Qatar Airways...
I understand many of the comments that people have made on similar posts concerning Qatar Airways, but I am confused about some, as well. Be that as it may, I'd like to post a comment(s) of my own. My own two cents.
Here goes:
Rules.
Companies may have jurisdiction over their employees and their activities while on duty, but should NOT regulate an employee's activities on their own time. Example: If you drink and arrive at work drunk, or outside of the BAC limit your company dictates, that means you have violated their rules/laws on their time. If you go out and drink all night at a club and then get a hotel with your friends (assuming you follow Qatar's law and only room with the same gender), that is your business. It is not up to Qatar Airways to uphold the laws of this country. They do not need to tell people where and with whom to sleep. In fact, it should be illegal for them to even try to regulate the activities of employees after duty hours. If the CEO wants to preserve an "image" he/she should create an environment where employees are proud of their service. Perhaps take advice from many of the women and begin with the uniforms… :P
To expand further: If there are employees that are practicing prostitution, the authorities- the ones LEGALLY BOUND to find law breakers- will catch them, eventually. Qatar Airways can then terminate an employee's contract based on their illicit activities in the State of Qatar. We all know the authorities don’t catch all lawbreakers, but they have the right to seek them out and prosecute. A company does not.
Marriage.
Men and women should be able to marry whom they want, when they want. As I understand it, the State of Qatar has a law that forbids marriage before two years of a contract have been fulfilled. While I do not agree with this law, it is the law of this country. Though I'm not a lawyer, I find it very difficult to believe that Qatar Airways can create a rule in their company that supersedes this national law. Forcing anyone to wait five years to marry is asinine and may even be illegal…I’ll let you all know what I find out. :)
Responsibility.
I realize the CEO is taking responsibility for his company’s external, or public, image. But what really makes me angry is how he has missed the opportunity to take all these young men and women and make them feel part of a family- the internal image. I don’t know statistics, but I’d guess the average age of cabin crew is middle-20s. Many have never been away from home. Instead of creating an environment that nurtures relationships and engenders crew with pride in their work while so far away from home, many can only see this as something they have to “survive” for the experience to move on. The CEO is tough and coarse and it’s his way or the highway. He enters a room and people actually get chills because they are frightened of him. They fear a question from the CEO. This is their leader. One would argue that this is their surrogate paternal figure. The environment he has created is cold and uncaring- and it’s contagious.
Let’s expand on this, as well. Some of the crew don’t speak English as a first language. In fact, their English is just barely good enough for their duty. Yet, they are forced to endure snide remarks by those in higher positions of authority. I have heard that some people are picked during pre-flight prep specifically because of their English deficiencies- but not to help, to humiliate them. Where is this type of atmosphere created? From the top, friends: Leadership.
To illustrate, a friend of mine had an issue that she was forced to take to leadership at Qatar Airways. The Office Building. I feel there should be a dark anthem preceding that sentence- like in Star Wars, when the scene switches to the Death Star or a Star Destroyer. The Office…with a Darth Vadar-like CEO pacing in a long, white thobe. Sigh. The enemy… This friend had an incident whereby she needed leadership to help her out. For obvious reasons, I cannot get much deeper into it, but suffice it to say that the person that was supposed to help her, a Sri Lankan man, rather rudely dismissed her with a snide remark. Generosity and understanding would have solved the issue, but he chose to take the low road. I think most of them do.
I only mention the Sri Lankan because many will know- or make guesses- as to who he is. I think he’s famous. Or as the Three Amigos would say, he’s so famous, he’s INfamous. But I don’t want anyone to think that this is about race. It’s not. Not even remotely. I know that working at Qatar Airways can be challenging from a cultural point of view, but for those of us that were raised in countries with many cultures, it’s really just a part of life in the world now. Understanding and enjoy other races and culture is a blessing.
Now that my rant is over, I wonder what people think. I know this has been touched on before in other posts. But this is my own. My precious.
