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Crewlink
Does everything in this handbook apply to your contract of employment? - No. As the name suggests, this
handbook is intended purely as a guide for all employees contractually based with Crewlink Ireland Limited
You must clearly understand that the terms & conditions change from time to time. If you require any
clarification on what terms & benefits apply to your employment, then you should in the first instance
contact Crewlink Ireland Limited directly.
Amendments to this booklet (including Fact Sheets) are made periodically and it is your responsibility to
ensure that you are familiar with the most up to date version and the relevant sections that apply to your
contract of employment. To request an updated version, contact the Crewlink Ireland Limited Office.
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While the majority of this handbook deals with Ryanair issues, remember
That at all times you are a Crewlink Ireland Limited (CREWLINK IRELAND LIMITED) employee whose
services are contracted to Ryanair.
You have no contractual right to any of the benefits
Within this booklet unless they are expressly detailed in your contract of employment
Contents
3. Benefits .......................................................................................................................... 6
7. Communications ............................................................................................................. 17
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1. How does Ryanair do Business?
As a Crewlink Ireland Limited employee contracted to operate on Ryanair aircraft it is important for you to
understand how Ryanair’s business works.
The Ryanair Effect – It’s the Ryanair way of doing business (or business model to those of you who like
jargon). “The Ryanair Effect” is simplicity itself.
Low Fares Create passengers – Lots of them, regardless of the market. Even if a market to a region or
airport already exists the fares on that route will inevitably drop for all consumers because of the presence
of Ryanair and their legendary low fares. In a market that is not currently served by an airline, Ryanair will
create that market from nothing because of the proven effect of low fares which enable people to fly who
previously never had that opportunity.
Be a big player in all markets – Ryanair aim to become the number 1 or number 2 carrier within three
years of entering a new market. This is achieved by stimulating the market with low fares and Ryanair
outstanding customer service record as the best on-time airline in Europe with the fewest lost bags and
fewest cancellations. Their competitors are then forced to compete and everybody wins - especially the
travelling public who get to where they want to for less!
How can Ryanair charge low fares when other airlines can’t? - Again, nothing complicated. Ryanair and its
partners work smart, do not waste money and always look for new opportunities. But doesn’t every
company say that? That’s the point they say it – Ryanair mean it, live it and deliver it.
Working Smarter - Ryanair cut out anything that isn’t necessary. Utilizing aircraft like nobody else, Ryanair
turn around aircraft in 25 minutes, meaning they get more flights per day, per aircraft. There is free seating
with hassle free online check in and most importantly Ryanair minimize jobs that are not involved in the
front-line operation. There are no strategic planning departments or large swathes of important looking
people working in glass towers. If it’s not about the business of flying airplanes, maximizing the number of
passengers and minimizing airfares without compromising their excellent safety record, Ryanair are not
interested.
Treat the airlines money like it’s your own – If you have come from a company where you could spend
money by just signing your signature and it happened then tread carefully you have now entered a new
dimension. Ryanair don’t waste money.
Ryanair Always get the “extra twist” - Ryanair never do anything unless there is something in it for
Ryanair. When Ryanair contracts for a service or product they always look for something extra. Ryanair are
proud to look for the extra twist- it’s what makes them different and successful.
Low Costs = Low Fares. There is no way of getting around this equation. If Ryanair lose focus on cost, they
can’t offer low fares. If they lose their hard won advantage then they would be like every other airline, high
costs = high fares which leads to less passengers and ultimately to lower profits and no money for
investment to sustain employment.
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2. What does everyone else do in Ryanair?
As a Crewlink Ireland Limited employee you will interact with various Ryanair departments on a regular
basis. The following section gives a brief summary of the departments in Ryanair.
INFLIGHT
Inflight are the people in the airline who will spend the most time with the passengers. They are the front
line troops of Ryanair, because passenger safety at Ryanair is their business, they receive comprehensive
training in all aspects of cabin management and safety. Ryanair Inflight team are considered the best and
their rewards match this reputation. Inflight are also those pleasant people who drive Ryanair’s on board
sales, not just because it’s an important revenue stream for the company but because sales drive their
monthly sales bonus.
ENGINEERING
Their heroes, from sun up to sun down. These technical wizards ensure Ryanair’s planes are the best
maintained in the business. They are a proud and hardworking bunch that pursues an uncompromising
approach to safety and the highest engineering standards. Not all Ryanair’s Engineering staff are required
to wear overalls, high visibility vests and smear themselves with oil! -The line staff are supported by the
essential non-oily crew in Materials, Planning/Tech services & Quality.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS
The very core of the operation, the men and women whose vast experience and know how ensure that
Ryanair’s aircraft fly and fly safely. As a group they are famous for their modesty, humility and unassuming
nature. Seriously though, the importance of passenger safety ensures they only hire the best.
GROUND OPERATIONS
Ryanair’s Ground Operations are one of the most important parts of the airline. The Ground Handling
Agents have a flight turnaround time of 25 minutes allowing Ryanair’s to utilise their aircraft more
efficiently than any other airline and also ensures they maintain their excellent punctuality record.
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reduce aircraft utilisation, endanger their industry beating punctuality record and create crew hour
complications.
The vast majority of Ryanair people ; Pilots, Cabin Crew, Engineers, Ramp Staff, Gate Staff, Operations,
Crew Control, Scheduling etc., are all instrumental in delivering 25 minute turnarounds on every flight
possible. If part of your job involves the turnaround of aircraft then please ensure that you are fully up to
date with the latest version of the 25 minute turnaround document and procedures.
3. Benefits
Pay (Sector Pay)
Employment contracts are on a fixed term basis and as such there will be no changes to the pay structure
for the duration of the contract. Should an employee be promoted within the contract term a new
employment contract will be issued.
Pay Date
Payments are made monthly, in arrears, by credit transfer into your Bank Account around the 10 th of the
month. All employees contractually based in the Republic of Ireland are required to open an Irish bank
account and those who are contractually based in the UK – British bank account. Each time you get paid
you will receive an electronic payslip setting out various payments and deductions which is available
online. All employees are provided with a unique login and password to access their payslips. Should you
encounter any problems logging on or accessing your payslip please contact the Payroll Department in
Crewlink Ireland Limited
Deductions from Pay
All employees are deducted income tax at source through the PAYE (“Pay as You Earn”) system. In all
instances salary will be paid net of the relevant payroll taxes, levies and social insurance (which may
change from time to time). All new employees should submit a P45 form from their last employer to the
personnel or payroll department on the first day of employment or as soon as possible thereafter. If you
have not previously been employed in the Republic of Ireland (while contractually based in Ireland) or the
UK (if contractually based in the UK) you should apply for a “Certificate of Tax Credits” by completing a
“12A” form (Ireland) or P46 (UK) available from the Personnel Department. If you do not submit a
Certificate of Tax Credits (Ireland)/P46 (UK) or a P45 tax will be deducted from your salary at an emergency
tax.
Sales Bonus (Inflight Crew Only)
You may be entitled to receive a Sales Bonus award on in-flight sales. The Sales Bonus is non-contractual in
status and is not intended to be incorporated into your contract of employment. The Sales Bonus award
may be varied, amended or withdrawn at any time by CREWLINK IRELAND LIMITED giving you at least one
month’s notice of such changes. Cabin Crew are required to take the utmost care when dealing with bar
allocations and accounting. Sales Bonus is calculated on a flight-by-flight basis which is currently calculated
as 10% of on board sales less any adjustment for shortages in stock (at selling price) and any shortages in
cash for any flights on which you operate as a crew member. The bonus figure shown on your monthly
wage slip will be based on this above calculation.
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Once notice to terminate employment has been given by either you or the Company, you will not from
that date be entitled to receive any payment of a Sales Bonus for in-flight sales whatsoever. For the
avoidance of doubt this includes any accrued but unpaid Sales Bonus due at the date notice to terminate
was given.
Travel Benefits
Crewlink Ireland Limited has agreed a rate of privilege travel with Ryanair for Crewlink Ireland Limited
employees. Ryanair aim to offer the best flight benefits in the business. When you are travelling on
privilege travel - it is exactly that, a privilege. It is not a right, fare paying passengers always come first.
The bottom line is not to engineer a situation whereby you secure a confirmed seat or jump the queue.
The system is based on trust. Any abuse of this system will be dealt with severely under disciplinary
procedure and could result in summary dismissal. From your first day you qualify for travel benefits on all
Ryanair services on a standby basis. For full details on how to apply for travel benefits please refer to Fact
Sheet 2.
Annual Leave
The Crewlink Ireland Limited holiday leave year runs from the 1st April to the 31st March. The standard
entitlement is 1.66 days per month worked. While every effort will be made to accommodate your desired
annual leave requests, you must recognise that Ryanair busiest periods are during peak holiday times,
therefore the allocation of annual leave will be strictly governed by the requirements of the business. You
cannot go on holidays when Ryanair’s passengers want to, it would be like a restaurant closing for lunch!
More details are available in Fact Sheet 5.
Maternity Leave
Euro – All female employees are entitled to 26 weeks maternity leave with an option of a further 16 weeks
unpaid leave.
UK – All female employees are entitled to 26 weeks of ‘ordinary maternity leave’ and 26 weeks of
‘additional maternity leave’ (52 weeks in total).
For full details of Maternity Leave please refer to Fact Sheet 4.
Compassionate Leave
In the event of a family bereavement you will be granted compassionate leave at the basic salary rate as
follows:
(a) Up to 3 days of compassionate leave will be allowed in the event of the death of an immediate
family member (i.e. spouse, son, daughter, father, mother, brother or sister)
(b) 1 day of compassionate leave will be allowed in the event of the death of other family members
(i.e. Parents/brother/sister of spouse, Grandparents of employee or spouse, Grandchild)
Additional unpaid leave may be granted if there are extenuating circumstances following the death of
a family member and in those circumstances you should contact your manager.
Jury Service
If you are called for jury service you may receive a payment from the courts for jury duty or appearance as
a witness provided:
Your immediate manager/supervisor is informed immediately after receipt of the notice or
summons
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You produce a certificate of attendance on your return to work
You must return to work for any portion of a day not required for jury service
The law recognises Jury Service and in exceptional cases and for reasons of business necessity the
Company may request that individuals be excused from the Jury Service.
Important
Because the mechanics of employee benefits change from time to time and invariably go out of date, these
descriptions are intended to act as a guide only and are not contractually binding. This guide (including
fact sheets) does not form part of your contract of employment and it is not intended to be incorporated by
reference.
If you require any clarification on what terms & benefits apply to your employment, then you should in the
first instance contact Crewlink Ireland Limited
Starting Documentation
Prior to commencing employment with Crewlink Ireland Limited you will be required to complete and sign
a personal details form and return the form together with a copy of your up to date curriculum vitae. If,
after your commencement date, it is found that relevant information has been omitted or given incorrectly
in either of these documents your employment may be terminated in accordance with the Crewlink Ireland
Limited disciplinary procedure.
Location of Employment
The location of your employment is specified in your individual contract of employment. It is a condition of
your employment that you may be transferred to any of Ryanair’s bases without compensation. If you
transfer to another base you will be paid in accordance with the prevailing salary system at that base.
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hours, wherever circumstances require it. If you are required to work Saturdays/Sundays or Bank Holidays
a shift premium is already incorporated into your Scheduled block hour rate. Ryanair are a passenger
airline and staff must be prepared to work the hours needed to serve their passengers. You do not have
any contractual right to a particular shift pattern or working hours. In short the company reserves the right
to amend your working hours or roster pattern to meet the needs of the business.
Passport
Because of the nature of our business, you must hold a valid passport during the course of your
employment with Crewlink Ireland Limited
Probationary Period
There is a probationary period of 12 months duration unless otherwise stated in your contract of
employment. The purpose of this probationary period is simple, it is to allow you to decide if you like your
role and feel comfortable with your responsibilities. From the agency and airline’s point of view it allows us
a chance to assess your performance, attitude, conduct and general suitability while you are being trained
and learning your job. During your probation you will be provided with the appropriate training and
assistance to enable you to perform your duties to the required standard. You will be informed, in writing,
when you have successfully completed your probation. If your performance falls short of the required
standard, the Company/Client, in these circumstances reserves the right to terminate your employment at
any stage during the probationary period by giving you the statutory notice period or payment in lieu
thereof. The disciplinary procedure in Appendix 1 is not applicable to employees during their probation
period.
Satisfactory Performance
Ryanair are Europe’s number ultra-low cost carrier and in order to maintain pole position they need people
who consistently perform to the highest standard. At Ryanair they are a hard working bunch and all
depend on each other’s efforts to continue to beat the competition. Your performance will be continuously
monitored by your manager and your employment is dependent on excellent performance. Ryanair can
only remain at the top if their people are the best at what they do. If your performance falls short of the
required standard you may be demoted, transferred or in extreme cases, dismissed.
Licensing- Pilots/ Inflight Staff / Engineers
You are required to hold a valid license in order to carry out your day to day job. To maintain your license
you must undergo performance checks and achieve the required results as set by the Client and/ or your
licence provider. Your employment is subject to your successful completion of these checks.
Equal Opportunities
The Company and its Client is an equal opportunities employer and will apply objective criteria to assess
potential suitability for jobs. We and our Client Airline aim to ensure that no job applicant or employee
receives less favourable treatment on the ground of race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national
origins, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation or disability.
Selection criteria and procedures are reviewed to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and
treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities. All employees will be given equality of
opportunity and, where appropriate and possible, special training to enable them to progress both within
and outside the organisation. The Company and its Client are committed to a continuing programme action
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to make this policy effective and bring it to the attention of all employees. The bottom line is “We hire the
best person for the job”.
Bullying / Harassment at Work Policy
The Company and its Client are committed to make every effort to protect its staff and to ensure the work
environment gives all employees the freedom to do their work without having to suffer bullying /
intimidation / harassment or sexual harassment from a manger, supervisor, colleague, group of colleagues,
customers, or suppliers. Bullying is not a trivial matter and can manifest itself on a regular basis in all
shapes and forms. Any such behaviour will not be tolerated and all complaints will be fully investigated. It
is the responsibility of every individual to ensure that bullying or intimidation does not occur at any level
within the company. All employees should be aware that bullying, harassment / sexual harassment, which
affect the dignity of people at work, is unacceptable and can be grounds for disciplinary action.
Definition of Bullying
Workplace bullying is repeated inappropriate behaviour direct or indirect whether verbal, physical or
otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another or others, at a place of work and/or in the
course of employment, which could reasonably be regarded as undermining the individual’s right to dignity
at work. It is also important to note that all forms of bullying and intimidation must be repeated so that it
can be said to have formed a behaviour pattern and are not isolated instances which have occurred
exceptionally.
In circumstances where you find it difficult to approach the alleged perpetrator(s) directly, you should seek
help from your immediate Supervisor/Manager. Any employee who feels that they have been a victim of
harassment, bullying or discrimination should try to resolve the issue as soon as possible through the
grievance procedure in Appendix 2. Reports can be made in confidence to the HR department in Crewlink
Ireland Limited All allegations will be investigated in full and dealt with effectively and appropriately.
Disciplinary Procedures
Disciplinary procedures are designed to protect both you and the Company or Client. The vast majority of
our people will never be involved in the disciplinary procedure. It is important however that everybody
knows that it exists and how and when it applies or might apply. Its cornerstone is one of fair play, and is
intended to provide a positive approach to problem solving that is both fair and impartial. The disciplinary
process may involve one or more investigative meetings, which will attempt to establish the facts of the
case. You are actively encouraged to have a colleague in attendance at these meetings. A copy of the
Disciplinary Procedure is contained in Appendix 1. This section applies to all employees who have
successfully completed their probation period. As with all parts of the Rough Guide you should regularly
check the procedure to ensure that you are fully familiar with its contents.
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Grievance Procedure
With over 9,000 people working in Ryanair it is inevitable that there will be some problems. The purpose of
the Grievance Procedures is to ensure that job related problems are resolved in a prompt consistent and
fair manner. A copy of Crewlink Ireland Limited Grievance Procedures is contained in Appendix 2. This
procedure applies to every employee.
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dismissal. The possession, sale, transport on aircraft, use or being under the influence of illegal drugs is
gross misconduct and will lead to immediate dismissal without notice or compensation.
