NORFOLK, Va. - TSA officers are not getting their usual year-end bonuses, the local president for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 448.
Instead, the TSA is basing bonuses on employee attendance, the union says, which has left some employees without them.
"If you had issues at home; if you were sick; if your child was sick, then you're not eligible," said Scott Robinson, the local union president.
The bonuses are typically around $2,000, according to Robinson.
"To a TSA officer, that's a huge windfall," he said.
In a statement to News 3, the TSA acknowledged the shift.
"It represents a shift in the way TSA has historically awarded monetary performance awards from once a year to one that is provided monthly, with a higher overall potential payout, for those who meet the readiness criteria," the statement says.
Robinson says the new policy is forcing officers to choose between coming to work sick and getting a bonus or staying home sick and receiving nothing.
"It's a slap in the face," he said.
The TSA says the policy means officers are eligible for bonuses monthly and not just at the end of the year.
"This award is part of a focus on recognizing those members of the workforce who are at the frontline providing security for the traveling public," the TSA said.
Robinson is hopeful the TSA will feel some pressure and change the policy back to what it was.
"They're very upset they won't be receiving their bonus," said Richardson.
