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I accepted an offer and prepared to move for the position.

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Anonymous

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I accepted an offer and prepared to move for the position. Right before I was leaving, the position was closed out and relisted for a lower-level title and substantial cut in salary. I'm shocked that I didn't even receive a courtesy email that the job was closed out and relisted with the same requirements but a fraction of the salary.

As of date, I still haven't received anything from HR or the hiring manager despite my email & phone call inquires. The company knew I was moving this weekend and this is my first time in a long career history that this transpired.

I understand that things happen but besides the loss of future income, I spent a lot of money preparing to move including hiring movers. Is there anything I can do or is this the new norm? I turned down another position for this job and sadly it's now filled.

My references were already checked, I have the signed offer letter and I was starting work on the 27th. If this wasn't from a reputable company, I would have thought this was a scam but a friend is currently employed at the organization verified what transpired.

Now that they use third-party systems instead of HR, this isn't the first time there was a budget cut and a role was closed and the new hire wasn't told until showing up at the office. They are advised by the front desk that the role was closed but could apply for the lower level role if they were interested. It sounds like I dodged a bullet but I was so excited about the opportunity. Has this happened to anyone else?

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  1. Anonymous

    OP: They reposted it on their website at a lower level and the third party site lists my role as closed. I've been calling and emailing and there's been no reply. I cancelled the move but still owe the deposit and partial payment. A friend asked questions internally and the company laid off some staff, cancelled roles and restructured others. There hasn't been any communication and that's been the hardest part. I understand that things happen but I wish the company at least extended the courtesy rather than ghosting me!

  2. Anonymous

    I think you need to get the information from the company directly before completely writing the entire thing off. The position could show closed because you got it and are supposed to start on the 27th. There could be another position that is listed at a lower level. ...these are just possibilities but until you get confirmation from the company that your offer has been rescinded I would not cancel everything. I would try and speak to someone today if you can.

  3. Anonymous

    I have and the lawyer needs communication that the offer has been pulled. He can't do anything until it's officially cancelled. The fact that they aren't communicating speaks volumes and avoids a pending lawsuit. I know a worker on the inside but she's hesitant to get involved for fear of her own position. She confirmed that the original role was cancelled internally while my JD was posted under a lower role and salary.

  4. Anonymous

    Have your lawyer call the company to get the info.

  5. Sue Gordon- retired Career Coach

    I agree with the lawyer comment. You signed the offer letter. They owe you something to reimburse the move. At least they should. I’m not a lawyer bit this is very wrong! Good luck!

  6. Anonymous

    Itemized your expenses for the move, any lost wages from leaving your prior job (if that applies) and all other fees and out of pocket expenses. Have an attorney write a demand letter outlining same with attached receipts and offer letter.

  7. Anonymous

    Wait, what? You accepted an offer, moved, and your friend that works there told you the position has changed to a lower salary? Walk into the HR dept on your first day and require in writing the job they offered changed. Go to the manager who hired you, call, email and show up. The front desk person has no right to get involved. Not their lane. All this sounds super shady.

  8. Anonymous

    The OP is posting here for HELP ADVICE. That is what we gladly provide if we have info to HELP not deter.

  9. GirlBossanova934974

    The most important question is did you resign from a job you held to get this other job? If not, I would cancel the move, pay any cancellation fees, and just restart your job search. Send this company the bill for the cancellation fees etc.. Hit them with a lawsuit if they don't pay or WRITE THE CEO of the company. Right now, the job market has turned VERY SLEAZY. The bad apples are all coming out from under their rocks. Some managers are using this job market to do things that might save the company a few bucks going in, but are going to cost the company dearly down the road. Don't be a victim. I have written to CEOS in the past when I have experienced things like this. IN all cases, I got my money in very short order and the bad apple or apples got a real butt chewing.....as in if you ever pull a stunt like this again, we will walk you out the door the next day..

  10. surfnwrite

    Where are you gettting this information that "the position was closed out and relisted for a lower-level title and substantial cut in salary"? From some job website? You need to talk to a live person about this and not assume that this listing is either correct or even has anything to do with the job you were hired for.

  11. Lori Laurito Betz

    Did you read the whole post? It doesn’t sound like they’re just going off a job website:

    “I still haven’t received anything from HR or the hiring manager despite my email & phone call inquiries.”
    “A friend is currently employed at the organization verified was transpired”

  12. Anonymous

    Reading the post doesn't explain where OP got this information originally. Only, that their friend confirmed.

    In my opinion the original position would've been closed when OP signed accepted the offer letter so is this a duplicate position or meant to b the position of someone reporting to OP?

