Job offer retracted

ministe2003 · 20 April 2017 at 9:43AM

Hi, I'm just looking for some advice. My wife quit her job several months ago due to extreme stress and after some time off sick, has been looking for a new career. After a few interviews, one company offered her a job over the phone, and in a follow up email said:

"I am pleased to confirm the managing director has decided to offer you a employment contract at COMPANY_NAME as a JOB_TITLE. We are in the process of finalising the roles and departments to allocate the shortlisted [candidates] to.

Once this has been decided, which should be before easter we will formally make you a job offer. I do apologise for the delay in the process but unfortunately it is an extremely busy period for the company an the managing director at precent."

My wife replied saying she accepted the offer, and at this point cancelled other interviews she had, and stopped applying for jobs.

That was two weeks ago.

The company has now come back saying "The salary you are expecting, the directors have confirmed that we cannot offer this to you as you do not have the experience in our industry sector. We have other [candidates] with experience in our industry sector willing to accept a full time role at [a lot less money!] and will be making job offers to them this week."

:mad:

Is this allowed!? They knew my wife's experience when they interviewed her, twice, then offered her a job, twice; at the salary advertised on the job spec!!

Although she wasn't given a contract, surely there's some rule they're breaking here. Are companies allowed to offer a job in writing AND over the phone and then retract it weeks later?

Thanks

enjoyyourshoes · 20 April 2017 at 9:51AM

I guess the learning is don't stop applying, attending interviews until after you have started.

Even when offered a job and you start, you may not like the job, therefore keep your options open at all times.

Employers of all colours are only interested in themselves, so play the same game, there is little or no loyalty.

Vectis · 20 April 2017 at 10:17AM

Probably the same if you were offered a job and you accepted it, only to decide a couple of weeks later to join a different company who were offering more money. I think your wife just has to accept that they changed their mind (or someone in the company overruled the decision).

Your wife hasn't lost out financially as she left her previous job months ago, as you said. No harm in her ringing up to clarify though (but I'd advise her not to get annoyed or talk about them breaking 'rules' etc as there might be other opportunities there in the future).

jonmoneybags · 20 April 2017 at 10:21AM

I would sue them

sangie595 · 20 April 2017 at 10:23AM

They didn't actually make her a job offer, and that is abundantly clear from the wording got have quoted. It clearly states that they will "formally make a job offer" AFTER they have looked at allocating people to departments. What they did, at best, was make a conditional offer. That isn't binding. Not that "binding" would have made any difference. There was no start date agreed, and her "loss " would only be amount of notice pay - which, lacking a contract to the contrary, is nil in the first instance.

Undervalued · 20 April 2017 at 10:35AM

jonmoneybags wrote: »

I would sue them

For what exactly?

Undervalued · 20 April 2017 at 10:40AM

ministe2003 wrote: »

Hi, I'm just looking for some advice. My wife quit her job several months ago due to extreme stress and after some time off sick, has been looking for a new career. After a few interviews, one company offered her a job over the phone, and in a follow up email said:

"I am pleased to confirm the managing director has decided to offer you a employment contract at COMPANY_NAME as a JOB_TITLE. We are in the process of finalising the roles and departments to allocate the shortlisted [candidates] to.

Once this has been decided, which should be before easter we will formally make you a job offer. I do apologise for the delay in the process but unfortunately it is an extremely busy period for the company an the managing director at precent."

My wife replied saying she accepted the offer, and at this point cancelled other interviews she had, and stopped applying for jobs.

That was two weeks ago.

The company has now come back saying "The salary you are expecting, the directors have confirmed that we cannot offer this to you as you do not have the experience in our industry sector. We have other [candidates] with experience in our industry sector willing to accept a full time role at [a lot less money!] and will be making job offers to them this week."

:mad:

Is this allowed!? They knew my wife's experience when they interviewed her, twice, then offered her a job, twice; at the salary advertised on the job spec!!

Although she wasn't given a contract, surely there's some rule they're breaking here. Are companies allowed to offer a job in writing AND over the phone and then retract it weeks later?

Thanks

Even if a contract had been formed (and that doesn't have to be a sheet of paper with the word contract on it) all that would entitle her to is whatever notice period was agreed.

So if, say, that was four weeks and they told her two weeks before the agreed start date that she was no longer required she would have a claim for two weeks pay. However that would be all but in any case, based on what you have posted here, it is unlikely that a firm offer had been made and accepted so as to form a contract.

ministe2003 · 20 April 2017 at 10:51AM

Thanks for the responses, shame that companies are allowed to treat people like this!

TELLIT01 · 20 April 2017 at 11:04AM

ministe2003 wrote: »

Thanks for the responses, shame that companies are allowed to treat people like this!

No formal job offer had been made as evidenced by the section of their letter which you quoted. I certainly accept that it is disappointing and frustrating for your wife, but nothing illegal has been done.

tea_lover · 20 April 2017 at 11:16AM

They hadn't even made her an offer. Even if they had, they're well within their rights to retract it. That's just how it works.

[Deleted User] · 20 April 2017 at 11:22AM

Until you've got a contract to sign there is no job.. and you shouldn't stop job hunting.

In fact, continuing to job hunt puts them under pressure to get you a contract ASAP

Job offer retracted

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