Airline Virgin Atlantic fears pilots will strike over “serious concerns” about fatigue and wellbeing.

This comes as rostering changes originally put in place to manage the effects of Covid-19 which saw the majority of flights cancelled and jobs slashed, are leaving pilots feeling overwhelmed.

And most worryingly, according to a survey circulated to Virgin Atlantic pilots just last month, more than three in four claimed to have witnessed a pilot colleague clearly too tired to work, with most saying they had seen a colleague making a mistake in the cockpit.

The measures were said by Virgin Atlantic to be “fundamental” to the organisation’s survival beyond the pandemic but are due to come to an end in December.

Whilst these findings are certainly concerning given the critical nature of a pilot’s role, there are many questions that arise for HR and health & safety professionals when it comes to managing burnout and fatigue in the workplace.

Alan Price, CEO at BrightHR, weighs in on the issue:

“First up, it’s important to note that under the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act, employers must maintain duty of care obligations to protect their employees’ health, safety, and wellbeing. This includes guarding against burnout which is the result of sustained stress over a prolonged period.

“Employers must recognise this is a real problem and put measures in place to adequately support their teams—or face reduced productivity, low productive, and depleted morale. Not to mention of course, the severe risks that come with exhaustion in this sort of role.

“A recent survey found that 10% of workers in the UK didn’t take all of their annual leave in 2022. Why? Because of pressure from management. This is a cycle that must be broken: encouraging adequate breaks ensures that employees can return to work with a renewed and refreshed perspective.

“Neglecting to take time away from work is counter-productive and often results in long-term absences further down the line. HSE figures indicate that almost one million people suffered with work-related stress, depression, or anxiety in 2021/22, and as a result, 17 million working days were lost.

“So how, as an organisation, do you ensure that your employees are suitably well-rested in order to perform their job to a good standard?

“If you’re worried that an employee needs a break, as an employer, you can actually require them to take time off. However, it’s crucial to provide adequate notice, which would be twice the amount of leave they are planning to take.

“This is where absence management and holiday planners come in handy; even the busiest of managers will be able to see at a glance who is due some time to relax and unwind, or who is not taking the breaks they are entitled to. Supplement this with frequent check-ins to see how your employees are faring, and you’ll be able to protect against burnout.”