  13. Barbara

    Um this sounds very fishy! You have a signed offer letter and nothing that tells you otherwise. Go to your new job. If things have changed they have to negotiate with you and make you whole.

  14. Anonymous

    Not the moving part, but yes, this has happened. Unfortunately, it feels like it's more common.

    Have you spoken with a live person yet to make sure your job is starting? Follow it up with emails. Has your friend helped give you the name of someone to call? Sometimes refreshed ads have nothing to do with you. If you've done all that and they're ghosting you, I'm glad you dodged a bullet. Document everything. Esp. if they signed the paperwork, you may want to contact a lawyer and see if you are eligible for damages (esp. for hiring movers and planning to leave).

    Contact your local bar association and find a database of employment / contract lawyers - see if anyone will give a free consultation to see if it's worth pursuing.

    Good luck.

  15. Anonymous

    Yes! I did go through something similar. Applied for a position and received a phone call that I got the job and that an offer was forthcoming. Knowing that this org takes forever to get paperwork through, I waited patiently for two months. Then out of the blue, I received a canned email telling me that I didn't get the position, thank you for applying, etc. I looked on the job board and saw that it had been re-listed as an unpaid internship. Thank heaven I did not submit my resignation letter, otherwise I would have been up a creek without a paddle.

    What annoys me is that during this time, I stopped my job hunt, and I could have used that precious time to continue to submit resumes and covers. I am in a highly toxic environment, and one more day here is one day too many.

  16. Debra Sesholtz

    Since no one has contacted you to tell you directly your position has changed, I would show up on your start date. Reach out to your hiring manager to ask about what to expect on day 1. If the position is now different than your signed offer, I would reach out to an employment lawyer for assistance.

  17. Anonymous

    Looks like it is ghosting “bait and switch offer or salary” they act suspicious by change title and salary. The company or middleman may have in habit to use the hiring quota to scam candidates.

    To protect yourself always make sure

    talk to a live person directly from hiring company, confirm your contract on paper, list the detail of employment that both you and company have agreed upon, you should have copy of it to show to lawyer.

  18. Liz Milne

    If the letter you signed has the correct details, you should either be covered or have a really good case against them? Maybe the lower paying position is a different job: now they've filled your position, they're getting lower level positions filled up?

  19. Anonymous

    Your salary is what is listed on your offer letter.

  20. Anonymous

    I'm sorry for what transpired for you. I am bit confused though. Did you get anything from the company to say that the job was rescinded? If you did then clearly the role is gone. Alternatively have they added another open role with a lower ranking to the team?

    If it were me I would write a letter to the CEO of the company. Let them know that in good faith you accepted their offer, prepared and spent some time and money and effort on a move and now you find out that there is a new role posted and that you need clarification so that you don't needlessly move. Ask if the role was rescinded and reposted lower or if the new role is in addition to what they hired you for. If you get no response you will have clarity but I suspect you will get an answer. Send an email as well as a registered letter. Rescindings do happen but the fact that you have not heard from HR or the hiring manager says it all. Don't just count on what your friend said unless they are in leadership. And through all of this you could also post your experience to glassdoor to warn others of this. I hope you did not quit another job for this one.

  21. Anonymous

    Also reach out to the CHRO. They deserve to give you a professional response.

  22. Anonymous

    The post was made on Saturday, so it's not clear when the OP first heard all of this and reached out. I would expect job postings to come down once a person was hired, but if the OP started trying to contact people even Friday afternoon, they could have left early for the weekend OR been in meetings related to the reorg. That tends to make things chaos at best for a while.

  23. GirlBossanova934974

    This is precisely why I recommended a lawsuit OR a letter to the company's CEO. Note the use of the word, OR. I have had similar things happen to me. I was unable to get the company to pay for $450 in interview expenses I had incurred. I called the HR manager and he laughed at me....."Heck, we owe half a dozen people who interviewed a whole lot more" were his words! We were all now being considered "creditors" with unsecured claims. HA HA HA! The next day, I sent a letter to the company's CEO telling him I would be applying for lien on his factory! HA HA HA! 2 days later, I got a letter from the CEO telling me here was my $450, a cashier's check, and everyone else had been paid...The HR Manager was following up with a letter of apology to everyone involved. HA HA HA! A year later, I was involved with a procurement that involved this company and another company. I went with the other company and the order was for $5 MILLION. How could I trust this company?

