In Germany supervisors are forced to give up their ratings. Instead of working as ATCOs and keeping track with our issues from time to time, their working hours are spent in offices with managment work. It 's a bad development, because they are the ones whose support is needed, when it comes to fighting for operational improvements. But the longer they are out, the lesser there understanding is.
Sounds similar to the current Australian structure. Some do manage to keep their endorsements as the staff shortage precludes them from being completely released from an operational line.
Others never had much of an understanding to begin with, so probably safer to keep them away from live traffic.
