Help,Job offer withdrawn on day due to start!

merikiito · 5 June 2006 at 6:46PM

Hi,
I have a major problem. I was made a job offer subject to references and was due to start today. I had given notice to quit to my last employer and was given one months salary in lieu of notice. The company I was due to start with did not contact me to inform me of any problems. I contacted them last friday to check everything was going ok when they told me that I would not be starting on Monday because they had not recieved all the references back. I contacted all the people that were given me references to be told that they had all sent them
and in two cases had also faxed them over before last friday. I was then told they would let me know today but no one contacted me so I rang them again and no one would speak to me. I was then phoned by the employment agency that I got the job through to tell me the offer was withdrawn without explanation by the company. I am now without work and do not know where I stand, any ideas anyone? thanks Lee

DonGotti · 5 June 2006 at 7:11PM

Oh Lee I really sympathise with you. I don't really know of any practical advice I can give you as I'm in a similar situation.

I'd pursue it with the company and keep on nagging the job agency. I really really hope that things are sorted for you.

Why don't these idiots realise they are messing with people's lives here.

Good Luck mate

Hellfire · 5 June 2006 at 7:16PM

well i think that's not on. ok, if they have to take up references and they have not come through is one thing, but fobbing you off like this is just despicable. you are owed an explanation of why the job offer was withdrawn. i would kick up a fuss with the employment agency because they must have been told the reason. i used to work in one and we needed to know why a candidate was rejected so we could match him/her better for future interviews.

the agency may well blacklist you, but there are others around.

sali_mali · 5 June 2006 at 8:19PM

sorry to hear about that. sorry, i've got no good advice for you but thought id let you know the very same things happened to me today. I'm not at all happy and will be kicking up a big fuss!

good luck to you

tee_pee_2 · 5 June 2006 at 8:34PM

oh mate that is really sh**e I can't offer any advice apart from try the citizen advice bureau, but don't let it drop, cos that is disgusting to treat a persaon like that.

It happened to my OH 3wks before we got married and I was devastated- people said it happens for a reason and someting else wold turn up and after a month of hell he ended up getting a even better job.

So be positve as one door closes another one really does open.

xx

fannyadams · 5 June 2006 at 8:50PM

Hang on a minute. If they offered you a job and you accepted the job (even VERBALLY) then a contract of employment does exist and you are entitled to payment in lieu of notice. I KNOW coz I did it. I got offered a job (there was NOTHING about 'subject to satisfactory references/medical/whatever') and accepted. then about a week before my first day they said my references weren't good enough and they weren't gonna give me the job after all. I went to the CAB and they found a bit in a legal book that said that "a job offer and it's acceptance is still a contract, and therefore legally bindin" so IF you were offered the job without any "subject to's", then I'd go to the CAB and ask them for the legalese.
Good Luck

Astaroth · 6 June 2006 at 7:11AM

An offer/ acceptance on a job is not considered a contract but more an agreement that a contract would be formed. If it was as Fannyadams says, a legally binding contract then they could get you to accept an offer and give you a contract requiring 12 months notice (so you couldnt just quit) and many unfavourable contract terms (eg compulsary sports and social club at £500 a month) which you would have already accepted without having actually read the contract.

The employment agency will know the reason for the offer having been withdrawn, or at least any agency worth their salt would have asked. It can take them a bit of time to find out the reason for it so keep at them.

hobo28 · 6 June 2006 at 11:43AM

Did you ever sign a contract? I never ever give notice until I see the paperwork, sign it and send it back. I know its prob. a bit late for that.

I'd also try calling an solicitor who specialises in employment law. I'd be surprised if they couldn't help you at all.

Gambler · 6 June 2006 at 11:57AM

I am an accountant and financial recruitment agencies really wind me up. They phone you with every vacancy going, so what was the point of the inital 1 hour meeting when you were explaining the type of role you were looking for, location, salary etc.

MTM_2 · 6 June 2006 at 11:57AM

the same thing happened to me a couple of years ago, i actually went on holiday then was due to start on a tuesday as it had been a bank holiday, i was just leaving the flat that morning when the agency called me to say that job was no longer available .. talk about being devasted i was so p!ssed off with the agency 1 for not contacting me sooner and 2 not having any interviews lined up for me .. i was lucky enought to get temp position with another agency then the original agency got me a temp positition for a couple of months, i applied for a permanent position once i started. i work in a totally different dept from when i temped but the agency found out that i was offered a permanent position and they wanted a finders fee ... cheeky beggars pleased to say they got nowt

Sumostar · 6 June 2006 at 12:02PM

Hi
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you don't really have a leg to stand on. The only grounds you have to complain is if you suspect the offer was withdrawn because of discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, disability , union membership ect.ect.

The first people to contact are the Jobcentre (to register a claim) and your old employer to see if you can have your old job back. The bad news (again) is that they have no obligation to take you back on . Even if they do they can treat you as as a brand new employee all over again because you have broken your continuity of employment.

The workers at Vauxhall are right - British Employment law is softer than on the continent.

Help,Job offer withdrawn on day due to start!

Comments

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

🚀 Getting Started

Categories

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free