  24. Sue Gordon- retired Career Coach

    If she accepted an offer, and arranged a hire date and they rescinded very late in the process they are not upholding their end of the offer letter, which is considered a commitment. They knew she was moving per her original post. I acknowledge it may not be a contract, but they had a good faith agreement and she made an investment. So she should at least try. A lawyer can best advise as to possible recourse.

  25. Wanda

    Oh, my! How awful!! A company that's operating with even a shred of integrity would have gone through the proper channels - i.e.: (HR), to inform you that the offer was rescinded due to budget constraints. A letter would have been a marginal step, but you should have received a phone call, just out of principle.

    While I know this has cost you money and some amount of emotional pain, I feel that you were right and that you did dodge a bullet. It's feeble to say but please take heart. Another opportunity is on its way. All the best to you!

  26. Krystin Morgan

    Are you sure this impacts YOUR role? Or could they have posted an additional role at the lower salary? I would definitely reach out to clarify before assuming they've rescinded the role.

  27. CEJNYC

    Keep records. Your state may have an employment office that can tell you what your rights are in this situation since you have a signed offer letter. You may also want to hire an employment attorney - that offer letter is a binding contract. Talk to your accountant - you may be able to deduct the moving costs from your taxes.

  28. Jissette Lopez

    Any updates on this? Hoping for a positive outcome for you!

  29. Anonymous

    How would you even know this is what actually happened without hearing directly from the hiring manager if you signed an offer letter? Who sent you the offer? That is who I would contact directly. How would your friend know? Is she in HR or with the 3rd party system? Obviously not, per your post. I would still show up and find out for myself. If this is actually true, and this is what happened, then I would seek legal advice and/or representation

  30. Anonymous

    I think you should still be starting on the 27th, it does seem like your assuming a lot here. If they offer was not rescinded, and the HR company they use has not said anything, why do you believe they are not hiring you?

  31. Ambar Picon

    This is awful.

    Continue to make attempts to communicate with HR and/or manager. Show up to work as scheduled. Since there is no formal communication from your manager or HR, they can argue you no showed to work. Document everyone you speak to at the company. For example, get the receptionist name. Kindly insist to speak to someone at HR if the receptionist tries to turn you away. Don’t leave until someone else insists on you leaving. Of course after explaining you have an offer letter and nothing to the contrary. if turned away, get a lawyer and sue them for bait and switch practices.

    lastly, make a short video of you arriving and leaving the front entrance of the building. No need to do it inside, as that will cause a fuss.

  32. Anonymous

    OP: Update, I finally was able to get through to HR yesterday and the role has been pulled and reposted. The powers that be deemed the salary too high for the budget that year and decided to make cuts. They closed out the position and reposted it as a lower-level to justify a $40K difference in salary.

    I could tell that something was wrong but I'm still shocked by this lack of courtesy especially since they knew I was moving and the job started this week. It did not include moving compensation but I was willing to do so for the job.

    Be careful out there, as I'm finding that jobs aren't safe and I'm reconsidering agreeing to move in the future even with a confirmed offer. Thank you all for your help! I spoke to lawyer and since it's an at-will state, I was told it's not worth fighting as since I didn't start yet, they reevaluated what they needed and my role wasn't it.

  33. Anonymous

    Wow... But had you already terminated with your prior employer?? If so, The company that offered you a position has some responsibility here especially if you can't get your job back

  34. Anonymous

    OP: It is odd that you were creeping the career website. Are you holding back any little detail ? I am in recruiting. If I extended an offer letter to someone who accepted the offer through electronic mail or however you sent in the signed LEGAL document of employment, then you are still a starting employee. They need to LEGALLY rescind this offer and with reason. Go find a contingent lawyer, you will get compensated for loss wages.

  35. Nancy Cincotta

    “It’s odd that you were creeping the career website..”. Way to victim-shame.

  36. Katherine Fletchall

    As you are anonymous, can you please put them on blast here? There should be warnings against companies with such shady hiring practices.

  37. Anonymous

    I'm so sorry!!! As others have posted here, speak to an employment lawyer (consults are free for with 98% of them). A signed offer letter is a "contract". Itemize all your expenses. They owe you that money.

  38. Jennifer Tanner

    You don't make the details of what is going on with your situation very clear, but for you and anyone else who ever finds themselves in the position of having a tangible job offer yanked back after making financial moves to accommodate a job offer...

    IANAL (I am not a lawyer), however if you have documentation like a signed offer letter and can show the hiring company knew you relied on their promise of a specific position/salary/start date to make plans like leaving your old job/moving/incurring other expenses, the employer can be held accountable to honor those job offer terms or compensate you for your losses. It is possible to sue an employer for reneging on a job offer under the legal doctrine of promissory estoppel. If they really have pulled the rug out from under you and left you hanging, it's important that you talk to an employment attorney ASAP to discuss whether you have a case for promissory estoppel.

