10 Extra Days Leave for Christmas??

[SRENNAPS]

A friend of mine (who works close to blue suits) told me earlier today that everybody in the RAF is being given an additional 10 days leave because of the commitment to the Olympics. This leave apparently has to be used over the Christmas period.

If this is true, I am very pleased for everybody and it is certainly well deserved and justified.

However, I would also be very shocked at this generosity and the cynical side of me suggests that it is either just not true or there is a twist or contortion of the truth of what is really happening.

Any comments please?

[Backwards PLT]

It isn't 10, I think 4 iirc.

[MAINJAFAD]

Wouldn't be the first time that an extra long Christmas grant has been given, same happened when the grants were scheduled by HQ STC in 1990 to save money on heating and lighting bills, the big problem for most of the RAF was Saddam Hussein had other ideas in early August (plus the switching off of the heating led to a number of burst water pipes that negated the savings in fuel oil and electricity).

Likewise heard a rumour, but seen nothing in writing.

[line unicorn]

correct it is for the olympics , although not every member of the armed forces was involved its in recognition for us all as the slack had to be taken up bye those that didnt participate in the G4 F#### up

[Stuff]

I don't have the actual wording here with me but it's something like, everyone should be given the opportunity to be absent from place of work from ceasework 14 Dec.

When you look at the detail, the way they achieve this is to use up your own individual leave allowance. Errr - thanks. Not. :mad::mad:

Backwards is right, it's more like 3-4 days of stand down.

[Uncle Ginsters]

It's a thinly veiled means of saving on bills over the festive period - Close the offices, airfields & barracks, switch off the lights and stop paying the bills...

Those in operational posts will keep working but as its out of ILA they'll gain nothing.:mad:

[BEagle]

(plus the switching off of the heating led to a number of burst water pipes that negated the savings in fuel oil and electricity).


Same in 1974! A few of us had to return to Cranwell a couple of days before the end of the extended break, only to find no heating and no hot water. I used to go out in the car to get warm and slept under a mountain of clothes and blankets in my pit.....

When they turned the heating back on, pipes burst and a lot of redecoration was required. It cost a fortune - but of course it was 'another budget'...

I resolved to save up my leave in my PVR year, so didn't take ANY additional leave over Christmas / New Year. Came in every day in blues with something to eat, then read a book, watched TV or surfed the Internet at the Flying Club. But better that than be forced to take leave when I didn't wish to!

[Dan Gerous]

We all got an extended grant back in 84 and possibly other years, (I can't remember), and the logic was always to save money on heating etc over the Xmas period. A bummer if you pulled a duty over the period though. I was a sneaky cnut, I would always volunteer for a duty over the Easter Grant, thus giving me smarty points for the doling out of duties at Xmas.

[ShyTorque]

Not to worry, Sod's law says the firemen will go on strike again over Christmas.... ;)

[NutLoose]

I was going to say postal, seems an ideal time to have it...

[seadrills]

Everyone in the RN has been given 2 days Olympic leave ..... Had mine last week,

[Willard Whyte]

Don't go in to work, don't put in for leave, just remain 'on call'.

And if work happens to be on the way to the supermarket et al, pop in and send a 'random' email as proof of attendance.

[Could be the last?]

ShyT,

It is not the Firemen going on strike......... We have just been 'scoped' to cover the Prison Guards! Seemingly they ballot for industrial action on the 18th of this month! I thought it was a great morale booster, especially as we had just been asked to find more savings with personnel!

You really couldn't make this crap up!

[Tankertrashnav]

I remember we were told we were going on a 3-day week during the power shortages of 1974 (I think). We all had plans to get on with various private projects, but of course it never happened and I note from my logbook that flying went on as usual.

Good luck with the extra 4 days leave at Christmas!

[Climebear]

Now what can I do with 4 days off in Bastion? As if that's going to happen.

As an aside, does anyone know if this is just for those in AIR Command or does it include the significant number of RAF personnel in other TLBs.

[Just This Once...]

Climebear, I wouldn't worry as most operational elements in the UK will not see a difference. The 4 days is from your own ILA, operational output must be maintained (min manning) and those who take the leave are to be contactable.

