Emirates Flight Attendants Claim They Were Given Two Weeks To Lose Extra Pounds By 'Weight Police'
Ex-cabin crew members claim their weight was constantly monitored during their time at the airline
Former Emirates flight attendants have claimed they would be given two weeks notice to lose weight to avoid being punished and to stick to the airline's 'glamourous' beauty standards.
Ex-cabin crew say their weight was monitored by grooming officers, dubbed as the 'the weight police'.
Insider reported that between '150 out of 25,000' members of staff would be enrolled in an 'appearance management programme' and at any given time would be checked for still having a 'glamorous Emirates face'.
Karla Bayson, 36, worked at the airline for nine years and claims that she witnessed fellow co-workers receiving warnings about their size to avoid being 'checked again' in two weeks.
She also says the airline wouldn't change their policy to those returning from maternity leave.
Ex-Emirates stewardess Maya Dukaric reportedly said that the grooming officers would inform staff by saying: "Hey, babe. You need to slow it down."
Duygu Karaman, from High Wycombe, decided to quit her job after working at the airline for a decade due to being put on the programme.
She was put in the programme despite being just 2kg over the required amount, coming in at 10st 7lbs, which is a size 12.
She told The Mirror: "They give you an A4 piece of paper which just said 'don't eat rice, don't eat bread'. Stuff like that.
"They call it a nutritional department, but they didn't give me much advice.
"It was stuff everybody knows like sleep regularly, which I can't do because of the job."
"I left in June 2019," Duygu continued. "I got called into the office to get my weight checked but I said 'no more' and I resigned.
"I am a bit happier, but I think I stayed too long in that job. I was having adaptation problems living on the ground."
An Emirates spokesperson told LADbible: "As a global airline, we treat the wellbeing of our employees with the highest priority, and we believe being fit and healthy, both physically and mentally is a critical aspect in them carrying out their duties safely and effectively. It may not always be apparent to our customers, but the responsibilities of our cabin crew are vast, and their ability to influence and achieve safe outcomes when needed, requires extensive training and a minimum standard of physical fitness.
"We’re proud of our colleagues who form Emirates’ cabin crew: who provide unwavering, exceptional service and who help maintain the safety and quality of operations and service Emirates is known for. We do not comment on internal policies or procedures or specific, confidential cases of existing or past employees."
Featured Image Credit: AlamyAnish Vij