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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
So your company is offering a salary and healthcare and you have to do absolutely nothing? Boy did I pick the wrong career. I wouldn't even think about that for a second before I said "YES!!!!"
If you're looking for something to do, I'd be happy to train you to do my job, then you can take my place and I'll take your idle time. :cool:
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
--- at 77.., time is what i have...
financial stability to enjoy...
family to enjoy...
but,
without the physical ability to fully enjoy...
time is in your favor.., you can never roll the clock back...
enjoy
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Saab2000
I appreciate your candor and honesty. The fact is I don't socialize with my co-workers as much as one might imagine. In fact hardly at all. Most people in my business live their lives and we converge for work and then diverge after work. Most don't live where they are based, but commute from all over the country.
.
I didn't mean socializing after work, I meant the social interaction at work. People are social animals, so just saying Good Morning and idle chat to colleagues is important to our mental health.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Saab2000
The money isn't the biggest obstacle. The biggest obstacle is figuring out how to fill the time in a meaningful, rewarding manner. Just sitting around watching TV between bike rides isn't what I want.
Sabb buddy, we have not ridden (let alone seen each other) in years. Last time was when we met you on the road in Potomac. We made significant lifestyle changes since and moved from Potomac to Raleigh metro, NC.
Fast forward.....we purchased a bit of a fixer upper so the house and yard has kept me busy. For a little over a year I did some volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity (planning to return this past March) and very quickly became a build leader. So I led teams of students......some from small black teaching programs (sort of like an apprenticeship) in the local area.....and other volunteers with no practical home building experience. I learned a few things but most rewarding was teaching students and seeing how they progressed during the day.
There is much to cover....if you want to visit Raleigh and chat we have a ton of room at casa sine and a bike that probably fits you.
But quickly, the most important thing to do is jump right into a schedule (incorporate cycling time etc. to further improve health) and interact with others while exploring opportunities.....volunteer, work or starting a business venture......SAAB Cycling tours.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
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Originally Posted by
sine
SAAB Cycling tours.
The SAAB corporation probably would have something to say about this name, but yeah, that's kind of my plan.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
In 2018, my old employer offered a Voluntary Separation Plan that offered a month of salary for every year on the job. It coincided with my son graduating high school and heading off to Annapolis so I took it. I departed on my 53rd birthday with six months of pay. I'm also a retired naval officer so I have a monthly income but I'm not ready to retire outright. I took three months off in 2018 before taking a new job in AZ that paid considerably more than my old one. I also went through a divorce so I lost half of my IRAs. This job is about building up my 401 and recovering what I lost and up until the pandemic and market contraction, I was within a few months of full recovery. It will be fine, I bought a shit-tonne of stock during the crash.
Now I'm halfway through an MA in American History that I'll complete in February 2021. My next career will be facilitating online classes for the local community college, but for now I plan on doing my Chief Engineer job until my son graduates from the Naval Academy or they really piss me off. My girlfriend owns a small company that makes soap plus she teaches Art History at the community college, the teaching gig sounds better all the time.
If all I had to do was this Master's program, life would be really sweet and I'd be a bronze god from the elbows and thighs down.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
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Originally Posted by
Saab2000
The SAAB corporation probably would have something to say about this name, but yeah, that's kind of my plan.
Just to throw in one more perhaps unnecessary advice, again not from me but someone I know...I had a young guy who worked for me. He was a big sailor. US Olympic team etc. One day he came in and said while he liked what he did for a job he loved sailing and was going to do something in that because « you should do what you love ». So, with my best wishes (and my envy) he had the courage to leave and open a sail loft that was supported by one of the big sailmakers. He was very very good at what he did (both in working with me and in sailmaking). About a year and a half later he approached me and asked if I would rehire him. I said of course but why because you are my hero for having the gumption to do what you love. And he said, yeah but I turned what I love into work and that took away too much of the thrill and the joy of my love emotion for sailing. It’s ruining sailing for me.
So, not saying that would happen if you did something cycling...just saying that is something to be aware of...if you do the tour thing it is because you « love restaurants, exploring new places » not the cycling...or something like that. I am sure there is a way to do what you love and earn some money without ruining your love because why else would it be a cliche to do what you love but I felt it should be said. FWIW which is probably not much.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
I can only speak for myself, but I would take it. I would essentially do what I do now, just rebalancing work time spent vs. my other uses of time (roughly divided between study/writing, physical pursuits and family time). I bet you will not have a problem filling the time with stuff that seems worthwhile to you.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
Typical issue is that at least for me, the more free time I have the more money I need :)
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
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Originally Posted by
Lionel
Typical issue is that at least for me, the more free time I have the more money I need :)
That is the tendency, consumer culture has programmed us for it. But with conscious practice we can overcome that programming.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lionel
Typical issue is that at least for me, the more free time I have the more money I need :)
Yeah, there's definitely a thing where the more I work the less I spend. But then I buy something I don't need. Or it disappears into online accounts which recent history has proven can be fickle beasts.
If I have the time I'm considering I'll have time for experiences that don't need to be super expensive but are in fact priceless. Like trips to cycle in Provence. I would like to repeat the trip of 8 years ago but since then I've been too busy to do so.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
I would take it. With no kids or significant other, what is the downside? Your healthcare is covered. And the industry will rebound quickly in the next 12-18 months so you might even get your job back earlier than expected (assuming you want it back).
