Standby Guard - in work or not?

[jack brew]

(Waddo guard = 1 week of days, 1 week standby, 1 week nights, 1 week standby. Also you must remain within 1 hour of the base at all times.)

Some sections allow their personnel to have the time off work as they are on standby guard. I guess they are on duty even though it's standby. You could argue that they would not focus on the job at hand if they were in work and on call. Some sections though expect people to come in to work as normal.

Which is right?

Also......

The question was raised on our spiffy station commanders' forum: if this was legal? It is after all a month of solid duty.

What if where you're based is too far from your very young child at home to commute from? This happened to a bloke I was on guard with, and his attitude was they'd have to charge him to stop him seeing his daughter for a month.

To the floor...

 

[Sospan]

Just a little add on to this, if somebody does Standby Guard over Xmas should they have to submit a leave pass for the Grant ?

 

[tommo9999]

It's the Air Force, not the Fair Force. You can moan all you like but the rules are the rules. If they tell you to stay within 1 hour from the camp, that's what you should do.

 

[jack brew]

It's the Air Force, not the Fair Force.

Should have expected that line!!

You can moan all you like but the rules are the rules. If they tell you to stay within 1 hour from the camp, that's what you should do.

I'm not moaning, my guard is done! Looking for some intelligent debate DT_Xtremez_19:

 

[monobrow]

Just a little add on to this, if somebody does Standby Guard over Xmas should they have to submit a leave pass for the Grant ?

Should they? I've came across a similar attitude at me place of work when one of the lads was on duty over the Xmas stand down. Why should he put in leave when on duty? Even if it is on call, you are still on duty so you should have a "carried over" stand down instead of f*cking with peoples leave.

 

[tommo9999]

I'm not moaning, my guard is done! Looking for some intelligent debate DT_Xtremez_19:

The RAF is exempt from the normal working hour regulations (UK and EU) and can therefore tell you what to do and when. Working for 1 month is fairly common at quite a few camps (Lots do guard/working party type stuff in your first month). The point about being 1 hr from camp is simple I know, but was not meant to demean your argument; but it still stands, they make the rules I'm afraid.

 

[Tashy_Man]

Just a little add on to this, if somebody does Standby Guard over Xmas should they have to submit a leave pass for the Grant ?

In my eyes no they are on duty....submit a leave pass at the end for stand-down in lou of grant.......always how it worked in my time.

Crack on...................DT_Xtremez_09:

 

[FOMz]

The way I look at it, if you're on standby you are STILL on guard and as such should not be in work. I have seen it before where someone was in work and then called in to do Guard on nights - not good.

 

[tats]

Slightly Off Topic but I was wondering about guard when in training as I'm guessing recruits don't get any time off in leu. Does anyone know how many we're likely to do and are we likely to be doing 42 hrs straight (going by the average day and then an overnight guard)?

 

[Sospan]

Slightly Off Topic but I was wondering about guard when in training as I'm guessing recruits don't get any time off in leu. Does anyone know how many we're likely to do and are we likely to be doing 42 hrs straight (going by the average day and then an overnight guard)?

If you are required to do Guard whilst in training, normal protocol is 1 week of 12 hour days or nights starting on either a Fri or sat. You will be given 12 hours off before your first day and a Minimum of 24 hours off before your first night shift. Then back to work the following Monday.

 

[Tashy_Man]

Slightly Off Topic but I was wondering about guard when in training as I'm guessing recruits don't get any time off in leu. Does anyone know how many we're likely to do and are we likely to be doing 42 hrs straight (going by the average day and then an overnight guard)?

You should NEVER do 42 hours straight in training or real life....if it happens complain ! end of

I know as a trainee it might get you a bad rep but no-one should be doing that many hours !!!

Crack on..................DT_Xtremez_09:

 

[rest have risen above me]

(Waddo guard = 1 week of days, 1 week standby, 1 week nights, 1 week standby. Also you must remain within 1 hour of the base at all times.)

Some sections allow their personnel to have the time off work as they are on standby guard. I guess they are on duty even though it's standby. You could argue that they would not focus on the job at hand if they were in work and on call. Some sections though expect people to come in to work as normal.

Which is right?

Also......

The question was raised on our spiffy station commanders' forum: if this was legal? It is after all a month of solid duty.

What if where you're based is too far from your very young child at home to commute from? This happened to a bloke I was on guard with, and his attitude was they'd have to charge him to stop him seeing his daughter for a month.
To the floor...

What about the three month or longer OOA's would he refuse to do them as well? A bit pedantic as most places would use common sense. As for working whilst on Standby then it has to be yes. We're strapped as it is, if you add twice the guard force to the manpower drain we'd just stop. Standby guard is just what it says and is a crisis measure until a situation is clarified and a proper roster worked out. (And come on the Air Force has a proven record in crisis management....we're good at it we've been doing it for years)

 

[Tubby]

just out side swindon we come in now on standby, operational neccessity apparently, how cleaning the hangar for the two weeks of my standby is so neccesary i'll never know. supposed to use it for x500 but know body has yet and probably never will, just another fcuk about we have to live with. not to happy but could be worse, could be the swo's bitch for those two weeks instead, rather prop up the t-bar thanks

 

[CodeMonkey]

(Waddo guard = 1 week of days, 1 week standby, 1 week nights, 1 week standby. Also you must remain within 1 hour of the base at all times.)

Some sections allow their personnel to have the time off work as they are on standby guard. I guess they are on duty even though it's standby. You could argue that they would not focus on the job at hand if they were in work and on call. Some sections though expect people to come in to work as normal.

Which is right?

Also......

The question was raised on our spiffy station commanders' forum: if this was legal? It is after all a month of solid duty.

What if where you're based is too far from your very young child at home to commute from? This happened to a bloke I was on guard with, and his attitude was they'd have to charge him to stop him seeing his daughter for a month.

To the floor...

Did mine back in june, was in work while on standby,

As for distance from unit, i think it was 2 hours from unit.

I think it really does depend on your section, training monday/tues in work wed/thur str in fri.

 

[tats]

You should NEVER do 42 hours straight in training or real life....if it happens complain ! end of

I know as a trainee it might get you a bad rep but no-one should be doing that many hours !!!

Crack on..................DT_Xtremez_09:

Thanks Tashy and Sospan. The 42 hours thing was just me guessing as I've been told our average days will be 5am - 11pm and I was including the overnight hours being used as guard so it would have been 2 days straight. It wasn't something I expected to be allowed but wanted to check.

So if I did guard it'd be a weekend thing? As going by what they were saying when I went up if we miss things we'll end up re-flighted.

 

[Sospan]

Thanks Tashy and Sospan. The 42 hours thing was just me guessing as I've been told our average days will be 5am - 11pm and I was including the overnight hours being used as guard so it would have been 2 days straight. It wasn't something I expected to be allowed but wanted to check.

So if I did guard it'd be a weekend thing? As going by what they were saying when I went up if we miss things we'll end up re-flighted.

If you did guard you would be taken out of the training cycle, guard would likely last for 7 consecutive 12 hour shifts. The only reason you would do guard duties at Halton would be if after your initial training you stayed there for a holding period. So in short, basic trainees at Halton will not be required to do guard. Hope this helps.....

 

[Tubby]

tats trainees tend to do gaurd durings organised breaks in training if in phase two training or whilst on holding flight after phase one. for every one else its pot luck, typically every 12 months but depends on unit manpower and rank.

as sospan already saidDT_Xtremez_42:

 

[jack brew]

What about the three month or longer OOA's would he refuse to do them as well? A bit pedantic as most places would use common sense.

But for an OOA you're resigned to the fact you're away. There is no chance that you'll see your kid(s).

Guard is different; you know it would be possible to see the kid(s) but inflexible management (or your work) won't make it easy. The rules- made by someone that has never done guard!?

I've wandered a bit in the last line but I think I've got my point across...

 

[busby1971]

Leave n Standby

Leave n Standby

If you are on standby you are on duty, you cannot drink, you may have to check in you will certainly have to be within a certain distance/time from your unit.

If you are on leave you are free to do what you want, have a drink, pop up to northern scotland, down cornwall or even abroad.

If restrictions are placed on you are not on leave, but at the end of the day it comes down to your line manager and your appetite for an arguement/discussion on the matter.

Must disagree with Thommo, although the laws regarding working hours and that kinda **** do not apply to us forces types, try having have a crash on your way home after a months solid, or even a 72 hour week, work and see what comeback you would have.

 

[mild mannered janitor]

slightly Off Topic mrs mmj recently did a day shift opening up at 0630 was then called on standby crash guard at 1630 worked 27 straight hours with no sleep followed by six days of 14 hour shifts (tavelling time included) and not a single complaint DT_Xtremez_28:
that's her job she just got on with it
we all get a bum deal now and again but in the end its's what you signed up for we simply don't follow the normal rules of civilians.