Delta Air Lines has recently introduced a new policy that requires new hire flight attendants to complete ‘community service’ in order to pass their probation and continue working for the Atlanta-based carrier.
Examples of the type of work that Delta expects its newbie flight attendants to take part in include pulling weeds in local parks, helping out at a food bank or preparing food for a soup kitchen.
Delta has long encouraged staffers to take part in voluntary community work and is often recognized for giving back to its local communities, although a spokesperson for the carrier confirms that this latest policy is mandatory and a required element of a new hire flight attendant’s probation.
“Newly-hired Delta flight attendants participate in community volunteer activities as part of their paid employee onboarding program,” the airline confirmed to us in a statement.
“These volunteer activities exemplify Delta’s people-focused culture and our strong belief in giving back to the communities we serve.”
Sources claim flight attendants are scheduled a day to complete the community service in between their normal flying duties and are paid around four hours’ worth of wages.
Earlier this year, Delta was recognized as one of the most community-minded companies in the United States. In May, Delta volunteers gave up their time to help build a playground in Miami, while volunteers in Salt Lake City helped build sandbag defences to help protect the city from flooding from historic snowfall in April.
The airline also frequently donates money to various charities and causes, including the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, relief efforts in Ukraine and the American Red Cross. Delta even hosted 350 blood drives across its network last year, donating 14,743 units of blood for the 2022 financial year.
It’s what Delta calls being a ‘purpose-driven’ company, which Tad Hutcheson, Delta’s managing director of community engagement describes as “giving back to the communities where we live, work and serve”.
Being ‘purpose-driven’ is, Hutcheson says, “core to Delta’s culture,” but it’s not just about voluntary work. A couple of months ago, Delta CEO Ed Bastian described how the airline was bringing purpose-driven products onboard its flights.
Eco-conscious dining ware, artisan-crafted amenity kits that have helped employ people in rural communities in Mexico, healthy snacks and kid-friendly meals are just some of the ways that Delta is introducing these purpose-driven products to customers.
Like many airlines, Delta has managed to rebuild its business following the darkest days of the pandemic by hiring tens of thousands of new staff in one of the biggest recruitment campaigns the carrier has ever witnessed.
Some observers suggest the new community service element of the flight attendant probation period is a way to ensure that new hire crew members are committed to the Delta culture.
I really need a yard person to help. I wish Delta would send some people to me. They don’t have to do it for free. I will pay them $25/hour or even more. I cannot find anyone to help. One 12 year old boy was willing but was too slow and weak that his father, who drove him, had to do most of the work so I stopped asking them. The father didn’t charge. He was just trying to get his son some work ethic.
This is the true Spirit of “community” showing its true colors !!!!!!!! this is why I oppose community!!!!!!!! Community is collectivism!!!!!!!!!! it is in a word communism.!!!!!!! Delta used to be my favorite Airline years ago when I would fly but needless to say in the future I would now look elsewhere!!!!!!!! this is nothing but enforced slave labor. Flight attendants work on planes they fly on planes they serve passengers they don’t need to be expected to pull weeds in yards and Parks!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Volunteer”
You keep using that word.
I do not think it means what you think it means.
Make the pilots pull weeds before getting off probation. Flight attendants make trash money for years before it looks good. They can’t afford to give away free time because the woke Airlines want to look good to the globalists.
Why only new hire flight attendants? How about new hire pilots, managers, agents and executives?
Delta employees do not “live, work and serve” the “communities” that will enjoy this latest bit of virtue signaling. The time wasted pulling weeds would be better spent on training.
This is yet another example of management taking advantage of flight attendants. Delta flight attendants need to get a union. Forcing new hires to volunteer would never FLY if they had the AFA on their side. The next step will be forcing the regular employees to do volunteer work. That’s not volunteering.