    Regardless, it is also important that you take steps to mitigate your financial losses (by finding a new job or keeping your current one, canceling the move, whatever makes sense for you, etc.). Especially if you have a suit-worthy case, a court wants to see a plaintiff who tried to minimize the damage to their own situation.

    An employment attorney who has experience with promissory estoppel can best advise if there's a decent chance of getting you compensated for your financial losses. Document everything you can and keep looking for the next opportunity in the meantime.

  39. Anonymous

    Did u leave the employment you had previously? I am usually not 12 recommend an attorney but I think you need a legal consult as soon as possible

  40. Anonymous

    Doesn't matter. A signed offer is a binding contract. And OP used that to base her decision on. The company knew it so the company is liable. They are in breach.

  41. Balanced124557

    That is horrible. I'd out the company on Glassdoor!

  42. Anonymous

    I have so many questions. If you never received an email or a phone call, then how did you learn this happened? You said that a friend "verified what transpired." Again, how did you first learn of this information? How do you know you still don't have a position? I'm so confused.

    I've worked for two very large, global organizations. Several of each company's departments would have the same job titles. Is the req# of the job post the same as your original application? Can you log into the candidate site to see the status of your application? It should detail that an offer was extended and accepted.

  43. Celena Barton

    I’d keep trying to reach out. Maybe they just wanted a junior position in addition to your own. Check your offer letter; there may be legal action you can take.

  44. Anonymous

    I don't have much to offer regarding advice, but I can tell you what happened to me and what I did. Years ago, I applied for a position, was hired (although they never sent me anything in writing - now I'm older and know better! ) and gave notice. ONE DAY before my scheduled move they contacted me and told me my position had been eliminated by corporate. I strongly suspect that the boss for the position I was leaving provided negative information about me to my new company (that industry is kind of inbred). I made the decision to go ahead and move; I put all my belongings in storage and stayed with a friend rather than taking the apartment that went with the position. I looked for a new job, hard, and had one within a few weeks. I then looked for another apartment and found one and moved - this was all within about a one-month span. I was only making maybe 3/4 of what I had expected to and it was not in my industry, but it was income, and it kept me from imposing on my friend any longer. It turned out that I liked the new job so much that I went to night school and got a certificate and made it my career, and now I've been in that field for almost thirty years. I was told I could have gone to the Department of Labor or possibly the EEOC over what happened to me, and probably gotten a Right to Sue letter, but at the time I was young and had no money for an attorney and no family to help me. You may want to contact them and see if that's an option for you. Best of luck.

  45. Catherine Carr

    If you can afford it, hire a lawyer and sue them for breach of contract. Or hire a lawyer and get them to write a letter threatening to sue them for breach of contract, because that's precisely what they did to you.

  46. Anonymous

    Gen Z in the House ?

  47. Anthony T. Brooks

    Good morning Anonymous, I have not had this experience, however the process does sound familiar. If not that much time has passed this is what I would do; call and email HR and the Hiring Manager advising them that you accepted the position, what occurred and that you still would like the 'job'. If some time has passed at the very least post your experience & ratings on job boards. This might alert persons within their organization that improvement is needed and also inform prospective employees of the company's culture.

  48. Catherine Carr

    Aha! An "at will" state...sorry to hear that. Thanks for the update and I agree, the job market is changing and suffers from dehumanizing behaviour like this more and more. The almighty bottom line takes precedence!

  49. Anthony T. Brooks

    Hello Molly, I think this was a real person.

  50. LORI-ANN BURLINGAME

    Seek legal counsel -- the signed offer letter may be viewed as a contract and it appears that the company may have breached it.

    Be strong and empower yourself!

  51. Sue

    That’s so hard … I had signed everything and had a schedule and the offer was suddenly withdrawn .. I never could get a straight answer from the hiring agency …

  52. Anonymous

    Glad you were able to get closure, do post on glassdoor about your experience to warn others about this company and be detailed, as long as you have no intention of going there in future. Also most companies will give you 3-6 months to move and if you are doing a self move it is very wise to not move until you have been at the company past the 90 day period. Good luck in finding a worthy employer who will not put you through this mess. As you interview you can surely share that you had an offer from a company but that they decided to not move ahead because of budgets if anyone asks why you are out of work.

  53. Regina Brown

    You were given an offer...in writing...you accepted...the payment in writing still stands.

    They can be sued...

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