Verbal acceptance of job offer

BrandNewGraduate

Hi there, hope someone can give me a bit of advice. Can anyone tell me if a verbal acceptance of a job, face to face with a handshake, followed up the next day by a telephone call confirming my acceptance, is legally binding? Or does the offer have to be accepted, in writing, by myself before it becomes official?

PlutoinCapricorn

Legally binding for the employer or the applicant? And exactly what do you mean by legally binding? Signing a contract of employment makes everything official, but anything could happen afterwards. I have known people start a new job, then leave because of a better offer from another company where they had an interview. I have known people who did not pass their 3 months' probation.

BrandNewGraduate

I meant binding on the applicant's part.

PlutoinCapricorn

No one can force you to start a job if you accept it or even sign the contract then decide not to take it after all. Many people have several interviews, accept one job just to be sure of getting something, then get a better offer so tell the first company they cannot accept the job after all.

mountainofdebt

I think that the verbal acceptance of a job is as binding as puting it in writing.

I mean if the company had withdrawn an accepted offer of employment, no doubt you would be on these boards asking what compensation you were entitled to.

BrandNewGraduate

I too was under the impression that a verbal acceptance (twice in my case) was as binding morally and honourable, if not legally, as a written one.
In my case, my future employer asked for written confirmation "asap". My big mistake was to delay writing for a few days, then receive an email from him saying he assumed I didn't want the job.
I grovellingly apologised, then the employer said he would still employ me, but from September instead of July, as a sort of pre-employment punishment.
I know that I'm lucky to have been offered a post (three months trial period, management trainee) but I'm now uneasy about starting my career with a company which operates in this way.
We might be ten-a-penny but I do have self-respect, and would not consider accepting the September start in the hope of finding something better in the meantime, then letting this company down.
Compensation was never a consideration in posting this query. I simply wondered if my verbal acceptance should have been honoured. I totally regret not getting my acceptance in writing done sooner, a hard lesson, but I'm now living with the consequences!

Zazen999

BrandNewGraduate wrote: »

I too was under the impression that a verbal acceptance (twice in my case) was as binding morally and honourable, if not legally, as a written one.
In my case, my future employer asked for written confirmation "asap". My big mistake was to delay writing for a few days, then receive an email from him saying he assumed I didn't want the job.
I grovellingly apologised, then the employer said he would still employ me, but from September instead of July, as a sort of pre-employment punishment.
I know that I'm lucky to have been offered a post (three months trial period, management trainee) but I'm now uneasy about starting my career with a company which operates in this way.
We might be ten-a-penny but I do have self-respect, and would not consider accepting the September start in the hope of finding something better in the meantime, then letting this company down.
Compensation was never a consideration in posting this query. I simply wondered if my verbal acceptance should have been honoured. I totally regret not getting my acceptance in writing done sooner, a hard lesson, but I'm now living with the consequences!

Often, HR won't put the wheels in motion if they haven't got a written confirmation from the person offered the job, as occasionally they never show.

I'd say you've failed the first test - from your new bosses position, it would seem that you weren't listening to a request and acting on it. I can see where they are coming from - if you are asked to put it in writing and you don't - it seems that you aren't interested and had more important things to do in the meantime.

However, I wouldn't proceed at all if you hadn't responded when requested to be honest. I'd have offered it to the next person. If they still want to employ you then I'd take that as a positive.

Have you resigned your old position yet?

BrandNewGraduate

I can see why someone would not proceed at all if they saw me as failing the first test, and I do see it as a positive that they still want to employ me. My major mistake was to not read "as soon as possible" as "within 5 days - or else" and I accept the slapping I'm receiving as a result.
This was my first set of interviews, and my first job offer. I am a new graduate, learning fast in the university of life!

pinkshoes

You wouldn't believe how many people accept a job verbally, then don't sign the contract.

An employee needs to keep the job advertised until the contract is returned signed, so your delay in giving them written confirmation no doubt led them to believe you'd accepted something else, hence they'd probably offered another 3 month trial to someone else.

This is perfectly acceptable for a company to operate like this, so you should just swallow your pride and accept the job. If something better comes along in the mean time, then give them WRITTEN confirmation that you no longer wish to start the job in September.

Zazen999

BrandNewGraduate wrote: »

I can see why someone would not proceed at all if they saw me as failing the first test, and I do see it as a positive that they still want to employ me. My major mistake was to not read "as soon as possible" as "within 5 days - or else" and I accept the slapping I'm receiving as a result.
This was my first set of interviews, and my first job offer. I am a new graduate, learning fast in the university of life!

As soon as possible:

If it is important to you - means as soon as you put the phone down.

If it isn't important to you - then you will get round to it one day....

Poppy9

If the company could email you advising you that they assumed you didn't want the job why couldn't you have emailed them accepting the job?

I take it that they waited 5 days and had no response from you.

I think you are very lucky that they still want to employ you. Common sense should tell you that jobs are hard come by and yet you dilly dallied over accepting a job formally.