It all sounds very much like several years ago when they introduced the Carmen rostering software and then sat back for months not bothering to fix it, having set the software up incorrectly (they blamed the software, but the fault was how it was configured). Fatigue was a massive problem back then, so much so that the CAA were following about 100 roster patterns in a quiet study (including mine, as it turned out - I found that out from the Flt Safety office when my doctor grounded me for three weeks for fatigue).
The way I see it, with the legacy airlines specifically targeting EZY and RYR senior FOs and Capts, the fatigue levels and the unstable rosters, there is no way EZY will be able to recruit at a pace to match the departures. Let's not forget that it takes upto six months to recruit experienced crews from another company and get them on line, but only three months for them to leave.
They are already well behind on pilot numbers, and with that creating the rostering and fatigue problems, conditions will continue to deteriorate and force exponentially more pilots to leave as time progresses. I think they're going to have to come up with some fairly impressive incentives to stop the resignations. RYR have the same problem, though to a much lesser extent, with a small shortage of promotion eligible FOs, but with quite a few already leaving to EK and more talking about it. RYR are keeping their 100% fixed patterns (no reserve/random months), which is at least one reason for many fence-sitters to stay, but if they're facing shortages, then EZY looks like it's facing a crisis.
I really hope they can sort it out, because it has the potential to cripple or even sink the company, which would obviously be bad not only for the employees and punters, but for terms and conditions elsewhere as a flood of experienced crew hit the jobs market again. Well constructed rosters will benefit the company by achieving 900 hours per year from each pilot while ensuring a fixed pattern to minimise fatigue and illness, thus reducing the number of standby crew needed, and with the spin off of increased quality of life and morale for the pilots. It's a zero-cost, high benefit issue. If RYR can recognise that, then what the hell is wrong with the EZY managers?