Should Airlines Rehire Laid off Flight Attendants?
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According to several retrenched flight attendants, rehiring former cabin staff laid off during the Covid-19 outbreak will benefit all parties concerned.
Three retrenched flight attendants said airlines, which are seeing an increase in demand after international travel restrictions were eased on April 1, would save time and cost by rehiring their former staff since they would require less training.
Former staff require less training
Rafiq Sabarbacha, a former flight attendant, said that new recruits would have to go through a 90-day basic training program, whereas former employees would simply need a two-week refresher course. There would also be no requirement for cabin familiarisation or customer service classes.
He added that he completely agreed with the National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia's (Nufam) recent appeal for airlines to speed up their personnel hiring processes and rehire former employees laid off during the pandemic.
The union also stated that it had received complaints from airline staff about being called back from leave due to a workforce shortage, which it claimed was one of the causes of recent flight rescheduling.
Rafiq expressed his desire to see Capital A's Tony Fernandes keep his pledge to rehire every employee he had to lay off during the Covid-19 pandemic, which the group CEO made in June 2021.
Airlines need experienced staff to maintain service level
Another ex cabin crew member, Nik Zulhusni Nik Sin, stated that an airline would require experienced personnel to maintain its service level.
Nik Zulhusni, a flight attendant for almost 25 years, said that flying is about providing overall service to the customer, which experienced staff are well-equipped to deliver.
According to the 50-year-old, younger recruits would require more time to improve their problem-solving skills while dealing with customers.
Nik Zulhusni, now an e-hailing driver, said they generally lack the experience to manage difficulties, such as when food orders onboard are mixed up. The young ones would usually seek assistance from the senior crew members.
Since being laid off, he stated that he has found it challenging to find work in other areas due to a mismatch between the salary provided and his work experience.
Age remains an issue
Adzrie Zulkifli, a senior cabin crew member, stated age was also a factor in former flight attendants' problems finding jobs in other industries.
The 31-year-old added that recruiting new faces would not always be cost-effective for airlines because they would have to pay for training.
He believes that rehiring former employees is an excellent way to express gratitude to people who have helped airline firms build their image over the years.
"Would they have won so many awards had they not hired us in the first place?" he asked.
Source: FMT