Termination of Employment
If you have to leave us all we ask is that you give notice in writing to your supervisor so we can start the
difficult task of finding somebody to replace you. Check your contract for the required notice period. The
Company and its Client reserves the right not to require you to work during any part of your notice but
alternatively to make the appropriate payment in lieu of all or part of your notice period. In cases of gross
misconduct, the company reserves the right to terminate employment without notice of payment in lieu -
a non-exhaustive list of examples of gross misconduct can be found in the Disciplinary Procedure
(Appendix 1). You shall immediately on termination of your employment return to the Company or Client
all confidential documents, drawings, figures, other data, identification cards, tools, equipment, manuals
or books and uniform items that may have come into your possession in the course of your employment
with the Company.
Deductions
The Company and its Client reserves the right to deduct from your pay (including holiday pay, sales bonus
and pay in lieu of notice) any monies owed to you by the company, including but not limited to,
overpayments, monies for staff car parking, the provision of your uniform, outstanding training cost
repayments and the provision of new or replacement ID cards.
If there is insufficient pay due to you to recover the full sum owed by you to the Company you agree to
repay the total outstanding amount within 14 days of receipt of the notification of the amount due. If you
fail to repay monies owed by you to the Company in full, any additional costs incurred by the Company in
pursuing you to recoup the outstanding amounts (including legal costs and debt collection agency fees) will
be added to the total amount owed by you and must be repaid in full.
Security
The nature of our business requires us to pay particular attention to security. If you see something that
doesn't look right, report it. Details of all security regulations are contained in the 'Ryanair Aviation
Security Manual' that is retained by the Ryanair Security Officer. Upon you supplying satisfactory character
and employment references you will be provided with an Airport ID. You must keep your identification
cards on your person at all times whilst in attendance at the Airport. You must comply with any rules or
regulations issued to you in respect of the identification card. You must not, at any time, access any area of
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the Airport which you are not authorized to enter and any failure to adhere to these requirements will be
treated as a misconduct offence which may be deemed as gross misconduct. If for any reason your ID is
removed by the Airport Authorities this may be deemed as gross misconduct and your contract may be
terminated. If you lose this card you must report the loss to the Crewlink Ireland Limited Personnel
Department/your base supervisor and the appropriate authority immediately. You will be required to pay
for all replacement ID card through loss, renewal or base transfer. If you fail to secure or maintain an ID or
the appropriate security clearance required to carry out your job then the Company and its Client reserves
the right to terminate your employment.
Criminal Convictions
Due to the nature of the industry in which we operate, security is critical and there are strict restrictions on
criminal convictions. It is a fundamental term of your employment with COMPANY that you notify the
Personnel Department of any criminal convictions that you have, or any convictions that you receive during
your employment. You must also notify the company if you are involved in any court proceedings. If you
have any doubt, please contact the Personnel Department for clarification.
Language
English is the official language in Ryanair and must be spoken at all times while working unless your duties
require you to speak another language such as dealing with passengers.
Remember that if you publish false or defamatory statements about the airline or any individual or you
breach someone’s right to privacy you could personally face legal action.
Breaches of this Social Media Policy will be investigated by the company and may result in disciplinary
action up to and including dismissal.
Normal Retirement Age
Normal retirement age for all staff is 65 years. Your employment will terminate automatically when you
reach 65 years of age.
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Internet Access
During the course of your employment you must have access to an internet enabled device that meets the
minimum browser and content streaming requirements to view information and instructions issued
electronically by the company (including Ryanair’s training site).
5. Company Resources
The Philosophy is simple if you’re given something - look after it as if it’s your own. You’re responsible for it.
Uniform
Crewlink Ireland Limited and Ryanair place great importance on
customer service and you will be expected to maintain a high standard of appearance at all times. Where
uniform or protective clothing is provided it must be worn and you are expected to take care of it. Other
common sense rules are simple – as long as you’re in uniform, whether you are on duty or not, you must
never drink alcohol and you must not bring Ryanair (our Client) into disrepute. For reasons of security, all
uniforms must be returned to your manager should you elect to leave the company.
Company Vehicles
If you require a vehicle in order to carry out your duties, and you are disqualified from driving for any
reason, you will be liable for dismissal unless another position is available. You are personally responsible
for all traffic violations.
Expenses
On receipt of adequately vouched expense accounts, which have been authorized in advance, you will be
reimbursed for bona fide expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of your duties.
Expenses must be authorized in advance by relevant director.
All cash advances for expenses must be accounted for as soon as possible, but not later than the
end of the month in which the expenses were incurred.
Expense claim forms must be fully completed and receipts attached.
Company credit cards/charge cards must not, under any circumstances be used to cover personal
expenses.
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Company or Client Mail
The company mail is treated differently by customs and airport security. As a result the inclusion of private
letters or packages in the Company mail is a serious breach of airline regulations and may lead to
disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. Use of stamps or the franking machine for personal mail is
also a big No, No. Ryanair is an ultra-low cost carrier and will take any misuse very seriously.
Telecommunications
Telephones are provided for business use, you may occasionally need to make or, receive personal
telephone calls, and however, these must never interfere with your job.
Emails to third parties should be carefully drafted and the address of the recipient verified before
sending. It is your responsibility to ensure you send the right email to the correct address.
There should be no internal communications or comment regarding competitors ever. Keep your
thoughts to yourself.
Internal communications should be necessary and relevant to your work. Emails expressing
opinions about other employees, competitors ECT are strictly prohibited. In short, only write what
you would be happy to have read out to you in court!
Don’t unnecessarily forward, copy or blind copy emails.
Email is provided for business use. Email use for personal reasons should be the exception and only
accessed outside of working hours.
Any employee failing to comply with these guidelines will have their email facility closed/ removed
and may face disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
Laptops
If you have been given a laptop it is important to remember that these are valuable machines which are
not covered by Ryanair insurance. It is your responsibility to keep it secure at all times (even when on
Ryanair premises) as you could be held accountable if it is stolen or damaged whilst in your care.
Pigeon Holes
Some categories of staff will be allocated a Ryanair pigeon hole- these are for the distribution of Ryanair
materials only and are not to be used for personal communication or the distribution of any other
materials. Abuse of the pigeon hole system may lead to disciplinary action.
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6. Legal Stuff
Confidential Information
You are required to adopt a common sense approach to confidential information. You should not during or
after your employment ceases, disclose any “Confidential Information” relating to the Company and/or
Client and/or its associated companies or their respective businesses. “Confidential Information” includes
but is not limited to all secret or confidential information of whatever kind that may have come to your
knowledge during or as a result of your employment by the Company, its business plans, finances, staff,
customers and prospective customers, suppliers or products, information which has been disclosed to the
Company in confidence by a third party, and any other information of a kind that would usually be
regarded as secret or confidential. You shall not work on behalf of any media organisation or work on a
freelance basis during your employment with the Company. Breach of this policy may result in the
company issuing legal proceedings against you.
Right to Search
The Company or Client reserves the right to conduct a personal search (or allow Ryanair to conduct a
personal search) of you and your belongings, including bags, holdalls and personal or Company or Client
vehicles during the course of your normal working day or when you are arriving on or leaving the
Company’s or Client’s premises or aircraft at the end of the day.
Personal Property
The company does not accept any responsibility for clothing, equipment, vehicles or other property that
are mislaid, lost, stolen or damaged while on Company or Client property.
Applicable Law
UK - The laws in effect in the country where you are contractually based shall at all times govern the
employment relationship between the Company or Client and you.
EURO - The employment relationship between Crewlink Ireland Limited and you shall at all times be
governed by the laws in effect and as amended from time to time in the Republic of Ireland. Irrespective of
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the social security regime to which you are attached your contract is governed by Irish labour law and your
entitlements will be those set out by laws of the Republic of Ireland (including but not limited to maternity
/ paternity leave, sickness absence, redundancy and retirement entitlements). The Irish courts have
jurisdiction in all matters relating to the execution and termination of your contract. In the event that this
clause becomes inoperable due to legislative changes, legal directive or any other change that the
Company determines as material, then your contract will become null and void and your employment with
the Company will cease and you will be paid the statutory amount in lieu of notice.
7. Communications
Good communications are critical in maintaining our efficiency at Crewlink Ireland Limited and Ryanair.
