Declining a Job Offer After Verbally Accepting

zola25

zola25

zola25

Associate
Joined
7 Mar 2005
Posts
1,648
Location
Wiltshire
I applied for a new job that moved incredibly quickly and I was offered the position straight after the interview. I verbally accepted 24 hours after, as the agency advised me that the company would question my commitment if I delayed further. I was happy to accept the offer at this point based on what was offered and specific answers to some of my own questions during the interview.

However, the written offer has now arrived and I am not at all happy to accept many of the T&C's within the contract. I won't go into detail, but suffice to say these are not financial and directly contradict some of the answers I was given during the interview and relate to areas that are important to me. Furthermore this is not something I'd feel comfortable negotiating as there are numerous points of contention, and to be honest I am not sure I'd be happy to work for a company that have not been honest about many aspects of the position.

I've decided to decline the job offer, but I don't want to burn bridges with the offering company as you never know what the future may hold. Should I state the reason that I am declining is that that I am unhappy with the T&Cs? I'd rather be honest, but suspect this would effectively blacklist them form considering me in future.

I appreciate going back on my word is not very professional, but I feel I need to do what's right for me.

Any advice from anyone who's been in this position would be welcome.

TL,DR - Is it OK to decline a job offer after accepting verbally, and how do I best avoid burning bridges with the offering company?
 
Last edited:
I don't believe they would be happy to change all of the terms that are an issue to be honest, there are some major points.

In comparison to my current job I'd rather stay having seen this, but would consider working for the new company should I ever be laid off. Jobs are particularly scarce in the area I live and that's why I'd rather not burn the bridge.
 
Thanks for all the very quick responses.

iviv: Apologies, I was referring to location rather than the industry/skills in relation to the job. I already commute a significant distance and the new job would have been much the same in that respect.

Here's a little more detail about one of the issues to give you an idea. I actually enjoy my current job, but don't enjoy the 24x7 on call support rota that forms part of it. The new employer specifically stated in the phone interview that out of hours support was not required. During the face to face interview, one of the techies bought up that they do it informally and was quickly silenced by the senior interviewer. I chased this up after via the agent and was informed again that 24x7 cover is not required.

However, the written offer shows it's being introduced and will be on an unpaid basis but I may be able to claim TOIL in some cases. Signing the contract also means opting out of the Working Time Directive, which pretty much gives them licence to take advantage of free 24x7 cover in my view - a situation I was in once before. Although I dislike on call work, with my current employer it is well regulated and planned, plus our call out rates are very good.
 
^ That's exactly my feeling. The nudge in the ribs to the techie who bought it up did set alarm bells ringing, but as the agents said this was a miscommunication I did verbally accept.
 
^ Indeed. I feel that any alterations would be a compromise at best, which would mean I'd not be completely satisfied and I'd likely be marked as someone who doesn't toe the party line. Even more importantly, I feel trust has been broken before I've even commenced work with them.
 
Yes, you can opt in and out. However by signing the contract it opts me in, then I can immediately submit my written request to opt out giving 3 months notice. WTD is only part of the problem though.
 
The contract has been updated to include all my details, but is presumably based on some form of template. Having said that it's very slick and has none of the holes you'd expect from an incomplete document.

Bear in mind the on call is only one of the issues I've highlighted as an example to avoid bogging the thread down with detail. It's more about the general feeling this has given me, and contract aside even the non-written i.e. face to face and phone discussions I've had with them have been unclear on this point. It really feels like they are trying to brush it under the carpet but would hit me with it once employed.

If I had a major problem with my current job, I'd certainly be seeking to rectify the issues to make the new job acceptable. However, I applied for this job as I thought I it may improve upon the small issues with my current position, when in reality (having seen the contract) I believe I have more to lose by taking the new one.

Edit: I suppose there's a lesson in here, if you are 90% satisfied with your current job, don't go looking for the last 10%
 
Last edited:
Well, there'd be no extra cash to be made anyway. Benefits wise it's not as good as my current job although the base salary was matched - although again, some of this wasn't clear until the offer was in writing. The new employer knew that I was happy to accept some reductions on the basis there was no on call.
 
HangTime, that's a perfect summary stated far more eloquently than my own ramblings :D

I am comfortable with the decision not to take the new job now that I have all the information. The fact is it was a tough decision to accept verbally, and now that I have all the information it swings the decision back to staying put.

I do feel a level of guilt about having verbally accepted before backing out, not to mention feeling a little unprofessional. I appreciate this is my own failing, and I should not have allowed myself to be pressured into the verbal agreement. In future I'd state that I am very keen but I'd like to see the written offer before making a firm decision. This was partly due to my own inexperience as I've only worked for two employers in nearly 20 years, which means it's been years since I've had a job offer.

I do believe my current employer would take me back in future should a vacancy exist. It's a large company and many have come back with their tails between their legs 12-18 months after leaving. I know now that's not a risk I am willing to take for the job that's on offer though.

Having read the responses here I also agree that being honest about the contract is key, it is entirely possible the individuals have not tried to deliberately mislead me.
 
Thanks dowie, but one bit of information both the interview and the written offer agree on is that absolutely no overtime/bonus is ever paid. Although I don't enjoy O/T, at least I do get reimbursed by my current employer.

Edit: the above wasn't a problem when I thought O/T and on call were unnecessary, but become a factor when it's obvious it will be expected.
 
Last edited:
dowie said:
and for unsociable hours or on call then extra shift payments or on call payments should be standard... unless they're giving you a big pay rise or high basic to reflect the unsociable hours
Click to expand...

I completely agree. The company themselves were playing this down, but the techies I'd be working with told me they do informal on call, and the department head confirmed they are looking to formalise it very shortly but on an unpaid basis with potential TOIL. On it's own this sounds like a lose/lose situation, but throw in the stipulations in the contract in relation to WTD and the ability to permanently change your responsibilities and hours without recompense makes me very wary of what the future would hold should I take the job.
 
Quick update: I contacted the agent and the prospective employer this morning and listed my concerns and that I was happy to discuss them. The employer responded saying they were very sorry to hear that, but there was no offer to discuss or resolve any of the issues. This to me means I have made the correct decision, as working for them would evidently have been entirely at their mercy.

I'm a little disappointed as the day job was genuinely interesting, but overall I am relieved that I've very likely dodged a bullet.
 
Thanks all - I feel much better about this now, and having read many of the opinions on here I no longer feel any guilt about this. I gave them every opportunity to resolve the issues I had with the formal offer.
 
I've been as gentle as possible. I've approached them and laid out my concerns with the specific issues that I've only been aware of since receiving the written offer. I've offered to discuss with them, and I've stated that I'd be happy to consider future positions should these issues be addressed. They've been polite and courteous in return, but they have just chosen to end proceedings. The ball is fully in their court with respect to whether they'd consider me again. In the end even if they do choose to look at it that way, it's a shame rather than a disaster.

Although the recruitment agent was less impressed, again they were polite and professional. They did try to tell me that it's the first time in their history someone has backed out "over the small print". I explained that it's not just small print to me, it directly impacts the nature of the job. As for them, I am sure they'd work with me again as they'd still get their commission on any future job I took.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom