My job offer was rescinded after I quit — can I sue? (2024)

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Published Feb. 14, 2024, 10:11 a.m. ET

My job offer was rescinded after I quit — can I sue? (1)

I accepted a job offer and resigned from my current position. My new employer has since rescinded the job offer — and now I am out of both jobs. Can I sue them? Or can I rescind my resignation from my current employer?

Yes, you can sue, but you are unlikely to prevail in the lawsuit against your former future employer unless they rescinded the offer for unlawful reasons.

You may have better luck asking your current employer if you can stay, but that would require a deft touch and a lot of explaining.

Why did you tell them you were leaving in the first place?

Hopefully, you didn’t tell your boss to take the job and shove it.

Perhaps don’t volunteer that the job offer was rescinded.

Explain that, upon further reflection, you would like an opportunity to discuss staying and potential career paths so they believe you want to remain with them and won’t be looking for a new opportunity again soon.

3

I’ve been in the job market for six months and — nothing. After 25 years of a successful career in marketing, I can’t even get an interview. I’m 55, not 75! I’m depressed and about to give up and just drive for Uber to make ends meet. Any advice?

This sounds easier said than done, but my first advice is don’t get discouraged — six months for a search at this stage in your career is not unusual.

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Maybe you need a new strategy.

Take a short break from the search to regroup.

3

Take a look at what you’ve done and how you’ve gone about doing it, and seek advice from someone in your network who is employed.

You can even reach out to your alma mater even these many years later for advice on how you are conducting your job search.

If you give up, then you are guaranteed to stay unemployed.

3

And if you need to make money in the meantime, of course do what you have to do.

Maybe even temp or freelance if you can — that’s another path to a full-time job.

Gregory Giangrande has over 25 years of experience as a chief human resources executive. Hear Greg Wed. at 9:35 a.m. oniHeartRadio 710 WOR with Len Berman and Michael Riedel. Email: GoToGreg@NYPost.com. Follow:GoToGreg.comand on Twitter: @GregGiangrande

My job offer was rescinded after I quit — can I sue? (2024)

FAQs

My job offer was rescinded after I quit — can I sue? ›

Yes, you can sue, but you are unlikely to prevail in the lawsuit against your former future employer unless they rescinded the offer for unlawful reasons.

Can you sue for a rescinded job offer? ›

If you accepted a job offer and the employer rescinded it (took it back) before you started work, you might have legal claims for breach of contract, promissory estoppel, or even fraud.

What to do if job offer is rescinded? ›

What to do if your job offers gets rescinded
  1. Request feedback. ...
  2. Remain neutral when communicating. ...
  3. Give yourself time to process. ...
  4. Consider your options. ...
  5. Don't resign until your new offer is official. ...
  6. Make sure all the information you share is correct. ...
  7. Get ahead of your background check. ...
  8. Related articles.
Nov 29, 2023

Can you sue for not being offered a job? ›

Yes, an individual can sue for failure to hire discrimination even if they were not the most qualified candidate. The focus of the lawsuit is on proving that the employer's decision was based on discriminatory motives rather than solely on qualifications.

Is it legal for a company to rescind a job offer after accepting? ›

The decision to rescind a job offer must be permitted under applicable law. The following are examples of situations where an employer may wish to rescind a job offer: The candidate fails a legally required drug test. The company can no longer afford to hire a new employee due to budget cuts or financial instability.

Is it unprofessional to rescind a job offer? ›

Although potential employees might not like to hear that the offer has been rescinded, they would still understand that there has been a valid reason for the withdrawal of an employment offer. On the other hand, not providing valid reasons for rescinding a job offer to a potential candidate is unprofessional.

Do employers have to honor an offer letter? ›

However, nothing is legally binding until an employment contract is signed. Employment contracts allow everything in the offer letter to be legally binding.

Can a job offer be rescinded due to negotiation? ›

Job offers aren't normally rescinded due to negotiating. There are ways to avoid losing a job offer, but some things may be out of your control. Don't let fear stop you from negotiating and advocating for yourself. Always negotiate no matter what.

What if I have no response after verbal job offer? ›

Employers will ideally give an expected timeline for receiving the written offer, but if one is not immediately offered, you may need to request one through a call or email. Continued communication will highlight your level of interest and eagerness, in addition to demonstrating gratitude for the initial verbal offer.

Can an employer rescind a job offer because of bad credit? ›

If an employer conducts a credit check and finds a number of red flags, such as high levels of debt, bankruptcy, or a history of late payments, they may reconsider their decision to offer you the job. Although it may seem unfair, it's legal in many states for employers to take this action.

Can you sue for false job offer? ›

Your employer may have intentionally misled you to get you to take the job. As an employee, you might ask, Can I sue my employer for false promises? As a California employee, you have rights. If your employer has made false promises, you may be able to sue them and seek compensation.

How to prove unfair hiring practices? ›

In theory, this could be done by doing statistical research on the employer to show a pattern of rejecting qualified individuals if they are Hispanic or female, for example. The other, less common method of proving illegal hiring practices would be with direct evidence.

Can you sue a company for rejecting you? ›

Learn when you might have a legal claim arising from an employer's decision not to hire you. Can you sue an employer because you weren't hired – or because of things the employer said or did during the hiring process? In some situations, the answer is "yes." However, these claims can be tough to win.

Can you sue a company for withdrawing a job offer if? ›

To recover against a former prospective employer on a theory of promissory estoppel in the job offer rescission context, the spurned employee must prove: (1) there was a clear and definite promise of employment by the employer; (2) the employer made the promise with the expectation the employee would rely upon it; (3) ...

How to respond to a rescinded job offer sample? ›

Dear [NAME], Thank you for the email about the change of heart. I'm disappointed to hear that I was not selected for the [JOB TITLE] position, especially after the position was promised to me in an official job offer letter. As you can imagine, I have passed on other opportunities to pursue a future with [COMPANY].

What if I don't get a response after accepting job offer? ›

If you don't receive a reply, you could also consider calling their office or contacting someone else in the HR department. Additionally, it could be worthwhile to reach out directly to the hiring manager if you have their contact information. Email again.

Can a job offer be rescinded for bad credit? ›

If an employer conducts a credit check and finds a number of red flags, such as high levels of debt, bankruptcy, or a history of late payments, they may reconsider their decision to offer you the job. Although it may seem unfair, it's legal in many states for employers to take this action.

Can an employer rescind a job offer after a background check? ›

If a background check reveals information that a company deems inappropriate, then they might rescind an offer. This reason could include incorrect or misleading information on the original application.

Can you sue a recruiter for lying? ›

In addition to recruiter liability for discrimination, re- cruiters can be held liable under traditional tort theo- ries. One example is civil fraud. The way such a claim would arise is that a recruiter knowingly made a mate- rial misrepresentation of fact which induced a candi- date to accept a job.

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