Speaking as someone who fires and lays off, I will bet money these people will not see those jobs again anytime soon. That is what you call making 'em feel good after you have kicked them in the nutts.
of course they're not, because they're going to say "well we've been survivng without these positions, so lets just continue to save that money." everybody knows it, but still, they wouldn't be expected to pay it back. it wasn't their fault they were fired. if this really is what the whole Willis situation is about.....then damn.