Accept (sign) a job offer and change mind?

[anonymous-user]

[redacted]

[krisdelta]

I'd simply ask (and have done so in the past) for 1 or 2 days to think about it as its a very important decision you don't take it lightly. Good luck!

[jjones]

Did this recently. Had no comeback (and it was a legal company with lots of legal bods), apologised profusely to the "new" company via the agent. I also arranged a replacement (for interview who got the job) which may have helped.

I read at the time that, in theory, they can sue you for their losses, e.g. interview cost, advertising costs. Anecdotal evidence seemed to suggest that pursuing costs was a rare thing.

[Pennyroyal Tea]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Yes - signing the contract and not turning up is breach of contract and therefore, excluding any provisions to the contrary in your contract, the employer is within its rights to pursue you for damages.

How likely this is in practice is another question entirely. More often than not, unless you are in a very senior position, its not worth anyone's time to sue you when the time can be better spend finding a replacement. At the very least, you will obviously burn your bridges with the company, however.

I found myself in the same situation a year ago when, regretfully I had to sign an offer letter with a company who were my Plan B in the event that Plan A wasn't going to happen. I was out of work at the time, so income stream for the sake of my family was live or die priority.

It's a practice that happens all the time. My advice is to ask for a couple of days to mull over your options and then try and make a measured decision.

[softtop]

Most places state you are on a weeks notice for a short period of time. That would probably be the only commitment you would have to make.