Watch-Based Leave: Background, Changes and What It Means for You

This episode of Informed is aimed at operational crews on the 2-2-4 duty system. It explains the background to recent work on watch-based leave, including feedback from the 2024 Lucas staff engagement review and concerns raised about non-block leave cancellations, transfers, self-rostering, training during peak leave periods and TOIL.It walks through the key elements of the Watch-Based Leave Procedure, including annual leave, block and non-block leave, cancellation rules, TOIL, course leave, public holidays, sickness during leave, personal covers and changes between duty systems. The episode focuses on what’s changing, what remains the same, and how the procedure is intended to support fairness, clarity and operational resilience.