I know it's a lot of reading...but when you're done...let us know whatcha think?
A woman pilot will have to leave the job she loves if British Airways does not allow her to work part-time to look after her daughter, a tribunal heard.
Jessica Starmer, 26, from Wareham in Dorset, is claiming indirect sex discrimination against the airline.
Ms Starmer told the tribunal BA's "family-unfriendly working practices" reinforced male-dominated traditions.
BA refused her request to work 50% part-time but offered her 75% instead, which she said was unacceptable.
Ms Starmer, who is also claiming loss of earnings, wants to work part-time to look after her one-year-old daughter Beth with husband Simon, who is also a BA pilot.
The Oxford graduate told the hearing "I could not look after Beth on any other basis than 50% part-time work".
Love of flying
Ms Starmer, a first officer with BA, told the hearing in Watford: "I have spent many years flying at every opportunity and have invested a great deal of time and effort working towards being able to earn my living through the activity I love."
She added: "I do not want to have to give up the job I have always wanted to do and worked so hard for."
The co-pilot, who joined BA in May 2001, told the tribunal she and her husband worked "extremely irregular" shift patterns, which made it difficult for them to care for their young daughter.
She said the work rota was allocated by a computerised "bidding" system based on seniority, meaning it was difficult for the couple to arrange their shifts so someone was always free to care for their child.
Ms Starmer told the hearing: "It was clear to me that following my daughter's birth, I would not be able to return to work full-time."
She said this was due to a combination of factors, but mainly because of the nature of the shift patterns.
She added that the times she started and finished work made it difficult to find a child minder and that there was no room at home for a live-in nanny.
She told the hearing: "BA's lack of accommodation for working mothers works to exclude females from its pilots and to reinforce, rather than reform, the traditional male dominance in its workforce."
Ms Starmer flies short haul across Europe in BA's A320 (Airbus) fleet; before joining the airline, she flew gliders for 10 years.
'Health risk'
The tribunal heard two other women pilots had applied to work 50% part-time but were only offered 75%.
After making a formal request in February last year to work part-time, Ms Starmer said she was refused due to "possible impacts on you, your colleagues and BA".
In April last year she was given a more detailed response which cited a range of reasons, including the impact on reserve pilots covering for colleagues unable to do their shifts.
The first officer also told the tribunal that BA said her request represented a health and safety risk because she was a junior pilot.
But she told the hearing she found it incredible no one had asked about her experience at any time during her application.
The hearing was adjourned until Tuesday.
And then.....
A female British Airways pilot who claimed sex discrimination in a dispute over working hours has won her case.
Jessica Starmer, 26, from Wareham in Dorset, said she was denied a request to work 50% part-time so she could look after her one-year-old daughter, Beth.
BA strongly denied the complaint, arguing it was a health and safety case because Ms Starmer had not completed the required amount of flying hours.
BA said the case was "about safety not gender" and it would appeal.
At a press conference on Friday, Ms Starmer said: "I'm delighted with this result.
"I'm delighted that I'll now be able to spend more time with my beautiful daughter Beth and will be able to combine caring for her with the responsibilities of my job.
"I believe that my request for flexible working was reasonable and justified and in accordance with the dual responsibilities I hold as a worker and as a parent.
"All that I wanted was for my daughter to be cared for properly while continuing in a career in which myself and my employer have invested lots of time and money."
A spokeswoman from BA said: "Jessica Starmer currently works part time on a 75% contract.
"British Airways has consistently said that the decision not to allow her to cut her working hours in half, to an average of just eight days a month, until she completes the required amount of flying hours was based on safety not sex discrimination.
"British Airways believes that its pilots should have at least 2,000 flying hours experience - approximately three years of full time flying - before it is acceptable for them to work at 50% levels, which equates to only eight days a month.
"This safety threshold is applied equally, whether the pilot is male or female."
'Flexible working
Caroline Slowcock, chief executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission, said: "This case means that companies will have to seriously consider requests from employees who want to change their hours.
"Those organisation that want to keep the best people need to find ways to help men and women balance work and home life."
Ms Starmer, a first officer with BA, told the tribunal in January that BA's "family-unfriendly working practices" reinforced male-dominated traditions.
The pilot, who joined BA in May 2001, told the tribunal she and her husband, who is also a pilot, worked "extremely irregular" shift patterns, which made it difficult for them to care for their young daughter.
She added that the times she started and finished work made it difficult to find a child minder and that there was no room at home for a live-in nanny.
Ms Starmer flies short haul across Europe in BA's A320 (Airbus) fleet.
Jim McAuslan, general secretary of The British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA), said: "We welcome the tribunal's decision and hope that it will encourage more airlines to introduce better part time and flexible working arrangements for all flight crew."
