Only partially accurate. If I'm not doing anything at home, I'll generally work days off as each one gets me £230 net plus the flight pay. If they take another day's flights away to put me on sby, I'm still £230 up, and that will have cost the company that amount plus 40% in tax. It's the contractors who don't get any extra as they don't get "day off payments", so in their shoes I'd refuse to work days off. I'll do the 900 per year either wway, so the total flight pay will be the same, but for every day off I work, thats another £230 I wasn't expecting.
As said, though, some thing's going on because there seem to be a lot more Capts working days off, more FOs covering other bases and even Base Captains flying weekends. FOs going through the command selection and training programmes are being given all sorts of promises as to base requests, not necessarily for their original base if it's a popular one, but assurances are being made of getting their first choice of available slots and a "soon as possible" transfer to their prime desired base.
There is no doubt we're short of commanders and are losing too many eligible promotees. Sadly, cadets are two-a-penny, so I suspect they will continue to get an ever decreasing value of contracts, but I hope the shortage of command material will encourage the company to look after its senior FOs and Capts more appropriately.