Director is told to accept $50k less pay or take 8 weeks' severance after company is acquired by another company: 'I’m going to be doing the same thing'

Ally Perry • Writer and Editor

Oct 8, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

There are few jobs these days that guarantee stability. Employees can experience nasty surprises courtesy of their employer, no matter what rung of the totem pole they find themselves on. It is a scenario that can feel impossible to navigate, not least because their livelihood is on the line. It is important to think strategically.

Finding oneself in a bad spot at work isn't always the fault of an employee's behavior, although that can obviously have a big impact. In fact, many workers are forced out of a job or into worse positions because of business decisions that they had nothing to do with. It can leave them feeling like they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. One of the few things to ease the sense of difficulty is the knowledge that they are not alone in their experience, although that can be a cold comfort when they are dealing with it.

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One director was feeling this when their company got acquired by another company, and they were given the decision of taking the same position with a different title and a $50,000 pay cut, or being laid off with 8 weeks of severance pay. Their instinct was to take this ‘new job’ while they looked for something different, but they wanted a second opinion.
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Offered $50k less to stay in the same job

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via Andrej Lišakov (Unsplash+)

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via Andrej Lišakov (Unsplash+)

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People tried to offer advice.

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Director is told to accept $50k less pay or take 8 weeks' severance after company is acquired by another company: 'I’m going to be doing the same thing'

Offered $50k less to stay in the same job

People tried to offer advice.

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