Managers! Would you retract my job offer?

[WaroftheWorlds]

I have been offered a great job, in a brand new field but my experience is really transferable. I am literally so excited. They have even upped the starting salary for me.

But I have been really unlucky health wise in the last year, and had two extended periods of sickness absence due to two unrelated and one off issues that both needed surgery. Once surgery in both cases was complete, I was cured but one absence was for three weeks and one was for just over 2 weeks both for recovery. Both had sicknotes.

On top of this I had three days off with a cold and one day with a chest infection. Both highly unusual. I am not normally a sick person.

If they check my sickness prior to this, it is fine. Go back three years agd it is clear.

The last extended absence was November into December.

I plan to give notice tomorrow, but thought it would be a good idea to phone up their HR Department and tell them, so that it isn't found out via a reference when I have already given notice and am vulnerable.

My performance in my current job is good and I am positive the rest of my reference will be good, but the sickness is high.

Managers in larger, established organisations, (think civil service ) , would you retract an offer based on that sickness?

Do you not need to wait to hand your notice in until all your checks with new job are okayed?

I wouldn’t retract automatically but would be wary.

They have sent me an offer letter and contract, but said it is subject to satisfactory references.

Don’t give your notice until they’ve had the references.

What is your current employer’s policy on providing references?

The last couple of places I’ve worked (large multinationals) would only confirm dates of employment, and declined to give any further detail on performance, sickness etc.

You might be worrying for no reason.

Agree. Don’t give in your notice.

Don't give notice until everything is confirmed. That's standard isn't it?

You could end up with no job otherwise!

They are really keen for me to start, and I have a longer notice period of two months.

I was thinking if I was straight up with thf hiring manager and open, and willing to be subject to an OH screening, then this would be better. I gave seen others with high sicknesd have job offers retracted, and I don't want rock the boat at work with a notice that I may have to try and retract later.

Sorry! Typos, gotta a big seven year old sitting on me.

Given the information you have supplied now, no I wouldn't rescind your offer.

If I just had a reference saying you had had 30 days sick leave without explanation I would not be impressed.

Yes I agree that being up front is the right thing to do and offering an OH screen would be a good sign you are not constantly having sick leave too.

Most references I've ever seen will not state any detail expect last job title and dates you worked there.

I work in public sector HR. That sickness for 2 discrete surgeries wouldn't cause us to withdraw an offer.

As others have said do not hand your notice in if you have a conditional offer. That would be the advise to anyone regardless of health issues. I've know conditional offers change because of changes in companies, loss of funding etc. You need a firm job offer.

In the circumstances you've described I wouldn't automatically retract a job offer but I might have referred to an occupational health expert.

Okay, I will call them in the morning. Thank you. I feel a bit more relieved 😌

I was in a similar situation last month. However I was able to find my company reference policy on the intranet and it stated that they would only confirm job title and employment dates so I decided not to disclose to my new job.

I would suggest checking the policy at your current place as they might not disclose it so I wouldn't volunteer the info.

I don't understand this advice. Surely you have to hand your notice in in order to get references? If you don't, and the new employer phones your current one and asks for a reference, they're going to be very confused and probably pissed off you didn't tell them you were leaving. Surely you hand in your notice as soon as you get the job? References are a protocol with pretty much every job offer, you'd have to have done something incredibly bad to fail them.

But no, I wouldn't rescind an offer. People can't help being ill or needing treatment. I don't think your current employer would even mention that in a reference as they'd probably be wary of being accused of discrimination.

From an HR/Recruitment perspective:

• our background checks are extensive and take months. Therefore all candidates resign and start before they are complete
• we have never rescinded and offer based on references
• if there were issues we would discuss them with the candidate. Sometimes it doesn't work out in the end but we do always try to make it work
• our standard policy is dates only, even when we've had ridiculous cases: fake cancer, paying for household expenses on work credit card, assault.

If worried I would call HR to explain but for us it 100% wouldn't be an issue. People get sick, it's life, we wouldn't even dream of pulling an offer for this.

Good luck

I've recruited 100's of people and literally never been given details of sick days. Check what your current employers policy is. A discreet word with HR should clear it up before you give notice.

Yes call them and explain but DO NOT hand in your notice until you have an unconditional offer of employment - I say this as someone who has been burnt making that mistake!

I think you're worrying unnecessarily. Congrats on what sounds like a great opportunity!

Do not hand in your notice until you have an unconditional offer of employment. No employer would expect you to resign from your current job until your job offer is fully confirmed and all checks have been completed. Yes, in some sectors recruitment checks take months but that does not change anything. Offering your resignation at this stage is a risk. You might be willing to take that risk. I wouldn’t.

I recruit lots of staff and advise to NEVER formally hand in your notice (in writing) until you have a final unconditional offer.
You can let your current line manager know verbally plus you should have already asked if they would provide a reference for you.
If you handed in your notice prior to the unconditional offer and had a serious accident/illness neither party would have to employ you .

But how does that work in practice?

‘I won’t resign until I have an unconditional offer’
New employer: ‘I’m afraid we can’t give you that until we’ve had your references’

So what, do you go back to your current employer and ask them to give references to this new employer? But if they ask if you’re resigning you say no? I can’t see how it’s workable to hold off resigning until you get references. How do you get references without telling your employer you’re leaving?

I've never had to disclose sick days but I would check your company policy just to be sure

snout
Verbally tell your employer you have a new job and put in a written resignation once you have the unconditional offer.
It has to be in writing