Delta seeking volunteers to help out in loyalty lounges amid staffing shortage

[Zoupa]

Delta Air Lines is seeking out volunteers to staff one of its loyalty lounges at Atlanta airport, as its regular contractor could not find enough workers for the job.

Several companies across the nation are facing staffing shortages as the economy begins to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Delta's request was sent out in an internal message to salaried and management employees, who the airline has stated are eligible volunteers, according to Bloomberg. The Sky Clubs are currently short over 100 workers, the outlet noted.

"Just come to the ATL airport for a few hours to help with cleaning, wiping tables, running food, restocking food buffets, etc," Delta wrote in the message, according to Bloomberg.

Delta also advised potential volunteers to wear business casual attire consisting of black pants and white shirts when they arrive for their shift.

"Ideally we'll be working each week to fill volunteer slots for the following week," Delta wrote, adding that volunteers would be limited to working three days per month.

Employees who volunteer to work in the Sky Clubs will not receive compensation for their time, Bloomberg reported.

The employees won't receive any pay or compensation for helping out at the loyalty lounges. Delta has utilized volunteers for its busy travel seasons in the past using its  "Peach Corps" program.

"We have asked Atlanta-based, salaried employees to volunteer in our Atlanta Delta Sky Clubs to help meet the rapid, recent increases in customer volumes and ensure that our teams continuously deliver the elevated club experiences our customers have come to expect," the carrier reportedly said in a statement.

https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/553185-delta-seeking-volunteers-to-help-out-in-loyalty

lolwut? 

[Razgovory]

I think I see a possible solution to the labor shortage I've heard about.

[Valmy]

So many worthy charities I could volunteer for but instead I am going to donate my time to help my employer take care of its richest and most privileged customers?

Tempting I am sure.

[DGuller]

What's the punishment for not volunteering?

[Habbaku]

What's the punishment for not volunteering?

This is the real question, especially considering they are asking their salaried employees to do so.

[Tonitrus]

Airlines behaving like scum is certainly not even a "dog bites man" kind of news story.

[Josquius]

I know British Airways had a cabin crew strike a decade or two back and asked for volunteers from the office staff to fill in.
They didn't pay them extra but they did give them free holidays as part of it.
Wtf is delta playing at. The other jobs are so awful people will be happy to do something else?

[Admiral Yi]

Seems reasonable to me.  Not every person in the world thinks of their relationship with their employer in adversarial terms.

[The Brain]

They're called loyalty lounges. Duh.

[Tamas]

Seems reasonable to me.  Not every person in the world thinks of their relationship with their employer in adversarial terms.

They should not be viewed as adversarial indeed. They should be looked at as transactional. What people here are confused about is what the "volunteer's" gain in this transaction other than the avoidance of management's scorn and an adverse effect on their career within the company.

So, essentially, if anyone it is the employer being adversarial here.

[Tonitrus]

Looking it over again...there is an important detail missing.

If salaried employees are being asked to help out during normal business hours (when they'd otherwise be working on spreadsheets, manning reports, or some other admin drek), I actually think that is fine.

If it is "hey, can you stop by for a few hours after work and bus the buffet instead of being with you kids...for no pay...thaaaat'd be great", then yes...scum.

[Admiral Yi]

They should not be viewed as adversarial indeed. They should be looked at as transactional. What people here are confused about is what the "volunteer's" gain in this transaction other than the avoidance of management's scorn and an adverse effect on their career within the company.

So, essentially, if anyone it is the employer being adversarial here.

They gain the continued and possibly profitable operation of their employer and the continuation of their jobs in a going concern which doesn't have to lay off people.  Those employees who have an exposure to Delta equity (and since we're talking about salaried staff they probably all have either options or shares in their retirement plans) gain an increase in shareholder value.

Remember back at the beginning of the pandemic when we were talking about companies choosing to not lay off staff?  This is the reciprocal of that.  We'll take care of you when times are tough and you take care of us later.

[Jacob]

Yeah, I don't have a fundamental problem with an employer asking for volunteers like that, but it presupposes a store of goodwill built up from the employer with the employees. If the company has, in fact, been taking care of the staff.

If it's a way to cadge unpaid work out of the staff with an implicit thread ("the company will not be doing well" or "it'd be best for your career if you did this") then that's scummy.

I don't have a sense of how Delta operates, so I can't say... but my assumptions would not start on the generous side.

[chipwich]

They should not be viewed as adversarial indeed. They should be looked at as transactional. What people here are confused about is what the "volunteer's" gain in this transaction other than the avoidance of management's scorn and an adverse effect on their career within the company.

So, essentially, if anyone it is the employer being adversarial here.

They gain the continued and possibly profitable operation of their employer and the continuation of their jobs in a going concern which doesn't have to lay off people.  Those employees who have an exposure to Delta equity (and since we're talking about salaried staff they probably all have either options or shares in their retirement plans) gain an increase in shareholder value.

Remember back at the beginning of the pandemic when we were talking about companies choosing to not lay off staff?  This is the reciprocal of that.  We'll take care of you when times are tough and you take care of us later.

Congrats you're dumber and less moral than Tyr.

[Admiral Yi]

Well, that's like you're opinion man.