What about your rating?
How will you be able to maintain it without flight hours? Will they cover simulator hours?
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
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Originally Posted by
NYCfixie
I would take it. With no kids or significant other, what is the downside? Your healthcare is covered. And the industry will rebound quickly in the next 12-18 months so you might even get your job back earlier than expected (assuming you want it back).
What about your rating?
How will you be able to maintain it without flight hours? Will they cover simulator hours?
My currency will lapse but all company and FAA required training is part of the job. I would plan to keep my medical certificate up to date. They have to give us 30 days notice to get a haircut and show up at the training center and depending on the length of absence a major training event would ensue. But this isn’t unprecedented as people go out on and return from medical leaves and military leaves all the time.
The issue is that being inactive for years could have a detrimental effect on skills. But it’s a bit like riding a bike. You never forget how it’s done once you’ve learned it.
Maybe I’d try to get a contract flying job somewhere else anyway. But I’d have to check the limitations on that. There aren’t many in our contract but there are a few.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Saab2000
My currency will lapse but all company and FAA required training is part of the job. I would plan to keep my medical certificate up to date. They have to give us 30 days notice to get a haircut and show up at the training center and depending on the length of absence a major training event would ensue. But this isn’t unprecedented as people go out on and return from medical leaves and military leaves all the time.
The issue is that being inactive for years could have a detrimental effect on skills. But it’s a bit like riding a bike. You never forget how it’s done once you’ve learned it.
Maybe I’d try to get a contract flying job somewhere else anyway. But I’d have to check the limitations on that. There aren’t many in our contract but there are a few.
I have limited knowledge based on a good friend who is currently a UPS pilot and my older brother who has a private pilot's license and "pilots" often to maintain skills.
My brother is also a pediatric doctor dual certified in emergency medicine and critical care who recently took an administrative role. A doctor may be similar to a pilot, in that, you may still have a license but if you do not keep skills/procedures current no hospital will give you privileges to practice (unless you go through rigorous re-training). He often jokes that he flies to his "moonlight ER and ICU" jobs so that he can keep both his pilot and doctor skills current.
I am sue you will make the best decision that works for you and I hope you maximize the fun if you choose LOA.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
I might consider doing it for a short period of time (say, 6 months, max) but I would be disinclined to do it long-term because I'd prefer to retire early instead of taking a 2 year break and retire later.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
Hi Saab- what a good but serious dilemma. Like Mabouya above, I would be concerned about permanent retirement. Can you stop funding your retirement and still make it through the balance of your years? What will happen to your Social Security benefit which is based on the average of your best 35 years of work. If you don't have 35 years you get a 0 for each year short of 35.
If my choice was take 2 years off now but work 7 years more, or work 4 years now and step away with greater certainty, I would probably take a deep breath and keep working.
Only you know those numbers, but don't underestimate (I'm sure you won't but I'll say it anyway) the compounding power of a dollar saved 25 years down the road.
The other interesting question is what to do with your time. Again, only you can answer this question really, but it sounds to me like some of the relationships that have been impacted by your necessarily busy life could soak up a lot of time and I'm sure those people would love to be near you more than they can now.
Good luck with the decision, I'm sure you will make a wise choice.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
My dad went through a somewhat related scenario in the 80s with the breakup of the Bell system. Stay as a manager within that newly broken up organization or take a multi-year severance package.
He did the latter, picked us all up and moved to the country, started his own business and never looked back.
Take the package and find a new adventure. It sounds like at the absolute worst case you end back up in the current gig, which it seems like you enjoy.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Saab2000
how would you occupy the time?
Saab, I am essentially in your situation right now: my occupation went up in smoke in Australia's "Black Summer" and courtesy of living in a functional country I have income support and healthcare as a matter of course.
Maybe it's me but occupying the time is just not a problem. Proritising the endless list of things I want to do, now there's a problem.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
I think one misconception about starting a business is that you need to like what you do, meaning you have to (using the example above) like sailing. You actually have to like starting a business and dealing with the day to day aspects of managing the tangled mess that is. Liking what you do in terms of the business’ main focus - sailing, cycling, etc. - may not even be secondary to that. In fact, it is probably better if you just like the business aspect.
The travel market is cratered right now. But in better times, there are plenty of cycling tour companies who value grownups as cycling guides on their tours. Your experiences might be valuable to those sorts of companies.
I’ll also say that if you do not have a natural affinity for unstructured time, you will be better off finding a way to enact some artificial structure on time at least at the beginning. A small part time job is a simple way to do that. Measure your days not based on productivity but interest. Today was interesting. Getting stuck on productivity is a good way to fall into the trap of shopping = productivity. There are ways to be non-productive without being unproductive.
Taking a yoga class (you may laugh) every morning for a few weeks/months may teach you something you can bring with you anywhere you go later. A way to do something simple to begin the day. Get the blood going.
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Re: Voluntary, partially paid leave of absence
The paradox is it is often the main motivation but in many case the best way to have less time to enjoy your favorite hobby or ultimately hate it is to build a business out of it. The solution is to have more than one passion so you afford to sacrifice one !