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Qantas Flight Attendant Claims Sexual Harassment ‘rampant’

Qantas flight attendant claims sexual harassment ‘rampant’

A Qantas flight attendant has spoken out about persistent sexual harassment she experienced at the hands of an on-board manager.

Speaking on Network Ten’s The Project, Hannah Rowlands claims the airline industry is “rampant” with sexual harassment.

“People are scared.  

“I had grown ladies on the phone older than my mum hysterical going, ‘this one grabbed me by the throat and threw me against the elevator on an overnight’.

“I’ve got a list that long of women who have come to me since it happened.”

Former Qantas flight attendant Hannah Rowlands.

Qantas flight attendant describes harassment

Rowlands says her manager first targeted her in 2015.

“He was renowned for harassing girls physically, saying sexually inappropriate things and I didn’t want to put up with it,” she said.

“Where I come from, men don’t do that.”

Rowlands told the program the manager once blew air onto her neck during a flight to Perth, and slapped her on the backside.

“I just remember slapping his hand and I said, ‘can you not touch me.  Not now, not ever, don’t touch me.’

“He goes, ‘oh for a little girl, you’ve got a tight arse’, and he just started slapping me on the backside.

“He just started slapping me so hard, it was a lot of times.  

“You know when you’re young and your brother slaps you and it stings you?  

“That’s what it was like, that’s how hard it was.

“I fully shut down, I wanted to say and do so many things but it was like I couldn’t do it.

“I couldn’t move, I was like frozen or something, I don’t know what happened.  And then he walked off and I just burst into tears.”

Fight or flight?

She was the poster girl for Qantas – a star employee and the face of the airline. But Hannah Rowlands’ dream job quickly turned into a nightmare after she says she was sexually harassed mid-flight. If you or anyone you know is in need of help, please contact the National Help Line 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or head to http://1800respect.org.au

Posted by The Project on Thursday, 5 April 2018

Forced to work together despite complaint

When Rowlands complained about the manager, the airline told her she wouldn’t have to work with him again.

However, after six months, Qantas rostered Rowlands with the manager, forcing her to work with him another seven times.

In a statement Qantas said:

“Once we became aware of the incident, it was thoroughly investigated.  

“The employee immediately apologised and showed remorse.

“It was clearly inappropriate and a number of steps were taken to directly address the conduct with the individual.

“We offered Hannah lots of support, including rostering flexibility.  

“We assured her that she would never be compelled to work with the person with whom she made the claims.”

Harassment can have devastating effect

Miles Heffernan from Discrimination Claims says sexual harassment often has a devastating effect on victims.

“Some people might think that it’s a simple slap on the backside, but victims of sexual harassment can suffer anxiety and depression, and in some cases they can ever suffer post traumatic stress disorder,” he said.

“It can make turning up to work every day something to dread, and feel scared about.”

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1800 437 825

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