Chinese airline under fire over strict body weight rules for flight attendants – National | 24CA News
As a part of a brand new coverage that has triggered a large backlash on-line, flight attendants employed by the Chinese-owned Hainan Airlines may very well be suspended from their work duties in the event that they acquire weight.
Reports of a just lately imposed physique weight requirement first surfaced within the state-run media outlet, Global Times. They claimed flight attendants who exceeded that “standard limit” for cabin crew physique weight by 10 per cent can be instantly grounded from their travels.
The Global Times reported the coverage solely utilized to feminine flight attendants, however a spokesperson for Hainan Airlines advised CNN the “weight reference standard” utilized to all flight attendants no matter gender.
Hainan Airlines applied the load requirement as a part of an effort to implement and management a “professional image” for his or her cabin crew.
The coverage got here within the type of an equation to measure a flight attendant’s top and weight: “height (cm) -110= standard weight (kg).” If a flight attendant is 158 centimetres tall (almost 5.2 toes) — the common top of a Chinese girl — their weight reference commonplace can be about 106 kilos (48 kilograms).
Flight attendants lower than 5 per cent above their predetermined weight commonplace will allegedly be monitored by the corporate on a month-to-month foundation, full with office weigh-ins. At over 10 per cent, cabin crew members can be grounded and placed on a supervised “weight reduction plan,” in accordance with the coverage.
Hainan Airlines stated the coverage was “based on the standard human body weight reference and matched with the healthy weight range measurement for the crew.” The airline continued, claiming the coverage is to watch worker “health, physical shape and posture.”
“This is intended to advocate healthy living habits and maintain a good professional image and healthy physique by anchoring the reference target, rather than passively waiting for individual crew members’ physique to change significantly and then affect safety service work,” the assertion reads.
NBC News reported the coverage to regulate an worker’s weight is unlawful in China and should represent office discrimination.
This month, Chinese social media websites have been flooded with complaints concerning the Hainan Airlines weight commonplace. Many Weibo customers argued a flight attendant’s weight is nobody else’s business, as long as they will meet all service and security necessities for the job.
The Hainan Airlines weight coverage has additionally triggered comparability with latest updates to the gown codes and look of flight attendants employed at many firms outdoors Asia.
This month, the Australian airline Qantas revoked an older firm coverage about worker gown codes. In the brand new pointers, all cabin crew members, no matter gender, should observe the identical rules. Every employees member can now have lengthy hair and put on make-up in the event that they select to.
In March, Alaska Airlines ditched female and male uniforms in favour of a gender-neutral gown code.
In China, nevertheless, flight attendants — together with these at Hainan Airlines — should meet top and attractiveness requirements. They should additionally possess a bachelor’s diploma (which isn’t required in Canada) and go a tough, government-run English examination.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