Within the company and its client there area many different layers of communications, some overlap with
others and some change their emphasis from time to time but one thing they all have in common is their
commitment to keep you informed about what is happening in the company.
Communication channels within Crewlink Ireland Limited / Ryanair are not a goal or an end in themselves –
they are essential in the running of our businesses. Everybody should understand what we are trying to
achieve here. There are no prizes for hanging on to information – we trust our people with information so
that they too can prioritise what they have to achieve each day they come to work.
Open Door Policy
Managers are there to achieve results through and with their people. It's common sense that managers tell
you what is expected and keep you in the picture as to what changes are happening. They are your first
point of contact. They are paid to look after you so make them earn it!
Crew dock
Crew dock is our internal network site that allows crew to access rosters, flight plans, apply for annual
leave and send electronic queries to the relevant departments.
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Limited Release
The Limited Release is Ryanair’s internal newsletter. It's intended above all to be fun. It covers what's
happening in the business and more importantly what's happening socially. With the expansion of our
route network and new people joining us all the time, it has never been more important to keep our
people in touch with what's going on. We absolutely prohibit self-publicists who just want to tell
everybody how brilliant they are. We do want articles, contributions photographs or just ideas and they
must be interesting, and not libellous! The Limited Release is written by Ryanair people for Ryanair people.
Please, please contribute; send any photos, news, views etc. to -limitedrelease@ryanair.com
Public Statements
In May 1997 Ryanair became a Public Limited Company and as a result, you are required to adopt a
common sense approach to all public statements. There are some things that you can’t comment on and in
theory fall foul of the people who regulate the Stock Exchange on which Ryanair is quoted. All employees
are required to consult with their managers before making any public statements. This extends to the use
of social media , you must not disclose confidential /private information or publish statements
/videos/images/photographs etc. about Ryanair or your colleagues on any social media site(whether
personal or not). Please see the company’s Social Media Policy in the “Things you need to know” section of
this guide for further details.
Breach of this policy may result in disciplinary action and /or the company issuing legal proceedings against
you.
Overcoats: Overcoats when worn must be completely buttoned and worn over your uniform. You must not
walk with your hands in your pockets. Pockets should not be used unless absolutely necessary and you
should never overfill pockets so that they bulge. Coats must always be removed when inside the cabin.
Glasses: Glasses are permitted but must be of a neat classic style. Frames can be clear, black or navy only.
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What isn’t acceptable while in Uniform?
Visible tattoos are not permitted. Tattoos must be covered using makeup or flesh colored plasters
at all times.
Chewing gum is not permitted at any time.
Smoking in uniform is discouraged. Smoking outside terminal buildings in view of the public is
specifically not permitted. The only circumstance in which smoking is permitted in uniform is when
seated in a designated smoking area.
The wearing of cardigans, jumpers or sweaters is not permitted.
Tongue piercings or other visible piercings other than (ear piercings one per ear) are strictly
prohibited.
During the service all female crew must wear their apron and all male crew should not wear their jacket.
When in the galley remember that passengers can hear crew conversations, and you should not carry on
personal conversations in earshot of passengers.
You must be seated in a restaurant or seating area while eating and drinking. You are not permitted to be
in a bar area in uniform whether or not consuming alcohol. Nor should you chew gum in uniform at any
time, whether on duty or off duty.
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As part of the 2016 Cabin Crew Pay deal crew receive an annual allowance of €400 to replace uniform
items as they become due for renewal. Crew that neglect to replace uniform items in accordance with the
grooming policy, will have those uniform replacement items ordered on their behalf with an appropriate
adjustment being made to the uniform allowance to recoup the cost of those items.
If your weight changes then you should ensure you have the correct size uniform which must not be too
loose or tight fitting.
Uniform Sizes
You are required to maintain your weight in proper proportion to your height. Uniform sizes are available
in the following sizes only.
Female:
Sizes 4 to 20
Male:
Jackets/coats - sizes 30 to 50
Trousers - sizes 28 to 48
Shirts - sizes 14 to 19
Rings: The guideline is one ring per hand, on the ring finger only, with the exception of
wedding/engagement rings which may be worn together. Rings must not be large or ornate.
Watches: Watches must be in working order and worn at all times. Watches should be neat and classic in
style, with a second hand (or digital equivalent) which is required for attending to passenger medical
emergencies (see SEP manual). Watch straps must be navy, black, gold or silver. Plastic watches are not
permitted.
Earrings: Earrings for female crew must be worn if ears are pierced. Pearls, gold, silver and diamond studs
only are permitted. Earrings for male crew are not permitted
Bracelets: One bracelet may be worn on the right hand wrist. Bangles are not allowed.
Other Accessories
ID Cards: ID must be valid and clearly displayed at all times.
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Wings: Wings must be displayed on the jacket at all times A Name Badge must be displayed on the jacket
at all times. No other badges, pins or stickers are allowed with the uniform. Company issued badges are
permitted such as AGB.
High VIS Vests: Must be kept clean and free of graffiti, and must only be worn when on the ramp area.
Crew Bag
Crew bags must be carried at all times. The following items must be carried in your crew bag/ hand bag at
all times (minimum):
Passport
Certificate of competence and attestations
High Visibility Jacket
Spare clothes in case of overnight
Spare paperwork
First aid kit including painkillers
Sewing kit
Spare underwear; hosiery/socks
Spare shirt
Tea towel
Oven Mitt
Shoe polish
Toiletries
Thermal underwear: If required should only be white with correct sleeve length, i.e shouldn’t be visible or
protrude from your uniform or be longer than uniform sleeve length.
Gloves: Gloves must be black or navy in colour, leather or leather like fabric, of classic design with no
adornment. Gloves are not permitted once on-board the aircraft
Boots: Cabin crew are permitted to wear boots of classic design and black colour in winter only. Boots can
be worn when wearing the Mac or winter coat. Female boots must be to the knee, plain in style with no
buckles or elaborate detail. Heel height should be not higher than three inches, and no lower than one
inch. Boots are not permitted in the cabin.
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Ballet pump style shoes are not permitted.
Stiletto heels are not permitted in the cabin, but can be worn outside the aircraft. Crew should be
cognisant of wearing the right shoes for the right conditions particular when using the steps, embarking
and disembarking.
All shoes must be well heeled, scuff–free, polished with no buckles.
Hosiery: Tights, Stockings, hold-ups must be brown (Chocolate colour/ Mocha) or Barely Black colour.
Hosiery should be maximum 20 denier. Opaque styles are not permitted. Bare legs are not permitted.
Skirt: Must be worn just above the knee. Must fit comfortably and not be too tight or too loose. The Skirt
belt should be worn on the 3rd button hole.
Blouse: Must be tucked in at all times. All buttons must be buttoned up.
Female Neck Scarf: Must be worn at all times. Scarfs should be free of makeup.
Handbag: You may only use Ryanair regulation handbag. Handbags must be worn on the right hand
shoulder and should not be overfilled
Hair longer than shoulder length must be worn in a Ponytail, Bun, or French Roll. Hair worn up should be
neat and tidy at all times. Buns should be a maximum of 15cm in diameter and styled to the back of your
head, never on top of your head.
Hair may be worn down if it is cut above the collar of your jacket and it is cut neat in style, if you wear your
hair down, it must not fall over the face and must be trimmed regularly.
Make-up: Must be natural looking and complement your natural skin tone, eye make-up cannot be bright
or contain glitter. Blush and mascara must be worn.
Lipstick: You must wear lipstick at all times, Lip liner when worn must match lipstick colour. Red or bright
pink colours are permitted.
Colours worn must be bright and vibrant (if we have to ask are you wearing lipstick then the colour is not
vibrant enough)
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Lipstick and nail polish must match (with exception of French manicure, in which case red or pink lipstick
will suffice
Female nail extensions can be worn as long as they are well maintained and no longer than your natural
nail length guideline no more than 20mm.
Beards
Beards must be neatly trimmed with a min length of 7mm and max length of 12mm
There must be a clean line below the chin and neck
Beards must be fully grown. No stubble is allowed
Tufts of hair under the bottom lip are not permitted
No Goatees
No protruding moustaches
Hair Guidelines
Above the collar
Neat style and must be regularly trimmed
No long sideburns allowed
No wet look hair gel allowed
Belts: Must be black and of classic design no large or decorative buckles allowed.
