lots of guys are being asked to work days off, otherwise the standby cover is too thin - i can only assume due to people leaving in greater than expected numbers
its a neat trick whereby pilot A is asked to work a day off and thinks oh good extra dosh. Pilot B who was originally rostered that flight as part of his normal work pattern is put on standby. then they do the same thing in reverse. both pilots may think they're gaining, if they havent thought it through. but they're actually both losing and the cost to the company is zero. i suppose this allows you to generate standby cover in any quantity required, meaning you can operate the same schedule, robustly, with fewer pilots and save ££££. if you think about it - there isn't much incentive to work days off.