Singapore (Commonwealth Union)_ Singapore Airlines will no longer force female flight attendants to resign upon giving birth. The Airline announced that pregnant cabin crew can continue working, overturning a long-standing and widely criticized policy requiring them to quit the company upon pregnancy. According to Singapore Air’s latest revised policy, pregnant cabin crew can now work as temporary ground staff and can return to flying jobs following maternity leave.
According to media sources, before the new regulations, air hostesses who revealed they were pregnant were placed on unpaid leave and asked to resign the day after presenting their child’s birth certificate. According to reports, there was no ground work provided for pregnant staff, and in order to get their job again, they had to apply again for a new job through a scheme that did not promise re-employment.
Despite over a decade of criticism, Singapore Airlines followed the same policy. In 2010, gender equality advocates criticized the policy as discriminatory and unjust. Besides, with the aviation sector experiencing a manpower crisis due to the aftermath of the pandemic, the airline is now easing its policies. According to a statement from Singapore Airlines, under its former policy, pregnant cabin staff members quit their jobs. The airline stated that pregnant cabin workers were placed on the ground for at least three months and up to nine months. It stated, “We continue to work hard to retain our talented people”. However, the conditions associated with the placements remain unclear.
Media sources, citing a Singapore Air circular, claimed that pregnant cabin members will continue to be placed on unpaid leave. According to the publication, they will be permitted to apply for positions on the ground, and the airline will provide as many of these positions as possible to retain their salary. According to Corinna Lim’s statement, executive director of the Association of Women for Action and Research, Singapore Air has not yet handled certain gray areas. Lim said, “Are there other rules, explicit or implicit, that will bar postpartum mothers from flying for SIA, such as requirement on physique? Losing baby weight takes time, usually six to 12 months”.
According to reports, Singapore Airlines in response to a question stated that it maintained the same grooming standards for all of its cabin crew members. When questioned if pregnant cabin employers were promised a ground duty under the altered policy, the airline did not answer.
