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here are few workplace If you haven’t been told why the
situations more dispiriting
than being offered a job, offer was pulled, you need to try
accepting it, and then having
Tthe offer taken away. But if it to find out. At the very least, the
happens, you need to face up to the
situation and take a practical, rational company owes you an explanation.
approach to dealing with it. You might
even decide it’s for the best in the long run.
Can they do this?
It feels wrong and unfair. Laws about such
practices will vary widely based on your
organisation’s location — in some going there. Other possibilities are that the tempting as it may be. Even with all this,
countries it is legal to rescind a job offer company is chaotic and disorganised, that you need to think about what might
for almost any reason; in others much less it discovered a candidate it liked more, or happen if it all goes wrong. In an ideal
so. You should seek legal advice in your that the company was not certain about world, you have applied for multiple jobs
jurisdiction as you may have options, you. In all these situations, you may have and have a fallback offer.
particularly if there is any element of had a lucky escape. They were not playing
discrimination involved. You may also be straight with you, so you might be better What if I have no fallback position?
able to claim back any significant expenses off elsewhere. It’s not the end of the world. You can look
you have incurred in preparing to take the for another job; try your hand at
job. Otherwise, you need to look at how Did they discover something in consulting, contract work, or self-
you are going to cope with this setback. your past? employment; talk to your network about
If you haven’t been told why the offer This is unlikely but possible. If so, you are opportunities; or try something
was pulled, you need to try to find out. At unlikely to have a legal comeback. An completely different. You might also take
the very least, the company owes you an example might be that you failed a some time off to take stock or travel. There
explanation. Also, knowing the reason criminal background check, have a is no rule that says you have to go from one
informs what you do next. bankruptcy on file, or have a poor credit job to another.
history. You could also have failed a drug
Have you resigned? test (although drug tests can give positives Moving on from the situation
If you haven’t resigned from your current for reasons other than drug abuse — A rescinded job offer is very unlikely to
role, then things are easier. You stay at your famously, eating poppy seeds can give ever be unrescinded. Look at where you
existing job and look for another new job positive results for opioid use). Another might have gone wrong or made poor
should you wish to do so. However, if you reason is that you have misrepresented choices and learn from your mistakes.
have resigned, all may not be lost. If the your background. Obviously, if you have Then move on. You probably don’t want to
resignation was amicable or your lied about your education, this is pretty cut work for an organisation that does this sort
employer tried to get you to stay, you could and dried. But there may be shades of grey of thing — so focus your energies on
ask to come back. That said, it’s hard to — for instance, if you have put too much finding a job with a better company. ■
return once you’ve made the decision to gloss on a previous role, you got a bad
leave, so you might suggest that you reference, or perhaps an internet search
consult, provide cover for your old role, or revealed ill-advised social media posts. Visit the Global Career Hub from
ask for something different. In fact, even if AICPA & CIMA for help with finding a
you haven’t resigned, you may have How can I protect myself? job or recruiting.
“mentally left”. You should not only get the job offer in
writing but also get details of what
Is it them or you? happens if the offer is rescinded. You
It is possible something happened at the should supply a prospective employer Rhymer Rigby is an FM magazine
company after you were offered the job. with references whom you have spoken to, contributor and author of
For example, finances might have taken a delete any questionable social media The Careerist: Over 100 Ways to Get
turn for the worse, or the business on posts, and so on. Wait until you have Ahead at Work. To comment on this
which the job offer was based was lost. passed all the company’s checks before article or to suggest an idea for
These are legitimate reasons to rescind the you resign from your current job — and another article, contact
offer — and if the organisation’s fortunes when you do, be professional and Andrew Adamek at Andrew.Adamek@
are waning, you might not want to be amicable. Never burn your bridges, aicpa-cima.com.

FM-MAGAZINE.COM April 2022 I FM MAGAZINE I 35