The last Pilot Get Well Programme (1997/1998ish) did not do so well. Depending upon experience levels, some Pilots were eligible for a $75000.00 bonus for signing on for another five years, some for $50000.00, and some for none. One-third of the money was to be paid immediately, and one-third on the first and second anniversaries of re-signing.
This caused several problems and irritations.
COs had Captains making more money than them over three years.
It created first-, second-, and third-class Pilots; guess how the latter two components felt.
It put takers into higher tax brackets, so it was not as generous as it seemed (spreading it out over five years did not occur the the grown-ups).
It came with a five-year restricted release period. That meant that those in the "treat-me-nicely" pensionable/almost pensionable segment of their careers could be posted to whatever crappy job or location that needed filling with no recourse.
It was, essentially, a big, fat, wet, juicy, wriggling worm on an enormous sharp, barbed hook.
Only a few who had already decided to stay in for that long no matter what happened swallowed it. The rest did not want to jeopardize their freedom.
I was eligible for the full amount, but did not take the hook - and was damned glad that I did not.
Somebody needs to study the irritants, take them seriously, and relieve them as much as possible. More money would likely help, but it has to be a real pay increase rather than bait, but the irritants have to be corrected.
Rolling Aircrew Allowance into pay would be one possible method of achieving that, rather than double-penalizing people who want to fly by sticking them into non-flying positions while simultaneously stripping them of part of their income.
This caused several problems and irritations.
COs had Captains making more money than them over three years.
It created first-, second-, and third-class Pilots; guess how the latter two components felt.
It put takers into higher tax brackets, so it was not as generous as it seemed (spreading it out over five years did not occur the the grown-ups).
It came with a five-year restricted release period. That meant that those in the "treat-me-nicely" pensionable/almost pensionable segment of their careers could be posted to whatever crappy job or location that needed filling with no recourse.
It was, essentially, a big, fat, wet, juicy, wriggling worm on an enormous sharp, barbed hook.
Only a few who had already decided to stay in for that long no matter what happened swallowed it. The rest did not want to jeopardize their freedom.
I was eligible for the full amount, but did not take the hook - and was damned glad that I did not.
Somebody needs to study the irritants, take them seriously, and relieve them as much as possible. More money would likely help, but it has to be a real pay increase rather than bait, but the irritants have to be corrected.
Rolling Aircrew Allowance into pay would be one possible method of achieving that, rather than double-penalizing people who want to fly by sticking them into non-flying positions while simultaneously stripping them of part of their income.
