With All Due Respect to Casper Wyoming.

I am just sure Casper is just lovely this time of year. 

Marty Sunshine has elected to stay with his employer, virtually ignoring their voluntary layoff offer his organization has graciously thrown at 55 percent of the company. I have mixed feelings about this, but as a dutiful wife, I am keeping them to myself knowing he has picked what he feels is best for our family. With the country shut down, jobs might be slightly scarce and he doesn't want to be in a position where he has to take any old job in a place like Casper Wyoming because that's where there is employment. And truly, under the circumstances, his decision probably is best. Probably. Maybe.

Ok, honestly, there wasn't a good answer.

Marty's reasoning is simply this: a lot of people got voluntary layoff notices. If the herd is thinned with those who stepped forward, the company layoffs are complete. If they aren't, the "other" division of his company is more vulnerable right now and "most likely" those new layoffs would come from that division, leaving Marty's division alone. This is something his manager agrees about.

Conversely, if not enough people take this week's voluntary layoff there could possibly be another round of voluntary ("we are serious this time") layoffs--which Marty swears he would take very seriously. And if worse comes to worse, and not enough people come forward with the second--we-are-serious-this-time voluntary layoff and there is a mandatory layoff AND Marty's name is on there, then at least he has had medical benefits and a steady salary a little while longer.

However, Marty is no fool. He is reading the tea leaves. And though he is not taking this particular voluntary layoff package, he isn't getting any younger. He concedes there may be a target on his back. Therefore, he has opted to start looking around again.