Men working as cabin crew at Vueling must appear “clean and well-groomed”: this is the only requirement that must be observed. For women, on the other hand, the bar is much higher with a whole range of points to watch out for.
For example, flight attendants have to wear shoes with five to eight centimeter heels and their make-up has to match their own skin tone. The use of black mascara is mandatory. Eyelash extensions that look artificial are prohibited. Eye shadow must be applied in shades of light gray or light brown, lipstick must have «restrained» shades.
Because of this discrepancy between requirements for women and men, the cabin crew union filed a complaint, as reported by the “Aerotelegraph”. Now a labor court in Catalonia agreed with the plaintiff and sentenced Vueling to pay a fine of 30,000 euros. The regulator reasoned that Vueling could maintain its corporate image in a “more balanced way” and without affecting “fundamental rights of staff”.
Vueling has now announced that they are already working on a new style guide and an integrative mission statement. Employee suggestions are also taken into account.