LAYOFFS....WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

[EROCK1313]

So with today's economy, it seems everyone knows someone who is Laid Off or affected by layoffs. Today, my work was no exception and added to that list. Although we knew this was coming, we did not know who it would affect and when until it actually happened.

I, like everyone else; thought for sure I would be standing in that seemingly ever growing line of "Pink Slips." Though uneasy about it for the last couple of weeks due to the upcoming Holidays etc, I finally came to terms with it last night and started to realize how this could actually be a good thing.

As I contemplated what I would do, I decided that if this "Life Happens" (to quote that Country song), I would take some "Me" time and reflect on my strategy and use the rest of this week to go relax my brain and chase Muleys on "The Front" with my Bow.

I awoke this morning with a great calm and anticipation despite what may be my fate.

As it so happens, I was not Laid Off and now I am here at work earning a paycheck instead of a Good Buck. This got me thinking...

....How many of you MONSTER MULEYS fanatics, would swallow that hard pill of layoffs and as soon as you left the office with your newly acquired "Free" time; throw on some Camo and do just what I planned on doing....GO HUNTIN??


?-Erick-> ?

 

[deadibob]

Can you ask your boss to reconsider? I hear they extended unemployment. Nothing ruins hunting season like a good job.

 

[swbuckmaster]

If I was a single guy with no kids I would just hunt. Sense I am not It would stress be to no end not having a Yob! Id have to find another one and the deer would get a free pass for that year.
Unemployment wont pay the bills!

Archery is a year round commitment!!

 

[WapitiBob]

I have worked about 8 weeks in the last year. It's great in September. Wife works only 22 hours/week and got her pay docked 10%. That's pretty awesome too.

Sleep in, go fishin or huntin whenever you want. Go home early.
You get to do all the cool stuff while you bleed out.

 

[Ed]

Well, having been there it's cool for about the first four weeks. When the weeks turn to months and your savings dwindle you start getting a little stressed. When the months get close to a year you start to panic. It makes you and your family realize whats important. Hunting doesn't even make the list IMO. Good luck.

 

[JamesM]

For me when I was laid off I was not excited at all not only did my stress go threw the roof my pride was taken down a level or two. I love hunting dont get me wrong but for me it doesnt pay my bills. It took me almost four months to get a job and it wasnt easy.

 

[Triple_BB]

I got the ax several years ago the first week of Feb. I applied for a position and had a job offer by the end of Feb. Problem was, I had already planned to snow goose hunt most of March with my new free time. My future employer seemed a bit perturbed when I advised I wouldn't be available until the end of March. We compromised on starting the third week of March. I hunted almost every day until I started work. It was my best spring snow goose hunting season ever. Looking forward to early retirement in a few years to be able to enjoy life and spend more time in the field and less time answering to whitey...

 

[eelgrass]

I guess it all depends on where you are in life. When I was younger I worked in the woods logging. I looked forward every year to being laid off all winter. After I got married, bought a house and had a kid, I had to find something more steady. Now that the kid is gone and the house is paid off, if I got laid off, it would be no big deal. I could still put money in the bank on unemployment. I have a wonderful wife who always managed the money so we had some left over.

I really feel bad for all the people out there who are out of work and are hurting. My prayers are with you.

Eel

Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.

 

[Anaconda]

I got canned last winter.
Right after all the hunting seasons ended.
The thing that upset me the most was if it had happened a few months earlier, I could have gone hunting !
Now I have a new (better) job, but as the "new guy" I have no vacation till next spring.
Next year, 1 week. ( I had three weeks at the last job).
Do I spend my one and only week off next year hunting elk or Muleys, out-of-state, or take my family to Disneyland, or some other "family friendly", non hunting trip ?

