It potentially gets some of the most expensive/least productive pilots off the list at a relatively low cost. If guys are banging in sick for half the month anyway trying to deplete that sick bank, paying them 1/2 to 2/3 their salary to just go away is a fairly minimal change in the status quo.
Combine that with a potential parked fleet or two, and the cascade of training events that are triggered during any kind of displacement, enticing the top 10% to walk could be a win-win in a downturn.