Yesterday’s coverage of ABC’s controversial investigation into The Flight Centre Travel Group has sparked a large and polarising reaction from our readers.
We put it out there and the stories went off with over 20,000 of you and counting reading the controversial news.
So was the report fair game? Or just another sensationalised story representing a few disgruntled ex-staff? (Read it here if you missed it).
You weren’t backward in coming forward with many FCTG staff slamming the ABC, while others added their comments to many of the issues raised.
Support for Flight Centre came in immediately with numerous comments posted on our facebook page such as this one.
“Yes it’s crazy but If you work damn hard you get damn well rewarded. I spent 12 years at FCTG in various roles and wouldn’t have seen the places I saw or had the skills and knowledge to start and succeed in my own business without it.”
Former Flight Centre employee
Another current Flight Centre employee simply said “haters gonna hate”.
“I along with many, many others love our jobs at FCTG. I have been here 30 years and I am not looking to go anywhere,” the Flight Centre employee went on to say.
Other readers said the voices represented in the article were nothing more than “disgruntled ex-employees.”
“If you don’t like your job and are no good at it then just leave and stop whinging. Disappointing that people get to air this stuff,” one reader commented.
Not everyone stood up for Flight Centre though, with some saying ABC’s reporting was fair.
One reader took to Facebook to say several people she knew worked for “this atrocious company.”
“All hard workers and decent people who got completely worn down and treated appallingly,” she went on to say.
Another former Flight Centre employee said “there is absolutely a boys club. A cult culture. And extremely poor conditions for workers in head office”.
“Minimum 9 hour days. No overtime and no penalty rates. Maternity leave has only just been introduced. KPI’s that were unattainable,” she said.
Others were more neutral, with one former employee saying she left because the culture didn’t represent her core values and she was working more than full-time hours for less than minimum wage.
“I love the industry so for me it was about finding a better employer or starting my own biz. Never looked back. It’s all about perspective”.
Former Flight Centre Employee.
With around 20,000 current employees in 23 countries, employee feedback is always going to be a mixed affair for a company of this size when it comes to putting them under the microscope.
It’s worth remembering too that the Flight Centre Travel Group has been around for 36 years, beginning in 1982. During that time the company would have probably seen the same number of people again come and go from the business as it has evolved. Which means a lot of old memories, emotion and personal stories both positive and negative.
The bottom line is that people will always have a choice in where to work and ultimately they decide if it’s for them or not. If there is foul play happening in any role, then any individual should always seek immediate legal advice from a professional.
Check out our Facebook posts below to read all of the comments and add your own.
- READ: Flight Centre comes under fire from ABC investigation
- READ: Flight Centre leader tells it like it really is to staff