of whether or not they support his actions. Can the flight attendant's farewell gesture be used to engage your employees about their own concerns, fears, and frustrations at work? What ventilation systems—if any—does your healthcare workplace provide for stressed-out employees who want to blow off steam in an appropriate way? Have you asked? Do you know?

As for Slater, there are some indications that he is remorseful, if not overwhelmed by the reaction to his stunt. The flight attendant's attorney told a throng of reporters last week that Slater—now suspended by JetBlue—hopes to get his job back. It's hard to imagine he'll return to the unfriendly skies, unless he buys a ticket. Actions have consequences, and he's already pulled the chute.