Not to justify their actions, but if you knew you had rent due that you wouldn't make if you missed your 1/11 paycheck, would you wait until you didn't get your 1/11 paycheck and then get your family evicted from your apartment? This is a tough time of year for many people - Christmas is a time that drains many paycheck-to-paycheck family's resources.

I think it is fair to critique why someone with a stable job like TSA would be living paycheck to paycheck (outside of a few key metros like NYC and SJC with insanely inflated cost of living) as that is a sign of financial irresponsibility, but if someone is already in that situation then calling out sick and trying to scrape together enough income to make rent or pay the mortgage is a perfectly rational decision.

That said, I have limited sympathy for people who agree to work such a societally offensive job, but that is a separate issue.