BA reported to be 'offering' unpaid leave to IT employees
Jun 27, 2016, 7:17 am
#1
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BA reported to be 'offering' unpaid leave to IT employees
Jun 27, 2016, 7:55 am
#5
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If you keep slicing a salami relentlessly, you eventually cut your fingers off.
I am wondering what BA's core competencies are these days. It doesn't seem to be ground handling of air passengers (mostly outsourced), in-person passenger services on the ground (mostly outsourced), technology excellence (outsourcing on the way), in-flight product excellence (see this forum, passim, and I expect them to try Ryanair-style agency contracts for MF crew in future to externalise cost and risk there). It only remains to say that they maintain aircraft, fly aircraft between airports, and manage a portfolio of landing slots at Heathrow. The first is also quite easy to outsource.
Jun 27, 2016, 8:06 am
#6
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I wish more companies did this. BA does not pay a lot, so I can't see so much of a rush, but already BA does get some undeserved brownie points by offering unpaid leave to staff - this has actually been going on for years, and every so often they have a bit of a push. For those with family care problems, educational, non work, volunteer related issues (and a healthy bank balance) this sort of thing makes a huge and positive difference. It also helps the UK Reservists to be deployed beyond their Minimum Time Commitment - not such an issue at this precise moment - but we live in an uncertain world. Reservists are paid when that happens.
The only thing new about this is that the company tends to push when the cash flow is low, not when flights are being cancelled due to lack of crew AND they are recruiting like there's no tomorrow.
The only thing new about this is that the company tends to push when the cash flow is low, not when flights are being cancelled due to lack of crew AND they are recruiting like there's no tomorrow.
Jun 27, 2016, 8:09 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2015
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Taking it way back to the darker days. Worst things are to come.
This is a toxic mix. There's only so much they can do before people will start turning there backs internally and externally.
It's just plain sad....
This is a toxic mix. There's only so much they can do before people will start turning there backs internally and externally.
It's just plain sad....
Jun 27, 2016, 8:12 am
#8
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I see two dangers to staff in this:
1) Managers are being told any unpaid leave cannot increase costs and should not impact productivity. Therefore, the staff who don't take up the offer will pick have to pick up the slack. As one of my former employers liked saying: "We need to do more for less".
2) More seriously, it'd be extremely naive for staff to think that, once unpaid leave has taken place, and BA determines that the savings made have outweighed any productivity losses, that BA won't decide that there's fat to be trimmed in those teams and staff budgets cut accordingly...
1) Managers are being told any unpaid leave cannot increase costs and should not impact productivity. Therefore, the staff who don't take up the offer will pick have to pick up the slack. As one of my former employers liked saying: "We need to do more for less".
2) More seriously, it'd be extremely naive for staff to think that, once unpaid leave has taken place, and BA determines that the savings made have outweighed any productivity losses, that BA won't decide that there's fat to be trimmed in those teams and staff budgets cut accordingly...
Jun 27, 2016, 8:13 am
#9
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However here, when BA is under operational stress, is more absence really a good thing, even if it is not directly crew being offered this? That was where I was coming from.
Jun 27, 2016, 8:15 am
#10
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I see two dangers to this:
1) Managers are being told any unpaid leave cannot increase costs and should not impact productivity. Therefore, the staff who don't take up the offer will pick have to pick up the slack. As one of my former employers liked saying: "We need to do more for less".
2) More seriously, it'd be extremely naive for staff to think that, once unpaid leave has taken place, and BA measure any productivity loss against savings made, that BA decide that there's obviously fat to be trimmed in those teams...
1) Managers are being told any unpaid leave cannot increase costs and should not impact productivity. Therefore, the staff who don't take up the offer will pick have to pick up the slack. As one of my former employers liked saying: "We need to do more for less".
2) More seriously, it'd be extremely naive for staff to think that, once unpaid leave has taken place, and BA measure any productivity loss against savings made, that BA decide that there's obviously fat to be trimmed in those teams...
And in point 1 they have to pick up the slack in their current working hours. So then you end up with mistakes being made because people rush, and quality declines further.
Jun 27, 2016, 8:25 am
#11
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On one hand, I can understand that some staff might wish to take advantage of these options.
However ... the concept is predicated on there being 'slack' in the system. I think we all have a view on how well-resourced BA can appear at times, especially when calling BAEC! So, if these 'tactical staff savings' can be absorbed, it would seem to me that that job is highly likely to disappear in short order!
"Yes, I'll take a month's unpaid leave because I don't really have a lot to do anyway"
However ... the concept is predicated on there being 'slack' in the system. I think we all have a view on how well-resourced BA can appear at times, especially when calling BAEC! So, if these 'tactical staff savings' can be absorbed, it would seem to me that that job is highly likely to disappear in short order!
"Yes, I'll take a month's unpaid leave because I don't really have a lot to do anyway"
Jun 27, 2016, 9:35 am
#12
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Whilst clearly motivated by a drive to reduce costs, this might work out well for some people. Indeed, lots of employers these days offer staff the opportunity to 'buy' an extra week or two's leave - this is really the same concept.
There have certainly been the occasional years when the opportunity to top up my annual leave by a couple of days would have been welcomed. That said, for the reasons that T8191 says, I would not be rushing to indulge heavily...
There have certainly been the occasional years when the opportunity to top up my annual leave by a couple of days would have been welcomed. That said, for the reasons that T8191 says, I would not be rushing to indulge heavily...
Jun 27, 2016, 10:40 am
#13
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See also >>>> http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...-ba-error.html
Jun 27, 2016, 3:03 pm
#15
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