After receiving a lot of criticism over the years, Singapore Airlines has finally changed its contentious policy of terminating pregnant cabin crew members. The company clarified that the cabin crew “may choose to work in a temporary ground attachment” during their pregnancy.
Before, according to company policy, any member of the flight crew who disclosed their pregnancy to the authorities was placed on unpaid leave and was required to resign following the birth of the child.
The women were reportedly not even permitted to perform any groundwork for the airline, and if they wanted to resume their employment following the birth of their child, they had to submit a new application for employment.
Since the airline’s founding, the rule has not changed, and even in 2010, they came under harsh criticism from gender equality organizations around the globe for upholding the “archaic” rules.
Singapore Airlines: The cabin crew will still be placed on leave without pay if they want a cabin job during pregnancy
However, because of the labor shortage brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has significantly changed. The new regulations, which took effect on July 15, will allow women to return to work after giving birth and to receive an adequate amount of maternity leave.
In the official statement, the airline said that it will now allow “ground placements for pregnant cabin crew last for at least three months and as long as nine months” under the new rules.
The cabin crew will still be required to take unpaid leave if they want a position in the cabin during pregnancy.