Shoes: Black, plain, slip-on or lace-up shoes without buckles and of classical design only.
Shoes must be kept well heeled, scuff free and polished.
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9. Ryanair Glossary of Terms
Air Side – Section of Airport off bounds to the public and unauthorised staff. Staff, whose job requires
access to Airside facilities, will need a security I.D from the relevant Airport Authority. Application forms
are available from the Personnel Department.
Aircraft is tech – Aircraft is not well and requires TLC
Airline 2 Letter Codes – Internally recognised codes for all airlines. Examples include: FR (Ryanair), BA
(British Airways), and EI (Aer Lingus)
AOC – Airline Operation Certificate, Licence required to operate an airline.
A.T.P.L. – Airline Transport Pilots Licence
B.A.A – British Airports Authority, they own and run Heathrow and Edinburgh among others.
Boeing 737-800 – The only aircraft Ryanair operate, known as the 800, aircraft that can carry 189
passengers.
Chocks – Blocks placed under aircraft landing gear, used to stop aircraft from rolling back and forward.
Confirmed Travel – Travel on a guaranteed seat basis.
Crew dock – Ryanair’s internal network site that allows crew to access rosters, flight plans, apply for annual
leave and send electronic queries to the relevant departments.
CSA Ground – They ensure the Check-in area is the quickest and most proficient in the airport, all flights
are closed off 40 minutes before departure.
CSA In-flight – Cabin Crew- they are the employees who will spend the most time with the passengers.
Their primary responsibility is passenger safety.
DAA – Dublin Airport Authority
DSM – Duty station manager. Responsible for all Ryanair’s ground operations in the airport. DSM’s are
based in either Dublin or Stansted Airport.
Duty travel – Confirmed and approved travel while on duty. If you need to travel on business Ryanair give
you a seat to get there. You need your manager’s approval to travel.
E.W.C. - European Works Council. The European Works Council is a forum where information is provided
by the airline at least once a year to employee representatives concerning the transnational affairs of the
business and where an exchange of views can take place.
F.R.T.V. - FRTV is Ryanair's internal news service. FRTV is a key source of information on what's happening
with the business. You should consult FRTV regularly if you have any suggestions then talk to personnel.
You can access FRTV on the following link http://takeoff/frtvshow/fullscreen.htm
F/O - J/FO – S/O First officer; Junior First Officer; Second officer respectively - Pilot, commonly known; as
Co-Pilot. They sit in the right hand seat of the aircraft, fly the plane, do all the paperwork and generally
look important.
FR – Ryanair’s international two-letter code (see Airline codes)
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Hangar - Aircraft hangar where engineering are based.
I.A.A. - Irish Aviation Authority - Irish state regulatory body - Set regulations for all our aircraft, wherever
they fly.
Interline - Department responsible for staff travel concessions. For full details of Staff Travel benefits
please check out http://takeoff/interlinehandbook/interlinehandbook.html
JAR Op’s – Joint Aviation Requirements in connection with Operations. If Ryanair do not meet these
requirements, they do not fly, it’s that simple.
Jeppy (Jeppessen) Bags – Bag containing Maps and navigation aids for departure, arrival and alternate
airports.
Jump seat – extra seats on aircraft occupied by crew members [2 in cockpit & 1 down the back of the 737-
800]
LAND Side – Section of Airport open to public.
Limited Release (1) - The Limited Release is Ryanair’s internal newsletter. Its intended above all to be fun it
covers what's happening in the business and what's happening socially. The Limited Release is written by
Ryanair people for Ryanair people. Please send any photos, news or views to limitedrelease@ryanair.com.
Limited Release (2) - It’s where we got the name for the magazine. A tag issued at check-in to indemnify
Ryanair against claims for damage to luggage, which has not been packed correctly or has previous
damage.
Lisline – Flight schedule, software system. It displays the daily schedule of all flights and a current
representative of events as they occur.
Loads – The amount of passengers booked on a particular flight. “Sub-load” means that the flight is not
fully booked.
M.A.O – Meal and accommodation order – A voucher accepted as payment by restaurants and hotels
within which Ryanair has an account – given out for delays.
Number 1 – Customer service supervisor i.e. the Cabin Crew member in charge on a flight.
Pax – International Airline abbreviation for “Passengers”.
Per Diem expenses – An allowance paid to staff if required to stay away overnight on duty.
Phonetic alphabet – To ensure accuracy and universal understanding of the millions of messages
transmitted annually, standard message procedures have been agreed. They can also be used to sound
very important while ordering a take away.
A – Alfa F – Foxtrot K – Kilo P – Papa U – Uniform
B – Bravo G – Golf L – Lima Q – Quebec V – Victor
C – Charlie H – Hotel M – Mike R – Romeo W – Whiskey
D- Delta I – India N – November S – Sierra X – X-Ray
E – Echo J – Juliet O- Oscar T – Tango Z – Zulu
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Plonky/ Kit Bag – Bag carried by Cabin Crew in case of unexpected overnights, normally contains items
such as sleeping gear, spare clothing etc.
Ramp – Area of ground around aircraft.
Ramper – Ground Handing Agent, Responsible for flight turnaround times of 25 minutes, and the most
efficient in the business. This turnaround time allows Ryanair to utilise planes more efficiently, which
keeps costs down. Recognisable by refusal to take their high visibility vests off, even when indoors.
Sector – One flight, no stop over.
Standby – Privilege staff travel, passengers travelling on standby must wait till fare-paying passengers
have boarded. Travel on Standby is not guaranteed.
STN – Stansted Airport - three letter code.
The red eye - Basically it depends on which country you're in! This is the earliest flight. It does great
business in coffee sales.
Whitehouse – Ryanair’s Head Office at Dublin airport. Home to Finance, MIS, Personnel, Yield, New
Route Development, Customer Standards, Purchasing Refunds, Engineering, Marketing and Flight
Operations among others.
Wands – Used to guide aircraft in at night (they light up!)
Yield – Revenue margin on each seat sold.
Z Level Managers –. The directors make most of the decisions at Ryanair. They meet every Monday
morning to wreak even more havoc.
Appendix 1
DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
Disciplinary procedures are designed to protect both you and the company. The vast majority of our
people will never be involved in the disciplinary procedure. It is important however that everybody
knows that it exists and how and when it applies or might apply. Its cornerstone is one of fair play and it
is intended to provide a positive approach to problem solving that is both fair and impartial. The
Disciplinary Process may involve one or more investigative meetings, which will attempt to establish the
facts of the case. You are actively encouraged to have a colleague in attendance at these meetings. The
procedure applies to all breaches of company rules or standards, including, but not limited to the
following:
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Final written warning:
Should your job performance continue to fall short of the required standard or another serious breach
of the Company and or Client rules takes place you will be issued with a Final Written Warning by the
Head of Department (or in their absence by another authorised Senior Manager) who will emphasise
the gravity of the matter and the consequences if the required standards are not achieved and
maintained. Where possible, a representative from Crewlink and Ryanair will be present at this
meeting.
Suspension:
In some circumstances the sanction of suspension without pay may be applied. The period of
suspension will depend on the seriousness of the misconduct. Suspension without pay means that no
payments will apply for the period of the suspension (including salary, allowances, shift pay etc.).
Dismissal:
If the problem is not corrected or if another breach of the Company rules takes place, you will be
dismissed by the Head of the Department (or in their absence by another authorised Senior Manager) in
the presence of the Personnel Manager or a nominated Deputy.
The Company reserves the right to adopt later stages of the disciplinary process depending on the
gravity of the incident / circumstances involved.
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Examples of gross misconduct include but are not limited to:
The Disciplinary Procedures are intended to protect everyone and to ensure fair play at all times. The
investigative meetings may or may not result in disciplinary action being taken but if they do, we
encourage you to bring a work colleague to any disciplinary meetings.
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Note:
The Disciplinary Procedures set out above do not form part of your contract of employment and
may be changed by the Company in its absolute discretion at any time.
Failure or refusal to attend any meetings under the disciplinary procedure may be treated as a
separate disciplinary matter and investigative meetings / disciplinary hearings may be held in
your absence if you persistently fail to attend scheduled appointments.
