MaHa

There's been a story floating around blogs and facebook about an Irish FA who didn't know she was pregnant and was told by the doctors she had stomach problems, gave birth in South Africa on an overnight layover and gave birth. Because Emirates does not allow FAs to have children out of wedlock, she was fired and left stranded in Johannesburg, told to vacate the hotel she provided by the airline and left with a huge hospital bill. Due to the baby's condition, they must stay in South Africa for at least 3 months.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gi...8116973&ref=ts

I was wondering does anybody know about this? Is this story true or an elaborate scam? There has been some blogs searched on google that mention this. If so, why isn't there more information about this or why hasn't the media picked up on this. Frankly if this true, this seems like a horrible PR for Emirates.

roadrunner21

Well considering its EK the story could be true. Am not a EK hater because its in fashion. I've had the misfortune of knowing at least one person who went through a similar ( though less dramatic ) ordeal.

Will ask around, but dont expect any answers.

GigoloArt

How can a woman give birth and thinking she had been stomach problems instead?

roadrunner21

Could it be because she was trying to hide the fact that she was pregnant.
EK fires FAs the moment its confirmed that they have been knocked up.

Its easy for a firm to post profits if you dont need to pay pensions, health benefits + other benefits for associates who have families ( in DXB ). http://www.theemiratesgroup.com/engl...l-reports.aspx

LGW_CGK

The story is a little bit dodgy, how on earth a woman didn't know she was pregnant for 6 months.

LGW_CGK

I think they pay pensions and benefit, etc. The fact that she lied about the pregnancy broke her employment contract. Therefore not eligible for any of those benefits.

sdh80

They'll fire staff who don't tell them that they are pregnant and aren't married, that's a slight difference.

As for the second statement, can you clarify exactly what you mean?

yyzlhr

AFAIK all cabin crew are hired on single status-- meaning no visa or beneifits for family etc.

Based on local laws if a single women was pregnant in a resident in Dubai and unmarried she would probably end up being arrested along with the partner- thats the law --- like it or not, every country and culture varies and we may not agree but if you choose to live here then you have to accept the good with the bad....

I am sure her helath policy also would not have covered pregnancy, and that is quite normal for anyone on single status in dubai and more over allot of policies even some where people ar eon family visa-- I am sure not a llot different than other countries without full free health care (UK, Canada)

manneca

There have been stories of women who didn't know they were pregnant and then gave birth. I can understand how it can happen.

Rambuster

In most countires such kind of contracts would be deemed illegal anyway.

Glad I haven't been sending money EKs way ...

LGW_CGK

But it doesn't mean lying about the pregnancy is acceptable. She signed the contract in the first place, which mean that she agreed with all the T&C.

She should have just resign once she find out about the pregnancy. Then this problem would never happen. So IMO, she also partly responsible about what happened.

N830MH

She has absolutely no reason why Irish woman who gotten fired from her jobs and it is none of her business with her pregnancy. She wasn't supposed to be stay at home due to her pregnancy. She does not right to get her termination from her job at EK. She didn't telling EK management about the situations is going on with her.

irishguy28

Although it's not a common occurence, it's also by no means rare or unheard of.

I read an article in The Irish Times last year (but can't find it, as I hadn't heard of the singer/group involved before) about an Irish singer going into labour on stage without having known she was pregnant.

Here are some other examples from the San Francisco Chronicle website, including a CNN interview with just such a Mom uploaded only 4 days ago.

gottaluvNW

Can we get back to the OP's question: is this for real or is it a scam?

Does anyone have an informed opinion?

Basil B

I would be a little sceptical as I presume that where a women is pregnant and dose not know is normally that she is grossly over weight to start with, that dose not fit the profile of cabin crew particularly Emirates.

If she did end up having a baby as stated then the action of EK is predictable as only today we have a news story regarding two Britain's sentenced to a month in prison for kissing in a restaurant in Dubai.