Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Ways my company is saving money....

I bet you they're not taking down the "Your mother doesn't work here" signs, either.

My dad's company just got rid of paid vacation. You want time off, go ahead, but no pay for you!

Ouch. That's a harsh one. So far my workplace hasn't made any noticeable steps toward saving money. The annual increase wasn't as large as previous years, but otherwise, there hasn't been anything, and we're still doing our expansions.

That's a new one on me. So for those with that particular company they now have to save at least 4% of every paycheck to get 2 weeks vacation a year, 6% for 3 weeks etc.

Our labour code in Canada states employers have to pay for 2 weeks vacation a year.

So unless you are self employed, ie. a consultant under contract or own your own company, you are set for at least 2 weeks. IIRC, after 5 yrs with the company you then get 3 weeks paid.

Wow, I took for granted that the US would have had similar legislation. Maybe we should add that to the "Why Canada is Great" thread.

Here’s how my company saves money.

We’ve had a fuel savings initiative for some time where we pull most things off the aircraft if they aren’t need for a specific mission so they aren’t carrying the extra weight and thus burning extra fuel (chubby pilots seem exempt) . Some of these things even include 3lb foam pads and much to the chagrin of the aircrews all the parachutes since It’s been deemed unlikely they would ever need to air egress on a local training mission.

So now that you are all thinking my company, your (Yankee) government, is looking out for how it spends your hard earned tax dollars, well here’s the rub.

While in Guam we fly 2 tankers to Hawaii to support a B2 bomber doing a 2 minute Pearl Harbor Day flyover (2 more nights in the Waikiki Outrigger for me…). That burns about 80k…wait 2 tankers that’s 160k…oops had to fly back 320k pounds (about 47,700 gallons) of fuel (…and did I mention the Outrigger is on Waikiki the beach…). We launch one aircraft to refuel the B2s while we stand by with the other sitting ‘hot alert” (engines running on the ground) until we get word the B2 got it’s gas (…and the rooms were paid for plus $120/day for meals, or beer at Dukes).

I roughly estimate the cost of this was only $150,000 for our mission, not sure what flying the B2 cost. Well, a small price for a little patriotism I say. The really neat part was that while we sat there with our tanker’s engines idling we were marveling at how cool the jet-black intake covers of the 8 Hawaii Air National Guard tankers sitting over on the next ramp looked, and wondering why they didn’t fly the mission since they were already there.

Just gives me a warm and fuzzy every time I throw that 3lb foam pad back up on the aircraft because they happen to need if for today.

Climbs off soapbox,
Dean

P.S. Yes I did ask. It was an active duty mission and since there were active duty aircraft (us) available they won’t ask for National Guard help. Never mind we were a guard unit only temporarily deployed on active duty.

P.P.S I’ve seen a lot of RCAF tankers around here lately…are you guys up to something?

I assume the RCAF tankers are filling up on cheaper US gas.

Good one!