'Overweight' flight attendants fight back

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/03/02...x.html?npt=NP1

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Thai Airways International is catching heat for imposing weight restrictions on its 6,000 flight attendants. Those who don't shape up face the risk of being kept out of the sky.

According to a story in the Bangkok Post, flight attendants who don't meet the airline's body mass index and waistline controls, imposed last year, have been limited to service on domestic and same-day-return flights.

If they don't comply after a year, they will be transferred to ground services.
The 41 flight attendants affected -- 28 of them male -- recently complained to the Labour Protection and Welfare Department that the regulation violated their human rights and decreased their incomes.
They were told the regulation is not illegal and falls within the authority of management, which was concerned about customer service.

Earlier this year, female Thai Airways flight attendants over the age of 45 were given the option of early retirement through a buyout package instituted as part of the airline's drive to rejuvenate its image and save costs.

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Some people may not agree but i think that the airlines should have every right to do this. They are giving the employees in question a year to shape up and to be honest if the employees are as lazy as to not really try and lose weight in that time, then they don't deserve their job.

Thoughts?

I agree with it. I dont see why they're complaining, they're being given time to change, which they probably should be anyway. And its not like they'll get fired, just transferred

At the end of the day it's less about image, because people are tolerant nowadays, and more about the plane being too heavy. More for their own good really.

Is this on health, health & safety grounds though or just for vanity purposes?

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Originally Posted by Catzsy

Is this on health, health & safety grounds though or just for vanity purposes?

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I think it's for both of those and other reasons from what i've been hearing. It seems to be more for vanity though, as part of their programme to improve their image they have also offered older staff to retire early.

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Originally Posted by Eoin247

I think it's for both of those and other reasons from what i've been hearing. It seems to be more for vanity though, as part of their programme to improve their image they have also offered older staff to retire early.

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Well in that case it's kinda disgusting. I think the days are long gone when 'trolley dollies' were employed in airlines.

i wouldn't want a flight attendants fat ass in my face everytime she/he waddled past, so sure tell em to lose weight

overweight F/As could pose a health/safety risk in the case of emergencies. to be fair being overweight is unhealthy in its own right, and heavier F/As = heavier load on the airplane = more costly fuel. at $116 per barrel of oil (compared with a 'crisis' in the mid 20th century where it was just $30) each pound of weight an airline can save will lead to a huge amount of valuable capital saved in the long run.

Oh! Is this for the employees?! Haha found this quite funny to be honest.

There are plenty of ways they can justify this under health & safety rules even if image is the main issue for them, and they're not being fired if they don't comply anyway they just won't get to fly

I think this is fine, as long as it means flights are cheaper than they would be I don't see why not.

It's better for their health, and the companies image, why shouldn't they loose weight?

100% agree with it. I'd much rather have a beautiful 20 y/o girl than a fat 40 y/o man as my F/A thanks.

Plus, it's not only for the company's benefit, but theirs as well.

Tbf not everyone can lose weight. My nana has an underactive thyroid (or maybe it's the overactive one... cant remember lol) that makes it difficult for her to lose weight. Not impossible but she's a bit like an out of crazy yo-yo when it comes to her weight. Luckily she's not a flight attendant and I'm not saying that all the staff on there are fat due to genetic or health reasons but I'd be annoyed too if I lost out on money, especially if I had a family to feed, bills to pay etc etc.

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Originally Posted by Inseriousity.

Tbf not everyone can lose weight. My nana has an underactive thyroid (or maybe it's the overactive one... cant remember lol) that makes it difficult for her to lose weight. Not impossible but she's a bit like an out of crazy yo-yo when it comes to her weight. Luckily she's not a flight attendant and I'm not saying that all the staff on there are fat due to genetic or health reasons but I'd be annoyed too if I lost out on money, especially if I had a family to feed, bills to pay etc etc.

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Most people can lose weight easily and those who can't (sorry for stereotyping) are often elderly - my grandpa had condition in which fluid built up in his stomach and he gained between 10-20kg every month. But most people can lose weight if they put their mind to it, they're just too lazy. It's a good incentive to get fit, I wish more companies did this.

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Originally Posted by FlyingJesus

There are plenty of ways they can justify this under health & safety rules even if image is the main issue for them, and they're not being fired if they don't comply anyway they just won't get to fly

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That's true, however the employees in question seem to be arguing that on the ground they would have reduced incomes.

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Originally Posted by Eoin247

That's true, however the employees in question seem to be arguing that on the ground they would have reduced incomes.

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Their fault for not trying.

Maybe the company should monitor them and recognize the effort as well as the actual weight loss?

You're making massive (pun not intended) assumptions there. How do you know that some don't go to a WeightWatchers meeting every Monday night down the local community centre? Just because they're overweight doesn't mean they're not trying and it's not their fault that they want to have a decent wage based on their skills and experience rather than how fat they are.

Good idea. Go Thailand.

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Originally Posted by Inseriousity.

You're making massive (pun not intended) assumptions there. How do you know that some don't go to a WeightWatchers meeting every Monday night down the local community centre? Just because they're overweight doesn't mean they're not trying and it's not their fault that they want to have a decent wage based on their skills and experience rather than how fat they are.

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If it effects how well they can do their job (even in potential/extreme rather than everyday circumstances) then it's entirely fair

Well if they fall over they might make the plane crash :(

I'd love to have that kind of motivation to change to be honest it's so hard to find the time nowadays.

What do they define as "overweight" by any chance? Not being too xeonophobic, but aren't Taiwanese men and women considered "small" generally? It depends what the Airways company considers overweight and if there is any leeway e.g. height vs. weight. A BMI is all well and good (it takes in height, weight etc) but it doesn't necessarily take in width as the width tends to only be assumed by the weight aspect, when different people carry weight differently.

That said, the Airline Company is well within its rights. They're not getting the sack, they will be having a reduced income - assuming it's about health and safety, and not explicitly about image.

Good, gives them the incentive to get fitter.

Thank god someone is finally taking action against the disease known as fat people.

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Originally Posted by GommeInc

What do they define as "overweight" by any chance? Not being too xeonophobic, but aren't Taiwanese men and women considered "small" generally? It depends what the Airways company considers overweight and if there is any leeway e.g. height vs. weight. A BMI is all well and good (it takes in height, weight etc) but it doesn't necessarily take in width as the width tends to only be assumed by the weight aspect, when different people carry weight differently.

That said, the Airline Company is well within its rights. They're not getting the sack, they will be having a reduced income - assuming it's about health and safety, and not explicitly about image.

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First of all Taiwan and Thailand are two very different places. ;)

I go to Thailand every year and it's true that in general the Thai are quite small and thin. As you see though from the article, out of the thousand of employees very little are affected by this.

That said, i've noticed that as Thailand has gotten wealthier in recent years you tend to see more and more overweight people. This could possibly be one of the reasons for this new airline policy that they have.