Job Etiquette

Guffrey

Alright, so as some of you may remember from a previous thread, I've been job hunting. My current job pays extremely well for me, but its just part time work. Furthermore, my department is severely understaffed, and its been making for an extremely stressful workplace. They seem to have been stalling putting me on full time (I've been asking and applying for different positions for almost a month now). I feel it is because of the understaffed problem. However, I am getting married in a few months, and needed to be full time yesterday.

So I found a new job. I took a slight pay cut, but got my full time hours. I havent signed anything. I went in for an interview, got sent to the store manager for another interview. The next day I got a call telling me when orientation is. Everything seems good.

Except, I got a message from my current job this morning. It was one of the assistant store managers, saying he wanted to talk to me. I cant remember if he used the word "offer", but I feel they are going to offer me a full time position, and possibly a pay raise.

Herein lies the problem. If I can get out of my current department, I feel a lot of my work stress would go away. It wouldnt be perfect of course, but I feel it would drastically improve. Furthermore, again depending on the amount of money, I feel I could tough it out the apx. one more year I plan to be there. My question is, if they literally make me an offer I would be dumb to refuse, is it considered a total dick move to back out of the new job I have lined up? Thanks.

Thanatos

Backing out pre-orientation is a minor dick move, but keep in mind that if they thought it helped their bottom line, you'd be out on your ass. Fuck 'em.

Of course, you should actually get a solid commitment from your current company before doing that. There's a good chance they're just trying to see how long they can keep you working there part-time.

Dark Moon

You haven't signed anything and, by the sounds of things, haven't actually officially stated you'll take the new job yet. Simply call up the manager and say you are no longer interested in the position, being nice and thanking them for considering you, and take the offer you can't refuse at your current employer. Even if the new employer does take offense, you've signed no contract, and surely getting the superior job for yourself is more important than displeasing a manager at a job you're not working at?

We've had people back out of fairly high level positions at my current employer a week after they started, and while the managers certainly weren't pleased they didn't take any particular offense to this and the people left on fairly cordial terms (considering the circumstances).

Guffrey

Well, I officially put in my two weeks notice this last Thursday. I talked to a different assistant store manager, he asked if there was anything to do to keep me, and I told them most likely not, but joked about full time work and a raise. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I am well liked at my job, and believe they actually do want to keep me. But yes, I already thought of telling them I need an actual commitment on whatever they are offering, including the day I would start full time.

And yes, at the core of this I realize I should do whats best for me and the soon to be wife, even if that includes pissing someone off I dont actually work for yet. I was just interested in bouncing ideas off of this place, as I've never gotten bad advice before. Thanks for the quick replies.

Zoel

If you've been trying to get jobs that you're qualified from for this company for over a month then the fact that they only responded to you once you got an entirely new job offer would seem to be a bad sign. (That of course, assumes they knew you were getting offered/looking for a new job-- you used your current employer as a reference, ja?)

It's kind of unpleasant to have to look for a new job every time your current employer is trying to shaft you on hours, salary, or using benefits that you were otherwise promised. In fact, it kind of defeats the whole purpose of being employed, since working is what you do instead of looking for work (or food.)

Then again, there might be other aspects to an otherwise crummy situation with a company that can make it worth it. Amicable co-workers, for example, are more or less rare depending on what sort of work you do.

Guffrey

Yeah, I'll admit the fact I feel they have strung me along pisses me off to no end. Here is the situation. I am on the freight team for a home improvement store. We are responsible for stocking all the freight that comes in on the pallets. We are also "in season", which means we are getting hit hard. We are a team of three. So while it pisses me off, I guess I can also see why from their point of view it made sense.

And honestly, as far as I know the first job I applied for is still open. The second one got filled, seemingly by bad luck. So really it could be just as much bad timing as them actually screwing me over.

Cauld

As far as backing out of a new job: I think its fine, but you have to consider you probably won't get another job at that place in the future. If you're ok with that, then its fine.

That's kind of the approach I take with most things job related. So long as you're not in a small field/community where information gets around then I think of it in terms of information management (or something like that). If you leave your job without 2 weeks notice or before you've worked there a decent amount of time, you have to know you can't use them as a reference in the future. If that's ok, then its ok. etc.

Also, I don't think one month is a real long time if they have a formal application process. That being said there should have been interviews and the like and they should have kept you informed of the process, as they should any applicant. If they didn't then you're obviously not that important to them.

ApexMirage

You could just tell your new potential employer that you're considering a better offer from your current employer, and that you simply need more time before you formally accept or reject the position (Give them a timeframe so they dont feel strung along either). This in turn allows you to keep the option open if you're not actually getting a better offer, since declining the new position and being stuck part time would be a lose-lose situation for you.

RoundBoy

I'll bring this up as I have seen it happen twice now. You give your current employer your two week notice.. they counter with everything you wanted (more money, better job, etc).

You forgo your job search and stay with your current company. 1 to some months later, you are fired. The company knows you are leaving, but they want it to be on THEIR timeframe, rather then the 2 weeks you gave them. They can offer you a big raise, because you won't be there long enough to collect the full amount.

You just gave them a relaxed timeframe to find your replacement, or decide if your position is worth keeping. if you were that indispensable or awesome, they would have already offered you full time/ better pay when you asked, not when you told them you were leaving.

You might get a legitimate offer, but how fucked are you if they do the above ?