Well now that we've all vented our spline at each other, I believe the original thread was Pilot imput into rosters.
These I have found to be very hard to make work. Meetings are held, views expressed, lots of nodding by both Pilots & Management, agreement reach meeting end.
However, when these local agreements are implemented by rostering, who try to follow the glide lines, not enough crews is normally the outcome. Report back to management, first thing out the door, forget the agreements, get the flights rostered. Roster issued, loads of 'pissed off' pilots complaining about the local agreements they thought they had.
There is far too much commercial pressures for reasonable and socialable rosters to be produced. Too much envisome is put on rostering to the minimum requirements of 371.
Somehow senior management have to realise that the minimum is just that and should not be used as the brench mark for standard practices.
If those that have to deal with the aircrew were listened to, and we were allowed to roster to how any half decent rosterer would prefer, there wouldn't actually be a need for a committee, rosters would be sensible. But then how often is 'sensible' used when dealing with senior management!
Computers do make life easier, at least a decent system does, ensure everything & everyone is legal. With legal, additionally read safe. Only the operating crew know how safe they feel. If a crew member doesn't wish to undertake any duty offered to them, I personally accept their decision, unless it relates to a specific cap371 rule that has been mis-interpretated.
Lets all be honest here, company's will never recruit the correct number of aircrew to offer quality of life above or beyond the minimum requirement. So all us crewing folks can do is attempt to make the best of a bad decision.