Continuance, the end?

[MechGov]

I hear that some, possibly many, maybe all, on “continuance” are being told that the RAF is exercising it option to revoke it with 6 months notice. People who previously believed they had 3 years plus remaining are now facing the harsh reality of leaving the Service much sooner.
To those of you facing this bombshell I hope that you are given every opportunity to maximise your resettlement and I wish you luck for the future.

[Belle and Sebastian]

There were a few 'key personnel' who were missed. However, I understand that the vast majority were told to 'go'.

[CT HOMER]

Yep,I myself was sacked yesterday exit in June. All TG1 chiefs at ISK also told by OC Eng youre fired. MRA4 trained aswell.
Gisa job anybody

[On_The_Top_Bunk]

Same at Lyneham except for ring fenced posts.

[vecvechookattack]

Sorry guys - Whats continuance?

[charliegolf]

You stay around at our whim. I'm sure there's a legalistic version.

CG

[orgASMic]

What is continuance?

Getting signed on for service beyond your normal exit date to fill a Service need. Comes about either by application by the individual or an offer from Manning to an individual.

It ceased to exist in the RAF and Army recently as one of the 'Manning levers' that get pulled when the Service needs to shed manpower.

[Wyler]

If you are approaching your nominal exit date and are asked to stay on for a further three years (for example). Quite common in a lot of Trades/Branches. I know plenty who were asked to stay on after their 55 exit point.

All, with very few exceptions, now being told to go.

[vecvechookattack]

Same or similar to FTRS (Full time reserve service) ?

[orgASMic]

No, still regular service, with all the fun and games that go with it. Full pay, pension-earning, fully deployable.

FTRS pers have varying grades of deployability and are on reduced pay scales accordingly.

[dctyke]

I left 3yrs ago after been offered it at age 55, an offer I refused. I saw far to often continuance being 'engineered' by individuals and good people not getting promoted as a result!

[LFFC]

I believe that there's a difference between officers and other ranks; the 6 month clause is only included in the other ranks' continuance terms of service.

[Rigga]

Continuance - Short Term (up to five years?) Contract with short term notice clause (max 6 months)
Created and used to fill gaps when recruiting was rubbish and PVRs were really popular. Now biting MOD on bum.

[peppermint_jam]

Sootie C/T in my place got his 6 month till P45 talk with the Stn Cdr yesterday.

I believe it's not a knee jerk across the board, if there is someone on continuance that is in a specialist post that can't be easily replaced, the management can apply to have it extended. An Arm Sgt I know got his extended for a further 18 months.

[Red Line Entry]

Rigga,

I don't think this is biting MOD on the bum at all. Having people on continuance has allowed the military to retain essential experience where otherwise gaps would have occurred. Now that the requirement is (in the main) disappearing, as either the fleet in question is reduced, or regular personnel are thrown up from other areas and can replace the individuals on continuance, the MOD has the ability to bring those contracts to an end.

While I'm not trivialising the impact for those involved, they are on contracts that explicitly state that they can be terminated at 6 months' notice from the MOD (and 3 months' notice from themselves). Far better than these options are exercised, than more Regulars get lined up for redundancy.

[Rigga]

RLE,
I respect your opinion and nice phrasing but I'll stick to my statement - implying that staff on continuance are being ditched at such a rate indicates to me that there is a 'bite' somewhere.

And I believe there is also a rush not to lose regulars for short-term contracts - whatever their 'importance'.

IMO it would be a good thing for personnel on continuance to get ready for the jump/push right now!

[Biggus]

The latest RAF manning target figure has to be reached by 2015 - not Jun 2011!

Surely, with the exception of fleets that are now about to scrapped, or not bought into service, the argument originally used for the short term retention of the people currently on continuance, i.e. their experience or specialist knowledge, holds as much today as when it was first put forward?

[lonsdale2]

Biggus

2015 may be the date announced in SDSR, but for the RAF, CAS has openly stated that April 2013 is the date to work to so that no-one is disadvantaged by the draconian changes to the redundancy scheme coming in on 1 April 2013.

[CT HOMER]

Quite happy to have been terminated, sick to back teeth of been shafted recently. How can the people in power and appraisal writers expect loyalty to the service. Screw the lot of them. I'll take my gratuity and pension and remember the good times. For all those that remain you have my sympathies and your welcome to future RAF that is if we have any aircraft left in the future that is.

[muttywhitedog]

What surprises me is that the FTRS brigade havent been given their notice yet.

But then again, my knowledge of the FTRS brigade is they are mainly deskbound commissioned types, so no surprise there.

[F3sRBest]

But then again, my knowledge of the FTRS brigade is they are mainly deskbound commissioned types, so no surprise there.

Hardly... mostly FTRS are in niche roles that require specific skills and a military uniform and it would be difficult to get that level of experience elsewhere.

[Union Jack]

Continuance, or Extended Service (EXTS) as its dark blue equivalent was known, sometimes threw up some curious anomalies.

A friend of mine discovered, all within a reasonably short space of time, that he had not been promoted from three stripes to four on his last shot, was awarded the OBE, took up what he thought was his final appointment, then was selected for EXTS and given an acting fourth stripe when this post was upgraded.

And he stayed in post long enough to qualify for the full higher pension, and the honorary higher rank on retirement.:ok:

Jack