Legal Definitions - blue flu

Blue flu is a colloquial term referring to a specific type of collective action taken by law enforcement officers. It describes a situation where a large number of police officers simultaneously call in sick, often citing minor or vague illnesses, as a form of protest or negotiation. This tactic is typically employed in jurisdictions where police strikes are legally prohibited. By collectively feigning illness, officers aim to exert pressure on authorities regarding issues such as working conditions, pay disputes, or policy changes, without formally engaging in an illegal strike.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of blue flu:

• Imagine a city where the police union has been negotiating for better health benefits for months, but talks have stalled. Following a particularly contentious meeting where the city council rejected their latest proposal, an unusually high percentage of officers across several precincts call in sick for the next two days, citing "stomach bugs" and "seasonal colds." The sudden shortage of personnel leads to delayed response times for non-emergency calls and a visible reduction in police presence on the streets, prompting public discussion about the officers' demands.

  This situation illustrates blue flu because the officers collectively used mass sick calls to protest the stalled negotiations over health benefits, a labor condition, without officially going on strike, which might be prohibited by law.

• In a particular county, a new police commissioner introduces a controversial policy that significantly alters officers' shift schedules, requiring many to work undesirable hours without additional compensation. Despite formal complaints from the police association, the commissioner refuses to budge. The following week, on a busy Friday night, over half of the patrol division reports sick, claiming various ailments. This forces the department to operate with minimal staff, leading to a noticeable increase in crime reports and a public outcry about the lack of police coverage.

  Here, the blue flu tactic is employed as a collective protest against a new policy that negatively impacts working conditions, demonstrating how officers can disrupt operations to pressure leadership without engaging in a formal, potentially illegal, strike.

• Consider a state police force whose officers have been vocal about the need for new, safer bulletproof vests, as their current equipment is outdated. After repeated requests to the state legislature for funding are denied, a significant number of officers from different barracks across the state call in sick on the same day, citing "flu-like symptoms." The resulting personnel shortage forces the state police to temporarily reduce highway patrols and focus only on critical incidents, drawing media attention to the officers' safety concerns.

  This example demonstrates blue flu as officers collectively use sick calls to protest inadequate working conditions (outdated safety equipment) and pressure the legislature to address their grievances, bypassing a direct strike.