Virgin Atlantic slammed for ‘overblown and oppressive’ staff socialising ban
Virgin Atlantic has been criticised for not allowing airline staff to socialise in a bid to prevent Covid outbreaks.
Under a policy that has been in place since 21 December, pilots and cabin crew and not allowed to eat or socialise together.
Bosses are trying to crack down on a party culture that they fear could encourage the spread of Covid, according to The Telegraph.
However, airline staff have dubbed these rules “oppressive” and said the ban does not make any sense given staff work long shifts together.
Staff have also been told to not socialise with workers from other flights.
Martin Chalk, general secretary of pilot body Balpa, said: “The challenges faced and overcome by pilots and our cabin crew colleagues during the pandemic, particularly the overblown and oppressive requirements in some places, are illustrated by the difficulties this airline is trying to address.
“Airline crew already spend considerable time away from their family and friends. These requested restrictions should be lifted as quickly as possible to enable them to support each other as normal while away from home.”
A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic told The Telegraph: “We continue to take pre-emptive measures to uphold operational and staffing resilience, always putting the health and safety of our people and our customers first.
“Alongside any local requirements, temporary measures are in place for our crews to minimise the risk of Covid-19 transmission while they are overseas. This guidance to our people means we ensure they stay healthy and well and avoid flight disruption or cancellations for customers. These measures are kept under constant review and will be maintained only as long as necessary.”