- Spanish airline Vueling was fined with 30,000 euros (roughly $32,000 USD) by the Inspecció de Treball in Spain for imposing gender-specific policies on their female cabin crew members.
- The policy required female flight attendants to wear high heels between 5 and 8 cm (2-3 inches) in height, a make-up foundation that must match their skin tone, no artificial-looking or excessively long eyelashes, and lipstick in discreet shades.
- Male flight attendants were only asked to maintain a “clean and neat appearance”.
- After receiving a complaint from the union representing Vueling crew members, Stavla, the Inspecció de Treball determined that Vueling could impose a “less burdensome and more balanced” image without compromising any fundamental rights being granted to workers.
- Following the ruling, Vueling announced it is no longer enforcing gender-specific policies for cabin crew members regarding make-up and dress code requirements.
Spanish airline, Vueling, was recently fined for putting in place a policy requiring female flight attendants to follow strict regulations regarding makeup and shoes, while their male counterparts had far fewer rules to adhere to. This was according to a report by El Periodico.
Vueling was issued with a penalty of 30,000 euros (roughly $32,000 USD) by the Inspecció de Treball (Labour and Social Security Inspectorate) in Spain due to their policy of requiring female cabin crew members to wear high heels between five and eight cm in height (2-3 inches), as well as make-up foundation that must match their skin tone. They were also prohibited from wearing “artificial-looking or excessively long” eyelashes and lipstick had to be only in discreet shades.
Meanwhile, male flight attendants were given the far less stringent demand of simply maintaining a “clean and neat appearance”.
Spanish airline Vueling penalized for mandating female crew to wear high heels
The union representing the Vueling crew, Stavla, filed a complaint with the Inspecció de Treball regarding the disparity in the dress code policy requirements.
After review and consideration, it was determined by the department that the airline could impose a “less burdensome and more balanced” corporate image without compromising any fundamental rights being granted to workers.
Following the ruling, Vueling has announced that it is no longer enforcing gender-specific policies and there is no requirement for cabin crew members to wear make-up.
They added that they take any concerns expressed by crew members seriously and factor them into decision-making processes when implementing changes going forward. They hope this will ensure the comfort and safety of all environments while still keeping a professional corporate image intact.
The budget carrier is owned by International Airlines Group (IAG), whose other airlines include Iberia, British Airways, and Aer Lingus.
What do you think about this news ruling? Do you think that the imposition of a less burdensome and more balanced corporate image policy is the right course of action? Or do you think that the previous policy was justified?
Here’s a video of the Vueling flight attendant uniform: