In an H24 roster system there are periods when less than the maximum permitted staff are on leave. If not rostered for other duties/training etc., this staff is superflous to requirements. As long as all required positions remain occupied/covered as per the Operational Requirement, I think LCs and EGs should be accepted (by management) as a worthy perk of the job. It makes up for all the stress throughout the rest of the year.
I've noticed at my unit that since management has imposed stricter rules and less flexibility, voluntary co-operation from the staff is almost non-existant. The end result is that it's actually costing them (management) more, and thus they are not achieving their cost effective ambitions!