My sister was recently laid off after a large corporation acquired her company. She was offered a position with the new firm for less $ than she was making even though the new company's salary range for the position she was offered would accommodate her old salary. Employees with less experience & less reputation are making more $ than she was offered. If my sister accepted the lesser offer, she would no longer be able to make her house payment so she declined. She was given 12 weeks severance (to be paid by the acquired company). I know from an accounting perspective, the new company's bottom line will look good, and the old company's bottom line takes the hit for the severance pay. BUT when you put it all together at the larger corporate level, it is penny-wise and pound foolish, to let a really good employee slip away due to a very short-sighted middle management decision. I want to vent to someone high up in the food chain and know that they will read it, and maybe respond.