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The outcome of an internal investigation into alleged disablist comments made by some Aurigny staff will not be made public - but the airline has said that the work is complete, the outcomes agreed with its board and STSB, and that lessons will be learnt.
The inquiry was launched last month after an anonymous whistleblower made allegations about named staff to Aurigny's Human Resources team.
One member of staff was quoted as calling people who use wheelchairs "lame and lazy". She is also alleged to have said that "half of them don't even need it".
This same member of staff is accused of saying she was "horrified" over health and safety regulations stipulating a minimum criteria of one fit passenger for every one disabled passenger stating: "it's scary. I wouldn’t feel comfortable. What if there is a fire, what are you supposed to do with them?”
Another senior member of staff is said to have replied "leave em and let em burn”.
The whistleblower described themselves as being "in the unfortunate position of listening" to these "absolutely disgusting" comments and said what they heard had left them "shocked to my core".
Aurigny's HR said at the outset that the matter was being taken very seriously and was being addressed in line with the airline's internal processes.
Some of the airline's policies, procedures, and employee training are now being improved as a result of the internal investigation, said Aurigny.
Pictured: Aurigny offers lifeline services between Alderney and Guernsey and the islands and the UK, as well as routes to other destinations.
Chairman Kevin George said the internal investigation had highlighted areas where lessons need to be learned, and while improvements are being made he said neither the report nor its outcomes would be made public for legal reasons.
“In response to an anonymous complaint received in early September we immediately commissioned an internal investigation. The investigation is now complete and action has been taken, where appropriate,” he explained.
“A thorough investigation was conducted according to current best practice and led by an experienced and qualified HR professional, the outcome of which was reviewed and agreed by an independent non-executive director, and then by the Aurigny board of directors as a whole. Its recommendations and outcomes have been shared with our shareholder, the States Trading Supervisory Board.
"Having regard to Aurigny's legal duties to the employees involved in the matter, neither the report nor the outcomes will be made public. However, the business considers that there are lessons to be learned and taken on board as a result of the process.
“During the course of the investigation a number of our policies and processes were scrutinised and recommendations have been made in areas that we as a business can look to improve in order to further support our loyal and committed employees and provide a collegiate and inclusive workplace,” said Mr George.
The measures include new access ramps and onboard seats.
Regarding staff, a full review of Aurigny's learning and development opportunities and a comprehensive review and update of the employee handbook are being carried out.
The airline is also considering the introduction of a dedicated intranet platform for internal policies, and the development of additional resources regarding the handling of confidential and sensitive business information.
"Many of these initiatives had already been planned or started before this issue arose", said Mr George, "but these action points will now be accelerated over the coming months. Alongside our internal HR team, we will be involving external experts where appropriate, and I expect these improvements to be well received by the business internally.
"It has been a difficult few months for the business and especially for our loyal employees and customers. It is very important to us that we support our employees' health and wellbeing at work, which includes a working environment that is a positive, respectful and happy place for all.
"Finally, we want to take this opportunity to publicly thank all of our employees for their hard work, dedication and support. We know how hard they work to serve our customers and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, through the easy and the hard days, particularly under sometimes very intense public scrutiny, and we thank them all for that."
Aurigny staff accused of using discriminatory language
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