Several years ago, the Old Company (OC) I worked for was acquired by New Company (NC).
OC hired highly qualified and experienced people that were managed by even more highly qualified and experienced people. After the acquisition, the qualified people were given new contracts with NC (since OC technically no longer existed). The kicker was that, according to NC management, under the NC's HR policy and salary structure, most people ended up in a lower salary band...as in between 30-50% lower salary.
Over the next several months, because qualified people refused to work for less than market rates and didn't even bother applying for positions or quit, they hired on a lot of unqualified people, then expected the remaining qualified ones to manage/mentor the unqualified ones, on top of maintaining their own existing workload...all for less pay.
FU money allowed me to:
1. Refuse to sign the new contract. When the new manager brought it up and told me I HAD to sign, I asked her, "You know what I make now, and what I would make under the new contract. As a logical, well educated person, would you sign the new contract if you were me?" She smiled sheepishly and then mumbled something about HR and salary structures that couldn't be changed, and how I didn't qualify for the highest band because of years of experience or something. I didn't really hear her because I didn't care enough to listen to the excuses. I was still paid my old salary.
2. Ignore all stupid new processes. When manager brought it up, I told her she could file the paperwork on my behalf if it was really that necessary. None of the paperwork was ever filed because in reality, none of it was that necessary.
3. I was eventually called in to chat with the VP of the group (my manager's manager's manager), who was brought in from NC headquarters. She basically asked me what was wrong with me, phrased as, "You don't seem very happy...why?" So I told her why I thought all the qualified people were leaving, then handed her my resignation letter and walked out of her office.