The steward was supposed to be serving meals to passengers on a flight from San Francisco to London Heathrow. After the plane was searched, it was claimed that the in-flight crew manager discovered the employee dancing in a cabin toilet, allegedly after taking drugs.
How can HR manage reputational risk?
Although prevention is always better than a cure, showing remorse when an incident does happen will go a long way, explained Steve Foulger, director of organisational transformation and people services at insurance and employee benefits provider NFP.
He told HR magazine: “People are complex, and no matter how much you train someone, instil the importance of reputation and discipline in someone, vet someone and provide opportunity for wellbeing breaks, incidents can still happen. If you can show you took every reasonable opportunity to avoid the situation happening to start with, people will be forgiving. If you can show you have learned some lessons and make improvements, people will typically understand.
“Investing in training, support, wellbeing and incident management will always reduce your risks considerably. Hope is not a strategy. Doing nothing is not a strategy. When an incident does happen, no matter how much you have tried to prevent it, being calm, considered and confident in the aftermath of an incident will help a lot.”
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HR leaders should also work to prevent misinformation when managing reputational risk, added Stephen Adams, founder of leadership and workplace culture consultancy Inspiring Cultures.
Speaking to HR magazine, he said: “Internally, HR should act quickly to assess the facts, ensure policies are enforced fairly, and maintain transparent communication with staff to preserve morale. Externally, coordinated messaging from PR and HR teams should reinforce the organisation’s standards while showing a commitment to accountability and continuous improvement.
“Incidents like the one involving the BA employee are stark reminders of how personal actions can impact a brand’s reputation in the digital age. HR and leadership teams should take these moments as opportunities to reassess their culture, policies, and readiness."
The CEO of Heathrow Airport, Thomas Woldbye, also received media attention after news broke that he was asleep during a power outage at the airport in March 2025.
The BBC’s report, published last Wednesday (28 May), explained that staff attempts to alert Woldbye of the power outage failed.
Alerts known as F24 alarms were sent to Woldbye's mobile at 00:21 and 01:52 on 20 March to activate emergency procedures. The airport’s chief operating officer Javier Echave also tried to call him several times.
Read more: What can HR learn from the Slater + Gordon scandal?
When incidents do happen, HR leaders must find the right balance between managing the needs of the organisation and the wellbeing of staff, Tom Herbert, associate at law firm Collyer Bristow said.
Herbert told HR magazine: “HR leaders and senior leadership must be aware of the risk profile of the organisation through the undertaking of regular and thorough risk assessments across all areas of the business, especially where there is a high level of exposure to third parties.
“To reduce the risk of incidents occurring in the first place, companies should have robust policies and processes in place that set out the standards required by the organisation and the sanctions for certain types of behaviour.
"For example, a code of conduct, disciplinary procedure and specific policies for dealing with things like substance abuse.
"There must also be clear resolution techniques and reporting mechanisms.
"Any policies that an organisation has must be readily accessible and embedded into the company’s culture through practical and interactive training to ensure that all staff understand them and know how to comply with them. Any measures the company adopts should make it clear that everyone involved is under a duty to maintain confidentiality both internally and externally.”
British Airways told The Independent that the incident is a matter for the police.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At 9.32 am, police based at Heathrow Airport were called by cabin crew following the concern for welfare of a man on an inbound flight from San Francisco. A 41-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment once the flight had landed. Officers arrested the man after he received medical attention. He was arrested on suspicion of being unfit for duty. He has since been released under investigation."
