What dress codes really mean for cabin crew

What dress codes really mean for cabin crew 20 February 2018 Share Save Caroline Bullock Features correspondent Share Save Getty Images Virgin Atlantic is known for making a substantial investment in its clothing line for in-flight staff, using designer Vivienne Westwood for example It looks glamorous but what is daily work really like thousands of feet up above the clouds? Emma O’Leary Employment law consultant Emma O’Leary from ELAS Group says airlines will need to review their policies over dress code or face an increase in claims Marisa Mackle, a former flight attendant for Irish airline, Aer Lingus for over five years, who now writes about her experiences, agrees. “Dress codes that require women to wear more feminine clothes send a clear message about men and women’s perceived roles in the workplace and often have little to do with the actual requirements of the job,” says Professor Binna Kandola, a business psychologist and visiting professor at Leeds University Business School. Dress codes that require women to wear more feminine clothes send a clear message about men and women’s perceived roles in the workplace Kandola believes highly feminine uniforms can provoke derogatory behaviour from some customers and “we should no longer accept the excuse that this type of female employee image is ‘what the customers expect’; it is no longer relevant.” Emma O’Leary, a consultant with employment law firm ELAS Group, agrees.