Or in other words, just like any other lead-up to Christmas but formalising the fact that the supporting elements (gym, PSF etc) will not be in work but those directly supporting ops will be.

Not sure of the point of announcing that people are free to use their ILA during Christmas, as effectively there is no change. In equal regard it is impossible for the op side of the RAF to take a break when so many are deployed - they still need supporting and there is nothing worse than being deployed at Christmas not getting an answer from the UK when needed.

[Wensleydale]

Many years ago, I was told by my flight commander that I was required to hold 6 hours readiness over the Christmas leave period should one of the deployed crews need a replacement. He was most upset when I handed in a leave cancellation form together with a new leave pass for 2 weeks later in the new year.

" You are still on leave - you just have to be contactable and get here in 6 hours", meaning that I could neither visit relatives nor have anything to drink. He could not see that I was either on leave or on duty. We eventually reached a compromise where I would hold much less readiness and had some unofficial standdown afterwards.

[downsizer]

4 extra days will be added to balances on the 1 dec....

[Just This Once...]

^^^ that was not on our brief, but welcome news if correct.

[Melchett01]

It's Land and the Army HQ chain which have the big chunk of extra standdown from cease work Fri 14 Dec to first parade Mon 7 Jan - ostensibly in recognition of the thrashing that has been 2012, but as has been mentioned, also to save on the bills. Those that don't have the leave left are to 'work from home'.

I believe the Air Cmd chain has said finish work on Fri 21 Dec but start work again on something like the 2 Jan.

The only snag with all this is managing the civilian component - you can't force them to take leave just because you want to turn all the lights off, and if you want to bring people back early, you can't force the civilian elements to come back just because you need the support.

[Stuff]

If it's standdown then why would you need to have leave left?

Pretty sure the ceasework on 14th is if you use your own leave. If there's standdown for some parts of the MOD and not others I can see that causing issues.

[Jimlad1]

Meanwhile, although all the three services are standing down, no such 'reward' has been offered to the MOD civil service who has also been working at a high tempo this year.
While in no way seeking to claim reflected glory, it is really frustrating colleagues of mine who are being told by a military chain of command that as their site is closed down for this bonus leave, they MUST take leave for the additional period from their existing leave allowance.Can you imagine the uproar if the military were told to use up leave to enable the CS to have extra time off?

Very poor management of civil staff here which is damaging civ/mil relations for no good reason.

[fabs]

Boss is 'standing down' those civil servants who work in our bit for the duration.

[Jimlad1]

But does 'standing down' mean 'dont come into work but dont take leave' or does it mean 'dont come into work, and you must take leave'.

Seems a lot of Army units are adopting the latter policy.

[cornish-stormrider]

any boss worth his salt would arrange a bod from each area to "turn up for a morning to brief any vital email"
Trans - deltree *.* on all of them
wherby giving everyone some free shopping stack time and no questions asked.

[fabs]

I think the boss is just telling them not to turn up to work but leave their contact details 'just in case'. No strings attached I think, I guess he'll deal with the Civ Ad O (or whatever they're called now) if it comes to it.

[GalleyTeapot]

I don't think I will be getting any extra time of at Xmas.

[muttywhitedog]

The 4 days extra was announced in early Aug - there have been statements about shutting down from 14 Dec - 7 Jan, but those additional days would be out of your ILA. Strangely enough, the take-up rate has been pretty low, particularly from those with kids who will still be at school until 20 Dec, and would rather have their time off when their kids are off.

The civvies where I am will not be getting stood down - they may have worked harder over the summer (debatable, as my civvy took almost all of August off for her summer holidays), but any extra hours they worked were credited back as TOIL, so in effect they didnt do any extra.

[Stuff]

Meanwhile, although all the three services are standing down, no such 'reward' has been offered to the MOD civil service who has also been working at a high tempo this year.

You've misread what has been written. There is NO STANDDOWN. Only the impression of standdown that's actually your own leave.

Civvies can get exactly the same deal - just put a leave pass in!