back to article BA 'offers' IT bods extra leave, flexible working - unpaid of course

British Airways bosses were this week told to ask staff to "volunteer" to take unpaid leave, as the sorry cost cutting saga enveloping British Airways rumbled on. This includes all BA employees, not just the fleet of techies working at the company, and is in addition to redundancies already confirmed in the last month. “As we …

  1. TRT Silver badge

    I'm sure the bosses...

    could afford to take a few months off unpaid.

    1. MrDamage Silver badge

      Re: I'm sure the bosses...

      And I'm sure all of the nice healthy bonuses the execs get for achieving the cost cutting can be voluntarily returned to BA as well.

      1. Mark 85

        Re: I'm sure the bosses...

        Well... it's not like BA was loosing money. Profits were pretty good. I guess the bigwigs want a bigger bonus for returning more shareholder value next year.

  2. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    "a job cutting programme that has involved nearly half the app delivery team being put at risk of redundancy, support staff leaving the organisation and staff in the network group departing"

    Just make sure the techs fixing the airplanes are still there, well paid and fully staffed. Get rid of everyone else if you want, but make sure those guys stay on to the end.

    If I can't have a drink because there isn't anything to drink because not enough personnel to handle the process, I'll be unhappy. If the plane crashes because not enough techs or parts to do proper maintenance, well unhappy doesn't even begin to cover it.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      @Pascal

      What do you mean?

      Didn't you know that BA has already outsourced their maintenance to third party provides so that your maintenance isn't being done by employees... ;-)

  3. Mike Lewis

    I can see it now

    "Help desk."

    "Have you tried turning it off then on again?"

    "What is your current altitude?"

    "Yes sir, that's more than enough time to..."

    "Upgrading operating system? Let me pass you on to Tier 2."

  4. Wolfclaw

    Save £91m in the UK, pay out even more when it all goes wrong in India !

  5. David Roberts

    Have to redo the sums.

    Now the pound is down far enough to make it more attractive for Tata to retain the UK steel operation any outsourcing deal needs costing again.

    New business in cheap offshoring of EU IT?

  6. Winkypop Silver badge

    Check in staff too

    Checked in at a major UK airport last week with BA.

    One (1) check in person on duty for all BA flights.

    One.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Easy

    Give upper management a year off without pay.

    Problem solved.

    1. Oengus

      Re: Easy

      Give upper management a year the rest of their life off without pay.

      FTFY

  8. RonWheeler

    Personally I'd welcome it

    Middle aged and done my time paying the mortgage - in the lucky position where time is worth more to me now than money. There is always a balance though, and not everyone is in the same position. Suspect some of this won't be voluntary in the context....

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    take unpaid leave

    hal-measure wimps! Trump would tell them to DEMAND that workes take upaid overtime (and regular time)! :)

  10. dinsdale54

    done before

    They did this in the early 00's recession. A relative used it to take 3 months off and travel the world with his family - with cheap BA flights of course. It's a pragmatic way to save money in the short term, but not a long term solution

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Yep that'll work

    Outsource to TCS and watch the savings roll in... Just like it happened for us... Erm...red numbers are good right ?

  12. John Tserkezis

    Stop paying employees.

    Out source.

    Profit!

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The company has contracted Tata Consultancy Services

    I thought they were trying to cut costs?

    Yes they'll get 2-3 times as many people for the same money, but productivity and quality will be in the toilet!

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Be wary

    Be aware. They offer unpaid leave and when you take up the offer, in the belief that you are helping out the company, they will then assess whether you are actually missed. If 10% of the workforce take up the offer and the other 90% provide cover, then management often see this as the new norm. Personally, I think that he earlier comments are unfortunately correct. BA profits will be higher than last year (and last year was very good), indicating that the real motive is attaining targets to trigger bonuses. To place the above cost savings in perspective, bear in mind that Willie Walsh's package last year was over £5million.

  15. Melanie Winiger

    TCS code?

    What is going on at BA?

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3679168/Chaos-Heathrow-computer-glitch-new-BA-causes-massive-queues-forces-furious-holidaymakers-miss-flights.html

    WHO loaded that code just before the busiest weekend of the year?

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