BA trainee flight attendant sacked for not reapplying lipstick

Not unlawful to discriminate on the basis of size.

I have always wondered at the legality of those clothes shops that require staff to wear the brand to work (usually giving staff a discount on 'uniform'). What about a potential employee outside the size range of the clothes?

Tivara, trust me on this one. No one has ever been sacked for JUST not wearing their lipstick. But failure to adhere to uniform standards can sometimes be used to back up poor performance in several other areas. What makes good TV is not always what happens in real life.

backinthebox hello, regarding your comment that the BA policy and procedure set out exacting standards for dress code appearance, the requirement to wear lipstick for women strikes me as clear indirect sex discrimination, particularly in the context that women can be disciplined or dismissed for failure to follow this policy.

A rollicking good discrimination claim she has there. I cannot believe that Ba would engage in such blatant direct sex discrimination. What idiots!!!

Ultimately it's about the wider societal issue of why we see the 'made up' look as 'more groomed'.

I'm guilty of this myself- I can understand the feminist critique of 'compulsory standards of femininity' for women but I still personally would always wear make up to a job interview, wedding, corporate event etc.

This is much wider & more complex than just BA's policy.

back just to say my dislike of BA has nothing to do with flight crew.

Jackie I don't like BA for other reasons and will avoid it if possible but but don't think I've ever seen a male attendant with stubble. Tbh I'd be much less impressed by a stubbly male attendant than a female not wearing lipstick.

Yes. The uniform standards for men are also very strict.

Is the episode going to be repeated?

Do they have similar standards for the men eg no stubble/no monobrow?

Haven't seen the program, but have been a uniform-wearing member of BA staff for nearly 2 decades - what would I know?

This isn't about the makeup aspect, but they gave someone a snapshot for being late due to an accident that wasn't her fault that's a bit ott imo

I mean only female staff are required to wear lipstick.

"which is a requirement of all employees to follow." But that isn't true is it? It's only female staff.

There's a lot of righteous outrage going on here, without the full knowledge of all the facts.

Hair is permitted to be worn in accordance with your religious beliefs, so long as you are tidy and able to demonstrate you can correctly out on a smoke hood during both initial qualification and annual refresher training. It must be tied back in such a way that it is hygienic for the preparation and serving of food. Several hairstyles are given as examples in the uniform standards booklet, including buns but also including chignons, pony tails and French pleats. The only specific rule is the hair must not touch the collar, and that applies to men and women. Beyond that, exactly how you style your hair is up to you. There are very specific rules about facial hair for men too. It must be styled in such a way that is tidy and not impeding a smoke hood. If you wear a turban or headscarf, it must be uniform standard (yes, there are BA issue turbans and headscarves,) and it is a requirement that you demonstrate once a year that you can remove it and fit a smoke hood correctly in a reasonable timeframe. It is not discriminatory to ask that a crew member demonstrate this, and it is not acceptable to refuse to do it on religious grounds. It is a known part of the job.

As for the original cause of all this kerfuffle - lipstick. It's part of the uniform standards guide which is a requirement of all employees to follow. The detail it goes into is minute, both for men and for women. Yes, it is expected that women wear makeup, with a minimum of lipstick being specified. It doesn't make cabin crew serve food or arm the door slides for effectively. But there is an image to be upheld in most customer service roles and a certain level of personal grooming is generally held to be essential. Because BA have over 25000 uniformed staff they have set out in a uniform handbook the requirements so that a certain level of uniformity is achieved across the company.

In the grand scheme if things, there are many hoops a BA employee must jump through to prove themselves capable of the job. Often when someone is not presenting themselves in accordance with the uniform standards guidelines they are slacking in other areas too. This particular situation (which I will confess I did not see) probably made for better - more controversial - TV than the candidate, say, failing to memorise the locations of all the torches on the aircraft.

Now, if you think cabin crew wearing lipstick is controversial, you have no idea the furore you could cause (in the right company, of course) by starting a debate as to whether female pilots should wear a hat. etc.

The thing is BA get tons of applications, they can afford to dictate. If you don't like to wear make up then it's probably not the job for you. I do t wear make up around the house but for work and meetings absolutely

Are women with their buns expected to take their hair out of the bun in an emergency. My impression is that Siekhs are very good at keeping their hair out of the way and tidy.

ReallyTired

What would BA do if a Siekh person applied to be a air steward?

I seem to remember there was a sikh man a few years ago who had the sikh topknot (sorry don't know the correct term) who had to prove he could take the head cloth off in an emergency, but they sacked him because he refused to take it off during a practice session. Maybe I've not got the detais right but I'm sure that's more or less what happened. Anyone else remember?

Most jobs 'dress code' for want of a better expression are not dictated down the how you wear your hair, unless for safety purposes.

I wouldn't boycott BA because of their cabin crew uniform but because of their expectations of their female employees and the inordinate amount of emphasis they are placing on the appearance of their staff, but specifically the women and how that adds to the objectification of women in the wider context.

...If I were going to boycott, of course. Has anyone suggested they would?

And no wearing D & G suits with uncomfortable heels shouldn't be necessary.

I think that there is a difference between not wearing make up with a nice clean face and wearing smugged lipstick or make up looking poor.

Showing how clueless I am, would a black woman or any other ethnic group have a problem with having their hair in a bun? What would BA do if a Siekh person applied to be a air steward?

BA crew wear flat shoes after take off and change again for landing.

The 'why do they have to wear such smart clothes and shoes' arguement can be applied to all jobs.

There are lawyers are on Feminism threads who wear D & G suits and uncomfy shoes that cost hundreds of in order to create a 'professional' look. Is it necessary? I suppose it is is everyone else is wearing one.

Why would you boycott BA because of the cabin crew uniform?

the best hairdresser I have ever had, has got messy looking hair

There is artfully messy hair and badly cared for hair.