'Go the extra mile' | By asking staff to work through fatigue, CEO reveals a tired attitude towards burnout

An airline chief is facing a backlash after calling on employees to work through fatigue so the business can avoid 'reputational and financial' damage.

In a video message to staff, Wizz Air chief executive Jozsef Varadi encouraged staff to go "the extra mile" when tired, so that the firm could avoid cancelling flights. Chaotic scenes have unfolded at airports in recent weeks as staff shortages resulted in hours-long queues of travellers and flights being delayed and/or cancelled en masse.

In a bid to minimise the impact for Wizz Air, Varadi told workers: "Now that everyone is getting back into work, I understand that fatigue is a potential outcome of the issues but once we are starting stabilising the rosters, we also need to take down the fatigue rate.

"I mean, we cannot run this business when every fifth person of a base reports sickness because the person is fatigued. We are all fatigued but sometimes it is required to take the extra mile."