Appendix 2
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES
The purpose of the grievance procedure is to provide Crewlink Ireland Limited employees with an
accessible process of addressing work related problems or issues they may have. The grievance
procedure should be seen as a last resort and not an automatic step. It is intended to solve problems,
not create them. The grievance procedure may be suspended if you do not comply with the guidelines
outlined or where it is felt that a fictitious or malicious claim has been made. Abuse of the grievance
procedure may, in extreme circumstances, lead to disciplinary action.
If you have a work related grievance that you wish to resolve, you should observe the following stages
of the grievance process:
Stage 1 – Immediate Ryanair Supervisor / Manager
You must inform your immediate Supervisor / Manager of your grievance in the first instance in an
attempt to resolve it informally. This stage can only be skipped if your Supervisor/Manager is the
subject of your grievance.
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final stage of the internal grievance process. The decision of the Director of Crewlink Ireland Limited or
designated deputy will be final and you will have no further right to appeal.
Please Note:
All grievances must be reported within 28 days of the issue/ problem occurring.
The purpose of the grievance procedure is to resolve issues and it is a prerequisite for submitting
a grievance that you must detail what remedy or resolution you are seeking. Failure to do so
may result in your grievance being deemed invalid under the grievance procedure.
You are actively encouraged to have a work colleague in attendance with you at any meeting at
which your grievance is discussed and at any subsequent appeal hearing.
You must fully cooperate with any investigation into the issues you raise including attending
meetings with the grievance officer. At any meeting you must be forthcoming with all
information that is relevant to your grievance and actively engage in the meeting to work
towards a resolution.
You must present all allegations from the outset, if you withhold any allegations or fail to
disclose any information relevant to your grievance this could be deemed an abuse of the
grievance procedure and could lead to invalidate your grievance and disciplinary action.
Once the grievance process has commenced you must deal with the person appointed to hear
your grievance. You are prohibited from raising the same or a related grievance with another
manager and in these circumstances all correspondence will be forwarded for consideration to
the manager appointed to hear your grievance.
The grievance procedure does not form part of your contract of employment and may be
changed by the Company in its absolute discretion at any time.
All grievances must be lodged within the tenure of your employment.
If you fail to comply with any of the grievance procedure the Company reserves the right to
withdraw your grievance.
If you submit a grievance regarding an on-going disciplinary investigation that you are involved
in, this will be dealt with during / as part of the disciplinary process.
Appendix 3
TURNAROUND & INFLIGHT PROCEDURES (TIPs MANUAL)
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This can be found on www.cabincrewdock.com under the section displayed below.
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Please refer to your contract of employment as this section may not
apply to every employee:
As required by Section 121 & 123 of the Pensions Acts 1990-2002 those employees who wish to save for
their retirement can do so through the company PRSA (Personal Retirement Savings Account) scheme.
Further details are available from Crewlink Ireland Limited (Tel +353 1 895-2065) who will provide you
with a salary deduction facility for standard PRSA’s. This arrangement will provide you with a very
convenient mechanism for saving for your retirement and enables you to take advantage of the income
tax and PRSI relief available on your contributions.
Fact Sheet 2
Interline Agreement:
CREWLINK IRELAND LIMITED has agreed the following interline (discounted staff travel) agreement with
Ryanair.
Eligibility: All Crewlink Ireland Limited employees operating on Ryanair aircraft are eligible
for discounted staff travel upon commencement of employment.
Privilege Travel:
Ryanair Routes: €7.50 / £6.00 per passenger per sector - plus all applicable taxes on a standby
basis.
White Tickets
White tickets are standby and you can use them as frequently as you like for personal travel on the
Ryanair network. Cabin Crew and Pilots must apply for White Staff Travel on Crew dock by clicking on
the link on the Crew dock/ CabinCrewdock home page and filling in the online form. If you are not a
pilot or member of Cabin Crew you must submit a hard copy white travel application form by fax to the
relevant Interline Department. All Ryanair staff is entitled to use White Staff Travel.
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Do I have to pay for my bag?
All staff wishing to check in luggage must pay the relevant fees. The number of checked in bags must be
requested and paid for at the time of booking. If baggage is presented unbooked at the airport, the
airport check in fee must be paid at the ticket desk, along with the relevant fee per sector. If you are
travelling on staff travel and are not checking in bags then you do not have to pay the airport check-
in fee.
Completing the forms correctly
For obvious reasons, the forms must be completed correctly and in full - interline staff are very
efficient but they're not mind readers! When completing the forms (either on Crew dock or paper
copies) make sure you fill in all details correctly – otherwise your booking may not be processed. Pay
close attention to your credit card details and make sure your card has sufficient funds to accept the
charges – or you will have to reapply. So, to complete the forms you'll need:
Please ensure you apply either via Crew dock or by submitting a signed form if you don’t have access to
Crew dock – telephone / email requests cannot be processed.
It is your responsibility to double check that the bookings are correct before departure. You should
receive a travel itinerary as soon as your booking is processed. If you don’t, you must retrieve your
booking on www.ryanair.com using the “Manage My Booking” option. You will need your
confirmation number (Cabin Crew and Pilots will receive this on Crew dock) and your email address/
credit card number.
What about Duty Travel?
If you have to travel for duty purposes you must complete a yellow duty travel form, have it signed by
an authorised signatory and return the form to the Interline Department in Dublin or Stansted. Requests
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may be emailed in advance but you must copy the authorised signatory and all requests must be
followed up with a signed Duty Travel Form before you travel.
Can I change my flights?
Staff travel bookings are not refundable, however unused staff travel can be changed before and after
departure (bookings are valid for 6 months) Cabin Crew and Pilots must request their flight changes via
the “Post a Query” section on Crew dock.
Staff travel bookings may be changed at an airport ticket desk in the following circumstances only:
N.B. Staff travel is on Standby basis – you can only travel if there are seats available
• You must not sit in seats 1ABC, 2DEF or over the wing exits except where you have boarded last and
these seats are unoccupied by a revenue passenger.
• Do not engineer a situation either by yourself or with other staff whereby you enjoy confirmed travel
on a standby ticket or have a revenue passenger offloaded.
• No queue jumping or saying the dreaded "I'm staff", you're on privilege travel and our fare paying
passengers always come first
• Do not behave in any way that could bring the airline into disrepute
• Always pay attention to the safety demonstration, no matter how many times you've seen it.
• Don't turn up at the gate without a boarding card you need one to get on board (absolutely no
exceptions).
• If you are travelling you must have checked in or be officially included on the voyage report (again
absolutely no exceptions).
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• Allocation of seats while on standby travel is decided by date of entry to the company.
• All staff travel benefits end on the day your contract ends or is terminated
• You may not use staff travel if you are absent from work due to illness unless it is agreed in writing by
the Personnel Department prior to travelling.
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Where advance knowledge of absence is available e.g. a scheduled operation, then the company
should be notified in advance of this absence and all certificates must be submitted prior to this
absence. Discretionary sickness benefits may not apply to pre-planned absences.
You must keep the Company/Client advised if your absence is likely to continue and when you
are due to return to work. If your absence is going to continue then a valid medical certificate
must be submitted no later than the day before your previous medical certificate expires. If a
medical certificate is not submitted by this time then the absence will be deemed unauthorised
and any entitlements under the discretionary sickness benefit scheme may be withdrawn.
You are required to keep in regular contact with the company during your absence and must
check Crewdock on a weekly basis during your absence.
All employees who are paying Irish social insurance (PRSI) must submit an “Illness Benefit Claim
Form” to the Department of Social Welfare for any absences lasting six or more consecutive
days. If you are based in Ireland you must obtain this form from your medical practitioner. If you
are based in one of our client’s European Bases outside of Ireland and you are on Irish Social
Insurance you should request this form from your Base Supervisor.
The Company will be entitled, at its expense, to require you to be examined by an independent medical
practitioner of the Company’s choice at any time (whether or not you are absent by reason of sickness
or injury) and you agree that the doctor carrying out the examination may disclose to and discuss with
the Company the results of the examination. All medical reports and results from any such examinations
will remain the property of the company. It is a condition of your employment that you attend medical
appointments arranged by the company including where it requires travel e.g. to Dublin.
Qualifying Conditions:
It should be clearly understood that this scheme is a discretionary Company benefit and not a
statutory right. The Company may, at its absolute discretion, amend, vary or withdraw the
scheme.
