Singapore Airlines Ltd said cabin crew who fall pregnant can remain employees, after a local newspaper reported the carrier has dropped its longstanding policy of firing them.
In a statement responding to Monday’s Straits Times article, Singapore Air said pregnant cabin crew “may choose to work in a temporary ground attachment” and can resume flying duties after maternity leave.
Before the new rules, which took effect on July 15, stewardesses who disclosed they were pregnant were put on leave without pay and forced to quit the airline the day after submitting their child’s birth certificate, the newspaper said. There was no ground work made available for pregnant crew, and in order to fly again, they had to reapply for a fresh job under a programme that didn’t guarantee re-employment, according to the report.
Singapore Air maintained the policy in the face of more than a decade of criticism. As long ago as 2010, gender equality groups were blasting the rules as discriminatory and unfair. With the aviation industry facing a post-pandemic labour shortage, the carrier is finally softening its approach.
In its statement, Singapore Air said that under its previous policy, “cabin crew left the service when they were pregnant.” It didn’t respond when asked specifically if they were obliged to leave. Ground placements for pregnant cabin crew last at least three months and as long as nine months, the airline said.
“We continue to work hard to retain our talented people,” it added.
Still, the conditions attached to the placements aren’t clear.
The Straits Times -- citing a circular from Singapore Air -- reported that pregnant cabin crew will still be placed on leave without pay. They will be allowed to apply for a position on the ground and the airline will offer as many of these jobs as possible to maintain their salaries, the newspaper reported.
Association of Women for Action and Research Executive Director Corinna Lim was quoted in the article as saying there are still grey areas that Singapore Air hasn’t addressed. “Are there other rules, explicit or implicit, that will bar post-partum mothers from flying for SIA, such as requirement on physique? Losing baby weight takes time, usually six to 12 months,” Lim said.
Singapore Air, when asked, said it maintained “the same grooming standards for all cabin crew,” according to the Straits Times.
The airline didn’t respond to Bloomberg when asked if pregnant cabin crew were guaranteed a ground role under the revised policy.
