ACS Ready Reserve Flexibility

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aal109

Newbie
Aug 26, 2010
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I have been hired as a DL Airport Customer Service Agent (Ready Reserve), and I was just wondering what kind of flexibility one had with the job?

I will be going to school in September full-time, and would love to continue working for DL, but am just concerned with the scheduling. My station gives RRs a line (12-18 hours). Is there a minimum one must work per month? Would it be possible for me, for example, to work lots and pick up shifts during summer/vacations and work as little as possible during the fall and spring?

If I do decide to take the job and find it very difficult to balance school and work and I decide to quit during my probationary period (5 months in) or right after 6 months of employment, might that jeopardize my shot at working for DL in the future? I would like to work as an analyst, etc. after graduating, but don't want to not be able to get a job because I quit during my probationary period.
 
aal109 said:
I have been hired as a DL Airport Customer Service Agent (Ready Reserve), and I was just wondering what kind of flexibility one had with the job?

I will be going to school in September full-time, and would love to continue working for DL, but am just concerned with the scheduling. My station gives RRs a line (12-18 hours). Is there a minimum one must work per month? Would it be possible for me, for example, to work lots and pick up shifts during summer/vacations and work as little as possible during the fall and spring?

If I do decide to take the job and find it very difficult to balance school and work and I decide to quit during my probationary period (5 months in) or right after 6 months of employment, might that jeopardize my shot at working for DL in the future? I would like to work as an analyst, etc. after graduating, but don't want to not be able to get a job because I quit during my probationary period.
Click to expand...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At-will_employment
 
The minimum is 300 hrs. annually (I think), and the max is 1300. Every station is different, with some working RR's 25/hrs. week all year, and others increasing/decreasing hours depending on travel demand. Luckily for you, demand usually falls off after labor day, so if you want less hours, that'll probably work. Or, you can offer to work weekends/nights/whatever that won't conflict with school.

If you quit, I can't imagine it helping your cause down the road.
 
I would say it won't hurt your cause if you have to quit down the road and you give sufficient notice and make it clear w/ your STM if you have problems w/ the schedule that is the reason. I believe DL does an exit interview for all employees and there is a place asking whether the person could be rehired.... unless there are issues that can't be resolved or if you refuse to work hours provided even after they are explained by the STM/supervision, I don't think you will have problems.

Having some history w/ DL can help you when you want to get a "better" job where competition is tougher...

I would say go w/ it but do your best job and be honest w/ supervision if you see schedule problems....
 
Kev3188 said:
The minimum is 300 hrs. annually (I think), and the max is 1300. Every station is different, with some working RR's 25/hrs. week all year, and others increasing/decreasing hours depending on travel demand. Luckily for you, demand usually falls off after labor day, so if you want less hours, that'll probably work. Or, you can offer to work weekends/nights/whatever that won't conflict with school.

If you quit, I can't imagine it helping your cause down the road.
Click to expand...
What is the min hours I could be sheduled to get my flight bens back?
 
Did you tell DL during your interview(s) that you would be a full-time student starting in September? If so, then for now you can assume that they understand the need to work around your school schedule--though, I might add that is a dangerous assumption. Sometimes companies are as selectively deaf as passengers--hearing only what they want to hear.

If you did not tell DL of your plan to attend school full-time, then I would not suggest that you spring this information on them and then inform them that they must adjust their work schedules to accomodate your school schedule. If you want to work for DL as a permanent employee, perhaps you should consider going to school part-time for a year.

Then, once you are established as a good, dependable employee, approach the company about cutting back to part-time so that you can attend school full-time to equip yourself for other jobs in the company.

I am in a represented job (union) at AA. However, it was made clear to us in training by a union representative that if we got in trouble during our probationary period, there was nothing the union could or would do to help. I would not suggest attempting to "change the rules" while you are on probation. For all you know, you have been hired to work so that another employee who has been there for some time can cut back their hours and go to school.
 
jimntx said:
it was made clear to us in training by a union representative that if we got in trouble during our probationary period, there was nothing the union could or would do to help.
Click to expand...

Excellent advice from Jim... when I started as a non-union employee, we were told more or less the same thing: during probation, you have little to no recourse.

I've heard good and bad about ready reserve... what airport is this? Some may be more reasonable than others. If you're one of 200 people on RR, your chances of getting some flexibility might be better than if you're only one of about five.

Minimum of 300 hours, maximum is somewhere between 900 and 999 hours... so anywhere from 6-18 hours a week is what you should expect. As long as it fits with your classes, that's doable, and less than what I was working when I was a full-time student working on my undergrad...
 
eolesen said:
Geez... a 25 hour schedule with no benefits? No wonder DL's costs are so low.
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There are people who are willing to work lwithout benefits.... but DL also has part-time personnel who can work less than full-time but do receive some benefits.
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DL has long used ready reserve type classifications for years... it is the level of flexibility that DL has used to be able to be flexible with the workforce during periods of changing demand. Ready reserves pretty well know their hours are the most subject to changes in seasonality and to being reduced in the event of a significant downturn in the economy.
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The original question actually might have relevance in knowing how hours might chance w/ DL's planned cuts in capacity later this year. If the station where the person is being hired is going to see an average reduction in capacity -and thus flight activity - then the hours that the person thought he would receive might not turn out to be as much now.
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It would very much be a fair question to ask how DL's planned capacity reductions might affect hours this person might receive... knowing that until the flight schedule is published - and it hasn't been since DL's capacity for the fall is largely unchanged - local mgmt won't be able to say w/ any certainty how or even if their station staffing will be reduced. But in the event the STM has received some preliminary information and is willing to answer a direct question, it is worth answering....
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Although employees are probationary at most companies, there is nothing that says you can't discuss your needs w/ your local mgmt... if they tell you need to work X number of hours at a certain time, you will have problems but you will not have problems by raising the question.
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There is no need to hide behind silence in fear of expressing your needs or asking your questions.
 
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Well it looks like at my station all the RRs got 35-hour schedules, working 5 days a week... It looks like I'm not going to be able to go to school and work RR, but I will absolutely stay through the summer and then leave. I can only hope that leaving towards the end of my probationary period won't preclude any future employment with DL!
 
aal109 said:
Well it looks like at my station all the RRs got 35-hour schedules, working 5 days a week... It looks like I'm not going to be able to go to school and work RR, but I will absolutely stay through the summer and then leave. I can only hope that leaving towards the end of my probationary period won't preclude any future employment with DL!
Click to expand...
Hit the road kid. There are a thousand more just like you that will work for peanuts to get some flight bens. So at 35 hours, 5 days a week, does this qualify them for health and other bens? What is the cut off for medical?
 
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