 

[critterstalker]

I got layed off in august best thing ever started archery antelope the 15 of august and haven't stopped since but I have a sugar mama other wise I'd have to take a job at burger king or something similar for less than what my unemployment pays

 

[BLooDTRaCKeR]

I work for Kelloggs and they seem to be doing ok. However, because of the current situation with the economy, having so many people with degrees laid off from other companies, Kellogg is taking advantage of this by evaluating plant employees at every level and knocking off the ones with no degrees or little experience and replacing them with "job thirsty" folks that have the degrees to fill the positions. They are getting higher quality people through this recession and they are also using the recession as leverage to get more work out of us for the same amount of money. Most of us mechanics can't stand the way they are going by adding more and more to our plate each week. But what do you do? Quit? and end up standing in the unemployment line? Hunting is by far my favorite thing to do but I will only hunt if I can afford it and the needs of my family are met, this means having a job to take care of their needs.

 

[Longbow6360]

Damn I'm lucky! I work as a mechanic for a company that makes diapers and feminine products. You know they ain't going without these things. We were installing new machines while other companies were laying off.
You never know though, They could come into the shop and say "sorry, we have to thin the herd." Then I'd go hunt the late extended hunt.


"My sickle has a boattail"
"hidden soles leave .308 holes"

 

[940jones]

A good worker can almost always find work. I hired a man a month ago and had three ppl stop and offer him a position, no degree. On the flip side, if ppl didnt get soo over extended with their life style, A lay off could be a time of relax and regroup. maybe even better yourself.

 

[AZbowhntr]

It just happened to me a couple years ago. But I was very lucky. I worked for GE and ended up with 14 months paid severance when it was all said and done. Plus 10K for education assistance. Needless to say I got a golf membership 1st, got my home inspection license 2nd, and then started worrying about marketing last. And I couldn't be more happy now if I had to be. Love working for myself.

 

[3blade]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-07-09 AT 07:03PM (MST)[p]This happened to me about 15 yrs ago. Went to work after taking a week off to go hunting and was layed off, loaded my tools, stopped by the employment office to file, then went back hunting without giving it a second thought. No big deal.

 

[manny15]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-08-09 AT 12:07PM (MST)[p]heck i'm self employed and had to lay myself off due to no bids, thank God for the wife cause shes holding down the fort, been hunting for two n half months now had to put a hold on it due to no money for gas...Chitzky

by the way can any you job holders loan me some gas money.....LoL

 

[ORsouthpaw]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-12-09 AT 11:41PM (MST)[p]Here in OR things are bad, I got laid off after 11 years with a company, It seems I worked myself out of a job. Started low on the totem and prior to being let go I reported only to the CEO. Part of my job was to help others become more self suffucient and proactive in problem solving reducing the need for an abundance of management. I guess it worked a little too well.

It was the end of June when that happened and we had a better than average summer in terms of weather so I relaxed for a bit. It was nice to get the extra time for a while but after a month I was going crazy, Luckily we were headed into hunting season. I spent almost the entire archery season chasing elk solo. I didn't connect but I did a lot of thinking and got a better appreciation of how comfortable I was living. More importantly a more intense focus on what's important.

Then I rifle hunted muleys and took my son on his first big trip with the boys which was a blast. It helped to keep my mind off of the fact that I'm not "earning" money. Unemployment helps but doesn't make up for the loss. Anyway muley hunting was over a month ago now.

Unfortunately I am still searching for a place to land and it appears based on the latest figures that we will be one of the last states to pull through this rough economy. Companies are getting busier but most will never be at their previous levels of staffing. Recession has a way of making businesses run more efficiently. If you were fortunate not to be effected by the economy you should be thankful.

 

[wackmaster]

We wouldn't have all these layoffs if every one would stop buying all this over seas junk!!!!!


When you do get laydoff go over to China and get a job that wher all that ##### in your house came from I hear thay have plenty of work!

 

[rugarm77]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-13-09 AT 07:40AM (MST)[p]Get a job with a hunting guide, work under the table for cash. At the same time collect unemployment. In between hunting with the guide do your own hunting.

Honestly everyones situation is different. I think you may have answered your question with your post. If you felt completely comfortable hunting you may not have asked for advice.

Now if you can do it then hell ya.