The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated difficult organizational cost-cutting decisions, including salary reductions, potentially affecting employee attitudes and fulfilment. However, impacts on workplace spirituality and well-being remain empirically unexplored. This study aimed to quantify effects of pandemic salary cuts on faculty workplace spirituality, job satisfaction, motivation, and life satisfaction. A cross-sectional survey design was used with 414 faculty from private colleges in Pune, India. Self-report questionnaires measured workplace spirituality, job satisfaction, motivation, life satisfaction, and pandemic salary reduction severity. Independent samples t-tests evidenced significantly lower spirituality dimension scores for faculty experiencing pandemic salary cuts compared to peers without reductions. Salary cuts also predicted worse job satisfaction, motivation, and life satisfaction in correlation and regression analyses. Findings confirm salary reductions negatively impacted faculty workplace spirituality, attitudes, and well-being. Leaders should consider human costs of cost-cutting measures. Fostering spirituality may build resilience when policies threatening community, purpose, or self-expression are unavoidable. This study scientifically demonstrates far-reaching linkages between organizational decision-making, workplace spirituality, and employee fulfilment. It compels more empathetic policies nourishing human growth amidst adversity.This empirically demonstrates the cascading impacts of pandemic salary reductions on faculty spirituality and satisfaction. It provides a reference for evidence-based leadership during crises.