While individuals take unpaid leave, you are protecting the guys at the bottom, namely the DECs
Exactly. Hiring DECs was wrong to begin with, why should we then forfeit some salary so that they can keep their job! Junior guys are already suffering a financial loss from their delayed progression due to direct entry guys. If it comes to forced unpaid leave, it will be wrong to now ask of them to make a sacrifice when DECs at the bottom of the list could simply be laid off.