Human Resources Support for Aviation

According to the National American University Aviation connects people, cultures, and businesses across every continent. It generates economic growth, facilitates international trade, and promotes tourism. With more than 1,300 airlines operating 31,717 aircraft at 3,759 airports, it’s hard to overstate the aviation industry’s impact.

When we think of Aviation most of us think about the Large Airliners taking off from huge airports across the globe but we can not forget the grassroots of aviation which is the general aviation sector (most Pilots start learning to fly these immense mechanical birds of the skies). Most General Aviation flight schools work on very tight margins due to the running costs of maintaining a fleet of aircraft and the almost prohibitive cost of fuel. Most Instructors therefore work on a “Self Employed” basis but are they really Self Employed in the eyes of the law?

The Government introduced IR35 which includes rules and guidance around what would constitute a Self Employed worker, but the main consideration to take into account for the flight schools is that the Self Employed individual must have more than one client to be truly self-employed. Falling short of this can mean that the business could be responsible for ALL tax liabilities if the contractor fails to pay such taxes.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published clear rules regarding the safety of employees and the responsibilities for the safety of passengers for instance in CAP 757  it is important that any business within the aviation sector should carry out clear and concise Health & Safety Audits and train responsible individuals to be in line with the requirements laid out in this document.

Since the Aviation industry opened up following the Covid-19 Pandemic the industry has struggled with resource and have struggled to recruit to support the demand for air travel. Employees have become a valuable asset and staff retention has to be of paramount importance. How do you retain your employees in the Aviation Sector? All employees are different and have different motivations in the workplace, some are motivated by money and other by success or recognition. How do you understand what drives your workforce? Something as simple as an employee survey should be able to highlight areas that a business can change in order to keep their employees motivated and engaged.

Altum HR and Health & Safety support have a specialised aviation team to support employers within the aviation sector with support and guidance. Should you need assistance with HR Advice both long or short term are team are poised to assist. Please call our helpline on 01925 552 333 for further advice.