From Fortune Magazine, August 8:
Labor shortage woes have gotten to the point that even senior managers are pitching in to help things on the ground run smoothly.
Arguably one of the sectors hardest hit by lack of staff in 2022 has been the airline industry, which is dealing with unavailable employees and travel chaos right as demand for air travel has started to pick up again after two years of dormancy.
Travelers have had to contend with endless delays and scores of lost luggage, forcing some airlines to get creative with their apologies (see Delta Air Lines offering free pizza to passengers on late flights—or $10,000 to get off an oversold one).
Now some airlines are getting just as creative in figuring out how to soften the labor shortage issues at the heart of all the chaos.
Executive help
Qantas Airways, Australia’s largest domestic and international airline, is accepting volunteers from senior staff and management to help with baggage handling delays on the ground, and is seeking at least 100 executive volunteers over the next three months to help address the issue.In an internal memo circulated to staff and shared on Monday, Qantas inquired about any “expressions of interest” from management and executive staff to help with ground handling operations. Roles include loading and unloading aircraft, sorting and scanning bags, and driving the tug vehicles used to ferry luggage around the airfield.
Qantas will provide full training to all volunteers in the program, who will be asked to help at either the Sydney or Melbourne airports. The note emphasized that there is “no expectation” that volunteers will take on extra duties on top of their normal roles, and that those who sign up will be able to rework their schedules and commitments with managers for the duration of their commitment....
....MUCH MORE
"Unknown to the others, the CFO was plotting as he schlepped luggage across the tarmac..."
