WOW! This now means the pilot is going to have to fly the aircraft, something he is paid to do.
Exactly!
It is certainly not something he was hired on his ability to do, has been extensively trained to do or is encouraged to practice. Above FL 295 it is fact not allowed to even try.
Even at the line training stage all efforts are directed to teach people to fly the automatics. Manual flight is something to do "on top" if there is time and the weather/route allows. Even then it would most likely be perfect weather and just one approach from the base turn and with A/THRUST and bird on.
The world upside down but there it is.