Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsEconomics, government & businessHR strategyJob creation and losses

British Airways staff set to work for free during recession

by Louisa Peacock 26 Jun 2009
by Louisa Peacock 26 Jun 2009

Nearly 1,000 British Airways (BA) employees have volunteered to work for free for up to a month to help the airline cut costs during the recession.


Another 4,000 workers are taking unpaid leave, while 1,400 people have volunteered to work part-time, the airline reported yesterday.


The firm wrote to all 40,000 employees asking them to volunteer for four weeks of unpaid work to help the airline survive the recession earlier this month. Some 800 people accepted the request, which came after the airline initially asked staff to accept a pay freeze, and volunteer for unpaid leave.


Chief executive Willie Walsh said the response to working for nothing was “fantastic”. He added: “This response clearly shows the significant difference individuals can make.”


Walsh announced in May he would work in July for no pay – forgoing £61,000 in salary. His chief financial officer Keith Williams will also go without pay in July.


BA said the move would “help minimise the financial impact on individuals, while helping to immediately save cash for the business”.


BA is still negotiating with unions over a wider package of cost-cutting measures expected to include the loss of 4,000 jobs – one in 10 of the workforce – which has led to fears staff could pursue industrial action later this summer.


Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The company is also asking staff to consider temporary or permanent part-time work, short-term unpaid leave of up to four weeks, or long-term unpaid leave of between one and 12 months.


BA has already cut more than 2,500 jobs since last summer – 780 of which were management positions.

Louisa Peacock

previous post
Lloyds slashes jobs in Channel Islands
next post
Intra-company transfers come under fire

You may also like

Personnel Today Awards 2025: Final deadline on Monday

20 Jun 2025

Seven ways to prepare now for the Employment...

20 Jun 2025

Sniff a lemon on World Productivity Day and...

20 Jun 2025

Employees want more upskilling and apprenticeships to narrow...

20 Jun 2025

NHS pay disputes: Who could strike again?

20 Jun 2025

BBC Breakfast bullying and misconduct allegations under investigation

20 Jun 2025

AI company did not racially discriminate against Chinese...

20 Jun 2025

Financial analyst guilty of insider dealing while WFH

20 Jun 2025

Only a third of recruiters receive high-quality job...

20 Jun 2025

UK job market shows signs of resilience

20 Jun 2025

  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more
  • Preparing for a new era of workforce planning (webinar) WEBINAR | Employers now face...Read more
  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+