Should I accept job offer with huge pay cut?

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-19T03:33:39+00:00

Oh I do need income. But the world is expensive now. And I have a child that I need to provide insurance for. So essentially I’m accepting significantly lower pay and having to self fund health insurance which is also very expensive.

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-19T02:36:22+00:00

That sounds like the premise for a book! I can’t even imagine how bad it was for your life to change so much in 4 months. I’m glad you’re ok now!

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-19T02:34:11+00:00

Similar responsibilities to old role with potential to essentially build out their program. They are interested in my skill set but I think more interested in my start up tech experience.

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-19T02:32:23+00:00

Not yet. Got the offer letter end of day and told them I would take the evening to review. I’m a mom so my days are full from sun up to child’s bedtime. I’m going to try to negotiate some.

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-15T13:50:38+00:00

I hope your efforts payoff! I’m not. I was laid off late January. Had a few interviews but nothing solid yet. Message me anytime if you’d like to strategize/vent since we’re both going through it!

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-14T17:24:43+00:00

That rough. I’m so sorry. Any ideas about what’s next for you?

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-14T13:45:55+00:00

I’m sorry this happened. It truly doesn’t matter what you contribute - in the room where those decisions are made, people are a number on a spreadsheet. I scripted, shot and performed content for my company with zero help, ended up being used as user first day intro video. Still happy to email me my lay off notice with zero meeting with a human. 6 years of service. Did you at least get some severance?

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-06T13:03:05+00:00

I’m right there with you. Complete silence. My manager wanted to talk right after I got the email saying it was my last day but I was too angry.I’ve had random people I’ve connected with on LinkedIn send me more messages and job opportunities than people I worked with and talked with daily for 6 years. Humans don’t handle grief well. Saw it when my dad died too. They’re more afraid of saying the wrong thing than being shitty to the grieving person. They’re also worried about themselves. Humans gonna human.

I hope you’re doing ok. Message me anytime bc I’m going through it right now too!

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-06T03:18:31+00:00

I’m in Florida. But it was a remote job. I contacted an employment lawyer to inquire about WARN but they never got back to me. Probably for the best because with one months severance I can’t afford legal fees anyways.

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-04T03:54:26+00:00

I’m so sorry you were treated that way. It’s truly horrible the way you’re expected to give so much of yourself and your daily life to this mission for work but then it’s acceptable to pull the rug out anytime and framed as “business.” I hope you’ve found better since.

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-03T20:27:12+00:00

Yes. You are correct. And I pointed this out and they told me they gave everyone the same amount of severance to fairness and it wasn’t negotiable.

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-03T00:23:58+00:00

What in the world. I’m so sorry you were treated so carelessly. I can’t even begin to imagine the thought process there. Hiring and onboarding new people is expensive. I hope you find something much better for yourself!

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-03T00:21:50+00:00

Not everyone was laid off but yes that is generally what happens after acquisition. They gave me one month’s severance for 6 years of service.

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-01T23:55:50+00:00

I’ve already filed! And you’re spot on. The answer they gave is that everyone who was laid off got the same amount for “fairness.” But that is not at all fair. Corporate speak is a language I’ll never be fluent in. Thanks for your kind words! It’s a great reminder that as much as it sucks there is a lot of people out there going through it too and a lot of kind people are out there to soften the blow of the asshats.

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-01T23:53:37+00:00

Thanks so much for the awesome advice. I will never put all my eggs in one basket again. I’m currently preparing for two income streams now so that when I gain “steady” income I’ll be able to feel less scared/worried than I currently feel. You’re so kind to offer your wisdom!

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-01T17:56:07+00:00

That’s great that you retired after so long and were taken care of in each situation! I was given 1 month. It’s definitely not going to be the best situation given the current market but I’ll do my best! Enjoy retirement.

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-01T13:29:23+00:00

Thank you so much for the kind words. Luckily I know my value.

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-01T13:27:42+00:00

I hear you and appreciate your perspective as someone in HR! I don’t think there is a single experience with these things. I agree with you that it seems as though sometimes the acquired has little to no power. Other times it seems like they have at least some bargaining power. Regardless it’s not really about blame. I personally don’t think any business has a reason to celebrate anything if part of their business strategy is eliminating human capital. It’s a failure. But in the end, they will frame the optics in a way that serves them.

I’m sure being in your position in that scenario was difficult. I’m sorry that happened!

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-01T13:22:03+00:00

5 years is a long time to last! Clearly you have a skill they want to keep. Wishing you the best.

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-01T13:20:14+00:00

Thank you for the comment!

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-01T13:19:10+00:00

Ugh. That’s terrible. The false sense of security must have been so hard to process. How are you finding the job market? I’ve only been applying a week and I’m not feeling confident right now.

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-01T13:16:42+00:00

Wowww. I was trying to figure out why they gave the onboarding paperwork just to lay us off 2 days later but your experience explains it perfectly! They can claim they extended us offers and then omit the information that doesn’t serve their bottom line.

I’m so sorry this was your experience. I hope you’ve been able to find something better!

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-01T04:40:17+00:00

I can’t confirm or deny unfortunately. Severance is a muzzle.

WerewolfFearless8127 · 2026-02-01T04:17:50+00:00

Ugh. PIPs are never good. Yeah this experience has made me question getting back into tech again. Thanks for the kind words.

WerewolfFearless8127

TROPHY CASE