Talk to me.
Also, if there are any lawyers out there- and I mean with offices and clients- please PM me and let’s chat about services.
Yes I understand your point of view and believe me it would not be a dead post until some the management make some changes for your organization.
Feel free to PM me if you want to talk more about this issue.
The Venezuelan Sensation!!!
This isn't an attack on Qatar, or the Middle East. This is just the airing of my opinion about this company that seems to think it's above the law. Instead of caring about the well-being of his employees, the CEO tracks them with cameras and encourages a very unproductive, dark atmosphere in his office building.
The comment about the US military academy is not an unreasonable argument. My only contention is that the US military - and any military- acts domestically and internationally for the government which is protects/serves. As such, the government has different laws concerning the military. Most, if not all, understand those laws - as written in their contract- well before enlisting. A private, for-profit company does not get to make it's own laws...
This may be a dead link now, but it did allow me to whine. Thanks!
Writing to you here from Fantasy Land, I guess.
Drinking. This is a typical reply in a message forum. My complaint had nothing to do with drinking prior to flight. My point was that if you break the rules AT WORK, you are liable. If you drink outside of duty hours, more power to you...
"Qatar is not the only country with rules regarding marriage, most countries do because they don't want to take on the burden of taking care of more people." Can you back this up? "Most other countries...?" Again, typical knee-jerk reply to a post that makes you upset.
I understand the laws pertaining to the military and agree with them. They are very well spelled out before you enlist or are commissioned. Again, my argument was NOT about specifically about the law that forbids marriage (though I disagree, as I believe it is a right). My argument was that the law is two years, but Qatar Airways made a "law" that is five years.
"As far as prostitution goes I believe it is an international thing and is now referred to as "human trafficking" and if countires want to belong to the WTO and other organizations they must abide by and enforce the rules (and they should)." You really answered your own rhetorical post on this. "...If countries want to belong..." Yes. COUNTRIES belong to the WTO and COUNTRIES have laws. Those laws are regulated by the STATE and not by an Airway...not even Qatar Airways.
I'm not from here. I am from America. I have a sponsor. Remember, that I am responsible for myself- and have been- long before any Qatari ever held any "responsibility" for me. Please. I have traveled the world and chose to live in this country and abide by its laws. My post is NOT about this the laws of this country- or any country in the Middle East. It's about Qatar Airways.
I assume from your post that you ARE from here. Your talk about sponsors on this site will fall on deaf ears, friend.
Thanks for the comments...keep 'em coming!
Article 16 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
you appear to live in Fantasy Land.. let's start with people drinking, there are numerous laws internationally regarding flight personnel drinking prior to working this also applies to military people and it is usually 8 hrs prior to reporting to duty. Qatar is not the only country with rules regarding marriage, most countries do because they don't want to take on the burden of taking care of more people. I can remember driving to Alaska and the Canadians would not let anyone cross the border unless they had $800 in cash. The US military academies did not let any freshman marry, I don't know if that is still true. My present contract states that I must abide by all local laws and customs. I not only have the right but am obligated to watch and make sure none of my employees or co-workers are violating the rules, it is called ethics. As far as prostitution goes I believe it is an international thing and is now referred to as "human trafficking" and if countires want to belong to the WTO and other organizations they must abide by and enforce the rules (and they should).
I don't understand the complaints about middle-east countries, I assume and maybe I am wrong that you are not from here. Remember if you are not a Qatari then as an expat you must have a sponsor, in this case it is Qatar Airways and they are responsible for all of a person's actions 24 hrs. a day as long as they are you sponsor.
Yes I have hear about this Internal Problems in that organization.
I know some workers and they are fed up about Darth Vader!
What I don't really understand its that He cant see that they have to recruit a lot of personnel because either he love to fired people or the people are just waiting one position in other airline.
Poor Management I think.
But as Qatar has a lot of money I don't think that no one will check on the recruitment bill.
The Venezuelan Sensation!!!