Sara-Jayne Makwala King
| The airline has also introduced a new policy allowing staff to wear the uniform that best expresses how they identify.
– Virgin Atlantic is making pronoun badges available to its staff and passengers.
– It’s also scrapping its previous gendered uniform policy.
– From this week, staff will be allowed to choose which of Virgin’s uniforms they want to wear according to how they identify.
Your uniform. Your identity. Your Choice.
That’s how the message Virgin Atlantic is trying to promote as it scraps its requirement for its staff to wear gendered uniform options.
According to the airline, the new policy, which comes into effect this week, “champions the individuality of Virgin Atlantic’s people”.
This new uniform code allows our people to wear the uniform that best suits them and how they identify. It reinforces our commitment to championing the individuality of our people and our customers, creating an environment of conscious inclusion, and enabling people to be their true selves at work and when travelling with us.
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic will offer its people a fluid approach to its red and burgundy uniforms, meaning LGBTQ+ colleagues will be able to choose either the red or the burgundy uniform, depending on which best reflects themselves.
Virgin Atlantic
The updates to the uniform rules follow previous changes including scrapping the requirement for female cabin crew to wear make up and allowing visible tattoos for crew members and front line staff.
Jamie Forsstroem, Cabin Crew at Virgin Atlantic commented: “The updated gender identity policy is so important to me. As a non-binary person, it allows me to be myself at work and have the choice in what uniform I wear.”
The airline is also taking things a step further, by offering optional pronoun badges for staff and those travelling with the airline.
“This move enables everyone to clearly communicate and be addressed by their pronouns. The badges will be available to teams and customers from today and customers simply need to ask for their preferred badge at the check-in desk or in the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse,” said the airline in a statement.
In addition to the uniform policy changes, and pronoun badges, mandatory inclusivity training is to be rolled out for staff at all levels across Virgin Atlantic.
RELATED: Why Gender Affirming Speech Therapy is so important – expert
This article first appeared on CapeTalk : He, she or they? Virgin Atlantic offers pronoun badges to staff and travellers
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