As someone closer to the reserve rules here at CAL, I can tell you that the above statement is incorrect. A reserve CANNOT pick up open time, advertisements or anything on his/her day off.

I would never do so with people on furlough anyway.

In correction to the first part of your post, the aggressive pick up window has strict rules to follow. If there are four people on reserve and four trips, a pilot can only aggressive pick up a trip that matches the number of days of availability. In other words, if he sees a nice Seattle layover in there for a two-day trip and a four-day with a crappy Mexico City overnight and he is good for four days, said reserve CANNOT aggressive pickup the two-day.

Scheduling may, at their discretion, assign that two-day to a four-day reserve during the reserve assignment window, however. The only exception to the statement above is when a reserve is available for a 5 or 6 day stretch. That reserve CAN aggressive pick up a 4 day trip. Once the days available hits 4, a reserve can only pick up days for days.

In addition, call blocks versus available trips can become an issue. If you are on the 0300 call block, you may not be able to pick up that trip with a 1500 show because #1 unless scheduling assigns you that trip they are not going to release you (if you pick it up) to show and #2 the duty-day limit would apply. It also might screw up their lack of planning by removing you from a call block they already have covered.