All of the procedures in the above section “What to do if you are absent from work” must have
been completed in full. Your absence must be medically certified by a qualified medical
practitioner and written in / translated to English (regardless of the country from which they
originated). Medical certificates submitted which do not comply with this requirement will be
deemed invalid and absence unauthorised and you will not qualify for payment under the
discretionary Crewlink Sickness Benefit Scheme
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If you are paying Irish social insurance (PRSI) it is your responsibility to make an application to
the Department of Social Welfare for Illness Benefit if you are absent from work for six or more
consecutive days.
Crewlink will make deductions from your monthly pay in respect of Social Welfare Illness Benefit.
If you are on unpaid leave you are not entitled to payments under the discretionary Crewlnik
Sickness Benefit Scheme.
If you are absent from work as a result of an accident which occurred at work, any payments you
receive from the Company in respect of said absence is paid as a loan which you must repay to
the Company if you recover damages in respect of your injury, condition or absence from work.
Sickness benefits are not paid for the first three consecutive days of absence during any period
of absence.
Sickness benefits are not payable during periods of pre-planned leave (including annual leave
and unpaid leave).
Sickness benefits are not payable during periods for which you previously applied for any form of
leave including annual, unpaid, parental etc.
You do not comply with the absence policy and/or qualifying conditions set out above at all
times during your absence
You do not attend a medical appointment arranged by the company
You fail to attend meetings and/or answer calls from the company. You must be contactable
during your absence.
You are subject to a disciplinary investigation. Payments will cease when a disciplinary
investigation is initiated pending the outcome of the disciplinary process. Benefits may be
reinstated and/or back payments made when the disciplinary process is concluded at the
company’s discretion.
You have resigned and you are working your notice period.
If any of the above applies you will not qualify for discretionary sickness benefits.
If you do qualify for payments under the Crewlink Sickness Benefit Scheme, the following
discretionary benefits apply:
You will receive the equivalent payment to a ground duty payment applicable at your base, less
any Social Welfare payments you are entitled to, for a maximum period of 14 working days in
any 12 month period.
Crewlink will pay a maximum of 42 days’ sickness benefit in any 5 year period.
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Maternity Health & Safety Leave
In certain circumstances pregnant employees may be unable to perform their existing duties because of
a Health and Safety risk to themselves, their unborn child or indeed Ryanair customers. When a risk
assessment dictates that your normal duties are unsuitable the Company and its Client will endeavour
to accommodate you with suitable alternative work. Female Cabin and Flight Deck Crew Members –
wherever you are based commercial airline regulations require all female cabin or deck crew members
to notify their supervisor/manager and the Crewlink HR/Personnel Dept. immediately they become
aware that they are pregnant. The Company/Client will endeavour to offer an alternative ground duty
position with Ryanair for the period up until you avail of maternity leave. If in the opinion of the
Company, no suitable alternative work is available, you will be allocated Maternity Health and Safety
Leave in accordance with the terms of the Maternity Protection Act 1994. Maternity Health and Safety
lasts as long as the employee remains in the risk category or until her maternity leave begins.
What payment will I receive for "alternative work"?
Crew who has been assigned a ground duty position will be paid a ground duty rate as long as the
employee remains in the risk category or until maternity leave begins. Please ask you Base Supervisor
or Crewlink HR/Personnel Dept. for details of the current rate.
Payment of Maternity Health and Safety Leave is as follows –
• The first 3 weeks (ground duty rate/average salary) will be paid by employer
• Further Payments will be made by the Department of Social Welfare.
In such a case where no alternative employment can be offered a certificate will be issued to allow
State benefits to be claimed.
Maternity Entitlement
If you start maternity leave on or after 1 March 2007, you are entitled to 26 weeks’ maternity
leave together with 16 weeks additional unpaid maternity leave. Under the Maternity Protection
(Amendment) Act 2004 at least 2 weeks have to be taken before the end of the week of your baby's
expected birth and at least 4 weeks after. You can decide how you would like to take the remaining
weeks.
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When can I start my maternity leave?
You can start your Statutory Maternity Leave any time from 11 weeks before the beginning of the week
when your baby’s due.
Maternity Pay
Statutory Maternity Pay
If you have been continuously employed for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before the week your
baby is due, you qualify to receive Statutory Maternity Pay (“SMP”) for up to 39 weeks of the leave.
SMP will be paid into your bank account each month and will be subject to normal tax and national
insurance deductions.
How much SMP will I get?
You will receive 90% of your average weekly earnings for the first six weeks then up to £124.88 for the
remaining 33 weeks. Tax and national insurance are payable on SMP.
What happens if I don’t qualify for SMP?
If you do not qualify for SMP you may be entitled to receive Maternity Allowance (“MA”). The standard
rate of MA is £123.06 or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is less. MA is paid for up to 39
weeks; it is not liable to Income Tax or NI contributions. You can claim MA as soon as you have been
pregnant for 26 weeks. To get a claim form (Form MA1) you will need to contact your local Jobcentre
Plus. You will also need to submit a “SMP1” form with your MA1 claim form, please contact the
Personnel Department for further information.
Conditions of payment:
Inform your Supervisor or Manager as soon as you become pregnant.
Inform the company in writing at least 15 weeks before the beginning of the week your baby is
due, of the date that you intend to commence maternity leave.
Within 28 days of receiving this notice, the personnel department will notify you of the end date
of your maternity leave and the date that you are due to return to work.
You can change your mind about the start date but you must give 28 days’ notice. If you wish to
change your return to work date, you must provide 8 weeks’ notice.
Submit a copy of your “MATB1” (maternity certificate provided to you by your doctor or
midwife) to the Personnel Department, which confirms the date your baby is due, at least 15
weeks before the beginning of the week your baby is due.
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to accommodate you with suitable alternative work. Commercial airline regulations require all female
cabin or deck crew members to notify their manager immediately when they become aware that they
are pregnant. We will endeavour to offer an alternative position for the period up until you avail of
maternity leave. If in the opinion of the Company, no suitable alternative work is available, you will be
allocated Maternity Health and Safety Leave in accordance with the terms of the Employment Rights Act
1996. Maternity Health and Safety Leave lasts as long as the employee remains in the risk category or
until her maternity leave begins.
TIME OFF FOR MEDICAL ANTENATAL APPOINTMENTS AND CLASSES
In accordance with the Employment Rights Act 1996, reasonable time off work for medically
recommended (as opposed to educational) antenatal appointments and classes will be provided subject
to the following.
Requests should be submitted to your Supervisor/ Manager and copied to Personnel at least 14 working
days in advance of the appointment/class for consideration and approval. Medically recommended
antenatal appointments and classes should be arranged on a non-work day or where that is not possible
at the start or end of the working day.
If you are applying for time off you are required to provide the following
• an appointment card must be presented with your request to your Base Supervisor/Manager.
• a written estimate of how long you will be absent from work (including travelling time) if your
appointment is scheduled during your working day. You must return to work after any approved
medical antenatal appointment or class.
Arrangements to attend these appointments and classes should not be made until written confirmation
from Base Supervisor \Manager has been received stating that the time off for attending has been
granted. Any appointments or classes that are arranged without prior written permission from the
Company may result in your request being denied.
Permission for time off may be refused in certain circumstances, for example where a non urgent
appointment is made at short notice that could be rearranged and no cover is available.
The above policy does not apply to educational antenatal activities which must be attended in your own
time.
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The company annual leave year runs from 1st April to 31st March. You must use your full annual
entitlement within this period.
You are entitled (in addition to the usual bank and public holidays) to 1.66 days per month
worked
This entitlement is based on an 8-hour working day.
If your employment commences on or before the 15th day of the month you will be eligible for
that month’s entitlement. Similarly if you leave on or after the 15 th day of the month you will be
eligible for that month’s entitlement.
If you work on an ‘ad-hoc’ basis your holiday entitlements will be specified in your contract of
employment.
If you resign any periods of annual leave due to occur during your notice period may be
cancelled at the discretion of your manager.
Conditions:
The dates of your annual leave must be approved beforehand by the Company.
