Originally Posted by
Adlerdriver
I think it boils down to actual intentions. Being furloughed sucks and when I got hired after my furlough from a major, I had absolutely no intention of going back to airline #1. I resigned and they still called when the time came and I told them TBNT. That's reality. I think in the current environment of pilot shortage, it's reasonable to assume that Airline X is still going to try to get their furloughees to come back no matter what letter they send to get hired elsewhere.
If a furloughed pilot comes to FedEx with a reasonable intention of making it a career, that's all one can ask. If they decide when the time comes that their former life suits them better, then it's a business decision.
The only problem I have is with the ones who are simply using FedEx as a placeholder until they can go back to mama. If they know they have no intention of staying, that's a pretty low move. Especially because it's very likely that they will taint the waters for every furloughee who comes after them looking to make a change after they realize the value and stability a cargo career offers when faced with yet another unexpected industry challenge.
But how do you gauge intentions? We lord over the fact that we have all sorts of new hires that have come from passenger airlines. Is that bad? Should they have stayed? When hiring was going like gang busters, and pilots had their choices of airlines to pick from, you'd always hear the "I have CJOs from XXX and YYY, but I really want to work at ZZZ, what should I do?" And what advise is given 99% of the time? "Take the first job offered" and then wait until your "dream job" calls. That's what people are told. Why don't we tell them to wait at home until their absolute number one calls and then go there. Why is it okay for them to take a spot at a placeholder airline while waiting for their #1 then, but not now?
Again, the way to not have new hires leave whether furloughed or not is to have a good enough workplace that they don't want to leave.