Mighty Gem
If you work any day other than those you are rostered too you "bank" that day and can take it off later subject to agreement with the roster dept this system has been termed "trading days" and you can build up a bank of days or go into debit and string these days together along with your normally rostered off days to give you three weeks off, and although the 182 day roster includes all you leave entitlement you will still be given a summer and winter leave booking option which will allow you to book ahead what days (that you would have otherwise been rostered on duty) you want to take as leave and then pick out days on the published roster where you would PAY BACK those extra days you have either took of or will be taking off.
The prime concept behind the trading days is that the company can call forwards spare capacity and give those days back (mutually agreed) later without incuring overtime payments, thus saving the company a small fortune, the benifit to the pilots are that if we volunteer to work those days we can have them back later when it suits thus giving us choice and planability.
I hope that this makes sense to you but if you need any more info then please let me know as this roster has given the pilots a work life balance that is paying dividends for both parties, moral has improved beyond all recognition and it's recruitment potential is proving itself.