Counter offer

w00519772

I was recently offered another job. I have received a counter offer from my current employer (during the notice period). I have a few questions:

1) I signed a contract of employment. What would the consequences be if I withdrew my acceptance? The contract states that I should start on x but I can leave with one weeks notice during the probation period.
2) The new role has a commute. I drove to the place of work at 06:30 today. It took one hour 25 minutes! When I tested the commute last week and the week before it only took one hour! This is obviously because of the school holidays. Can I use this to ask if I can work from home one day per week (in principle)? I am sure the interviewer said this would not be an option but I believe she may of meant it was not possible to work full time from home. I am a hard worker and the nature of my work means I often get more done at home.

This is such a hard decision.

Alice_Walker

Twenty threads on the subject, could you not keep all your questions to one?

w00519772

Alice_Walker wrote: »

Twenty threads on the subject, could you not keep all your questions to one?

Fair enough. I am asking two different questions this time. I could on given the question a better title.

sangie595

For goodness sake stop dithering. Jump or don't. If you give back word now then you do. But be fair, and get on with it if that is what want to do. The interviewer told you - no home working. So your commute does not change that answer. No home working. You can't just pop along and say that you don't want the job unless you get your own way. You knew the distance. You knew , surely, that school holidays make a quieter commute. It isn't the employers job to pander to you. Make up your mind.

And it is "could have" and "may have". There are no "of"s in the sentences.

w00519772

Well after a long talk with the hiring manager I declined the job offer last Tuesday. I withdrew my acceptance and cancelled my notice period which was accepted by my current employer.

The new employer called on Friday at 6pm and explained that they really want the best people and are willing to work through my concerns with me. I am now in a predicament as the offer looks attractive again (there was no changes in terms though).

Has anyone accepted, then rejected and then accepted again? I guess this would leave a sour taste with my current employer (I would not want to leave on bad terms!). I am not saying I am going to do this, just have to think about it again.

[Deleted User]

Guess you could ask yourself do you want to carry on job searching/hunting if it was an option, as to how serious your actually feeling.

I've had your situation with an agency when I changed my mind after reject of an assignment - if I remember right I was given a talking too as to no more messing around after the nicely nice and then I ended up working somewhere else.! So you run the risk of falling between the stalls. I was quite young and even more confused back then as my only excuse.

I know it's hard leaving somewhere but the more unsure you appear the more all of this is going to go horribly wrong for you.

w00519772

Well, I ended up turning the job down on 10.09 as discussed above. Not sure it was the right decision.

I have two questions:

1) what questions are reasonable to ask before the interview? For example, this position did not specify salary range or closing date. Also the company promotes remote working (1-2 days per week) but this role surprisingly did not allow it.
2) what strategies do you use to contact the potential employer? For example, this employer had internal recruiters on linkedin. Would you ever contact/add someone on Linkedin you do not know? The company only has a "customer services" number on their website with no link to hr. I was only able to contact the recruiter after I was appointed.

I don't want this to happen again and hence the questions.