In a previous life, loads may not have been that high. I think the sentiment that buddy passes are worthless, comes from the uptick in load factor the past few years. Years ago when I first got pass travel, you could always find an open seat- not today.
On the active employee's priority, it is often very hard to get anywhere. Most commutes are in the jumpseat for me. A buddy pass would be hard unless it's very flexible. Also, it's near impossible if you need to transit a hub like ATL in the summer.
Buddy passes are also very expensive on Delta now. Florida tickets are routinely cheaper to purchase in advance.
But everybody is entitled to their opinion.