BA uniform made me feel prostituted, ex-employee tells MPs
A former British Airways stewardess told an inquiry she felt ‘prostituted’ when she was told to wear high heels, skirts and make up for her job.
Ruth Campion claimed BA was trying to make cabin crew look more sexy.
Giving evidence to MPs alongside Nicola Thorp, who was send home from her job as a temporary reception with finance firm PwC for refusing to wear high heels, Campion said BA staff were expected to wear full uniform – including high heels – even while travelling to work.
She said they were only allowed to switch them for flat shoes when all passengers were seated.
"For an employer to tell me that I need to do that in order for the business to have a certain image, it made me akin to being prostituted," she told the enquiry.
Petitions Committee member Ian Blackford said it was ‘remarkable’ behaviour by the airline, because permitting crew to change during the flight ‘was recognising there’s potentially a health and safety issue’ with the footwear.
The Petitions Committee set up the high heels and workplace dress codes inquiry after a petition by Ms Thorp calling for it to be made illegal to require women to wear high heels at work, attracted more than 148,000 signatures.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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