Rejecting job offer after accepting via email

emachines34

Hi,
Last week i accepted a job offer via email but I did not sign any contract, in the meantime another better job offer has come up which I want to accept.
Will i face any legal repercussions for rejecting the first offer?
I was looking at the page job offers: your rights on GOV.UK

And it says:
If a new employee changes their mind
If someone accepts an unconditional offer and then changes their mind, the employer can:

make them work out any contractual element of their notice
sue them for breach of contract

Is this accurate?

abbiesmom

The sooner you tell them the better and you would be unlucky to have to work the notice period which would be no more than 1 week.

I once offered a vacancy to somebody who accepted but had a 4 week notice period with her previous employer, the day before she started I received an email to say they'd changed their mind and was staying where they were! Had we been told sooner we wouldn't have had to go back through the whole selection process. A vacancy that should have filled in 2 months took 4! If you tell them now they have an opportunity still to appoint from people already seen, leave it too long and that chance diminishes.

getmore4less

abbiesmom wrote: »

The sooner you tell them the better and you would be unlucky to have to work the notice period which would be no more than 1 week.

Statutory notice would be ZERO.

Contractual notice is in the contract which we have not seen

Doshwaster

emachines34 wrote: »

Hi,
Last week i accepted a job offer via email but I did not sign any contract, in the meantime another better job offer has come up which I want to accept.
Will i face any legal repercussions for rejecting the first offer?
I was looking at the page job offers: your rights on GOV.UK

And it says:
If a new employee changes their mind
If someone accepts an unconditional offer and then changes their mind, the employer can:

make them work out any contractual element of their notice
sue them for breach of contract

Is this accurate?

To the letter of the law it is accurate but in reality I wouldn't worry about it. I've never known any employer insist that they new hire starts work or sues for breach of contract. There would have to be extreme circumstances for an employer to even consider this.

Good practice is just to be honest and let them know as soon as possible. If they really want you they may make you a better offer.

jonnygee2

Just do the decent thing and call them to apologise (then follow up by email).

Don't worry about being asked to work or sued, not going to happen.

Marcon

No employer wants an unwilling employee, so don't waste time worrying.

Just a thought - is the 'better offer' better all round, or just financially? If the latter, I'd ring tell the employer you plan to turn down and explain the situation. Do it nicely and they might even up the offer...