While every effort will be made to accommodate your desired annual leave requests, you must
recognise that our busiest periods are during peak holiday times, therefore the allocation of
annual leave will be strictly governed by the requirements of the business – we cannot all go on
holidays when Ryanair passengers want to.
Ryanair are a transport company and reserve the right to allocate leave
Where annual leave has been agreed beforehand by a manager but operational requirements
necessitate your attendance at work, the company reserves the right to cancel your annual leave
and require you to rearrange it on alternative dates (this step will only be a last resort).
Non-operations staff will be required to take up to 3 days from their annual leave entitlement
over the Christmas period (and 1 day for Good Friday- Euro zone)
On the termination of your employment, where you have taken more or less than your annual
leave entitlement, an adjustment (based on your normal rate of pay) will be made in your final
salary, either by way of deduction if you have taken more than your entitlement to that date, or
by way of an additional payment where you have taken less than your entitlement.
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Irish Public Bank Holidays:
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2. WORK ENVIRONMENT
3. BUSINESS ACTIVIES
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competitors and be able to collect legitimate intelligence about them. Ryanair employees must not obtain,
process, use or disclose confidential information of any third parties without appropriate authorisation
from the applicable third party. Employees must not use any illegal or unethical means of gathering data
about competitors
4. FINANCIAL REPORTING
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that such disclosures and information are complete, accurate and in compliance with the company’s
disclosure procedures.
5. COMPANY PROPERTY
6. CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The Company and its Client respect the privacy of every employee in the conduct of his/her personal
affairs. However, all employees have a duty to ensure that their personal and financial interests do not
conflict with, or appear to conflict with, their duties on behalf of Ryanair. Employees must be able to
perform their duties and exercise their judgements on behalf of the Company and its Client without
impairment by virtue of an outside or personal influence.
6.2 Investments
Employees and officers (and their family members) may not have financial interests in any competitor,
customer, distributor or supplier where this would influence, or appear to influence, their actions on
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behalf of the Client (e.g. holding shares representing in excess of 1% of the publicly traded shares of a
corporation).
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7.1 Employment Laws & Regulations
The Company and its Client are committed to the fair and equitable treatment of all employees and abides
by employment laws in the countries in which it does business. These laws prohibit loans and guarantees
of obligations in the case of a Company’s and Client’s directors and executive officers. Therefore it is
Company’s and Client’s policy that loans will not be made to employees.
8. DISCIPLINARY ACTION
The internal auditor will investigate all allegations of potential wrongdoing and a report will be made to the
Audit Committee. All employees are required to cooperate fully with any investigation. Disciplinary action
will be taken against any employee / officer who violate, or encourage / request others to violate this
Code. Employees who report potential / suspected violations in good faith will not be subject to any
retaliation by the company or it’s Client. Any person who takes action in retaliation against such an
employee will be subject to serious disciplinary action. Any person knowingly making false accusations of
misconduct will be subject to disciplinary action.
9. REPORTING PROCEDURES
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Roseann Walshe - Ryanair Corporate Head Office, Dublin Airport, Ireland.
+353 1 812 1320
walsher@ryanair.com
At any time, staff members are entitled to request a meeting with the internal auditor or any other
independent member of staff.
The company also reserves the right to make and keep copies of telephone calls or emails and data
documenting use of telephone, email and / or the internet systems, for the purpose set out above, and if it
sees fit to use the information in disciplinary proceedings against employees. The company may bypass
any password you set. You may only set passwords and security codes for your computer, the system or
any part of it or documentation held on it in accordance with company policy from time to time. All
communications and stored information sent received, created or contained within the Crewlink Ireland
Limited/ Ryanair systems are the property of Crewlink Ireland Limited/ Ryanair and accordingly should be
considered private.
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
Except insofar as your duties shall require it, you shall not, during the continuance of your employment
with the Company or at any time after the termination thereof, without the previous written consent of
the Company, disclose any “Confidential Information” relating to the Company and/or its associated
companies or their respective businesses, any trade secrets, the knowledge of which you may possess
while in the employment of the Company, not use or attempt to use such information or trade secrets in
any way that may cause loss or injury to the Company, its associated companies or companies with which
the Company has business dealings. “Confidential Information” includes but is not limited to all secret or
confidential information of whatever kind that may have come to your knowledge during or as a result of
your employment by the Company, its business plans, finances, staff, customers and prospective
customers, suppliers or products, information which has been disclosed to the Company in confidence by a
third party, and any other information of a kind that would usually be regarded as secret or confidential.
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You shall not at any time during your employment nor at any time after the termination of your
employment, directly or indirectly gather material about any aspect of the Company's operations for use
by newspapers, magazines, websites, television or radio stations, any other media outlet or other third
party use.
You are expressly prohibited from making any video, audio, electronic or other recording of any aspect of
the company's operations whilst on duty or off duty without the express prior written permission of the
Company. You shall not work on behalf of any media organisation or work on a freelance basis during your
employment with the Company. Failure to comply with the above provisions shall be considered gross
misconduct and you shall be subject to instant summary dismissal. In addition, the Company will initiate
legal proceedings against you and/or any relevant third party seeking damages (including exemplary
damages) for defamation, libel, breaches of confidentiality and invasion of privacy and furthermore shall
pursue you for the legal costs of said proceedings.
Important
Does everything in this handbook apply to your contract of employment? No, as the name suggests, this
handbook is intended purely as a guide for all employees. You must clearly understand that the terms &
conditions change from time to time. If you require any clarification on what terms & benefits apply to
your employment, then you should in the first instance contact the Crewlink HR/Personnel Department.
Amendments to this booklet are made periodically and it is your responsibility to ensure that you are
familiar with the most up to date version and the relevant sections that apply to your contract of
employment. Copies are available from the Personnel Department. You have no contractual right to any
of the benefits within this booklet unless they are expressly detailed in your contract of employment.
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4. COMPUTER CARE
5. DATA CONFIDENTIALITY
Do not leave a screen active and unattended, for example during lunch or overnight. Save your data, quit the
application and log out, if applicable to your screen.
Be wary when disposing of reports. Confidential material should be shredded or torn up before being
discarded.
Treat your system password as confidential and follow the guidelines that apply to your system for length,
lifetime and definition.
Screensavers should be enabled to come on after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Users who have access to electronic mail have a responsibility to ensure that confidential information sent
outside the organisation complies with company standards for mail.
Access to the electronic mail system is to facilitate the User conducting Ryanair business only.
Users should also be careful of incoming mail, especially “junk” email with file attachments.
Users must never disable their antivirus software that is screening the applications on their desktop.
Users with access to the internet must only download information that is relevant to their business area.
A User must never download any programs without consulting IT
It is illegal to download music files from P2P sites or anywhere else.
YOU MUST NEVER TRANSMIT ANY CREDIT CARD NUMBERS TO ANYONE VIA EMAIL.
7. TELEPHONE USE
8. FAX USE
You have access to a fax machine to conduct Ryanair Business.
Ryanair reserves the right to make and keep copies of faxes and data documenting your use of a fax machine.
It is a company policy that you do not participate in Fax Surveys.
Any unsolicited faxes that you receive should be discarded and not responded to if you can not validate the
authenticity of the sender.
ANY FAXES RECEIVED WHICH CONTAIN CUSTOMER CREDIT CARD INFORMATION MUST
IMMEDIATLEY BE EDITED TO REMOVE THE CREDIT CARD NUMBER. USING A BLACK
MARKER ACROSS THE CREDIT CARD NUMBER WOULD BE SUFFICIENT.
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9. DATA PROTECTION ACT
The Data Protection Act applies to data held on PCs as well as larger systems. You must never store any
customer data with any 3rd party or access any customer information without prior approval as part of your
role. Refer to IT for a copy of the Act documentation if you are in any doubt.
All mission critical documentation should be stored on the LAN servers as these are backed up on a regular
basis.
Do not keep any business critical data on your local PC hard drive.
Data will only be copied onto a removable media by an IT staff member with the permission of your manager.
An employee found in breach of their responsibilities will enter the Ryanair Disciplinary Procedures. The
penalty for Gross Misconduct is instant dismissal.
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Useful Numbers
Crewlink Ireland Limited …………................ Tel: +353 1 895 2065 / Fax: +353 1 895 2066
Unit 19 Grange Parade, Baldoyle Industrial Estate, Dublin 13, Ireland.
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