To turn down a job last minute

[ACCx]

Hi all, I posted last night in regards to my career dilema. Basically i have to make a decsion between staying at my current place of work (up in the air as to where ill be redeployed to but likely to be WFH) or to start a new job ive been offered. Alot of you said to stick with my current job due to the hours being more suitable around DD and the fact ive been there a good while and have sick pay. The issue im having is, if i do decide to stick with my current job how would i go about telling the new employer. Im due to start next week and theyre expecting me. :( I know it is unreasonable to do this last minuite, however i need advice and suggestions. I really wanted to take this new job as it is more of a career, however there is no sick pay, hours are longer and would mean DD being in breakfast AND afterschool club.

I’m sorry I didn’t read your previous post but have you resigned from your current position? How were you intending to start with both companies expecting you?

Have you accepted the new job?
Have you resigned from the old job?
What is your resignation period? Your new employers must surely expect you to have a notice period?
If you are not going to take/start the new job, let pthem know ASAP, so they can contact other interviewees.

No sick pay in the new job?! Why not - is it zero hours?

Just decide for sure and, if you decide not to take the new job, inform the recruiting organisation asap.

No I have no notice period currently I have already checked this. We are able to leave with immediate effect if we wish. Yes I have accepted the new job. If I took it I’d be leaving current job. @Hunderland sorry they have SSP that is all. I’m not used to this though as my current job offers full sick pay.

Honestly I'd think you were bonkers to give up full sick pay and a job that works around your child.

@SituationCritical you’re probably right! I think I was just trying to become more ‘successful’ but at a cost :(

You still seem to be wavering about what to do.

If so, post a link to your other thread?

And post the pros and cons of the old vs new job eg pay, the roles

For example, if pay is much higher in the new job, prospects are better and you don’t take much sick leave, that could well outweigh the lower pay if off sick.

@Dozer here is a link to last nights thread. If there’s anything missed out please just ask. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4441764-To-let-this-opportunity-go?msgid=113834909

@Eternallyfrazzled It would be expensive yes. I pay around £80 a month for breakfast club currently, but would be around £170 a month if I took the new job. The hourly rate is about the same in both jobs, however new job is more hours Mon-Fri and every other Saturday. There is more room for progression in the new job yes. I have just posted a link to last nights thread which probably has more of the pros and cons. X

Thanks for the link.

You say hourly pay is similar with both jobs but that working hours are more in the new job, which presumably mean new job pays more overall and would build up more pension?

Are you single? If not, presume your DP’s wages would subsidise the additional childcare and that they would do some weekday parenting.

If you’re not married, then the job with more hours and progression prospects is likely the better option.

How many hours is the new job - full time?

Sick pay needn’t be a big consideration IMO unless you have a known health problem or health risks likely to mean a lot of sick leave, in which case much comes down to your manager and employer’s absence policies rather than sick pay anyway.

Similarly, lots of parents work full time and DC are fine in childcare.

I’ve been here and honestly I concluded that I’d be a fool to leave, when my work made me a great offer last minute. I called to tell the person in charge but they were on leave and I was told to email them. I was so apologetic but I never even got a reply!! I did the right thing staying, my pension, leave, sick pay situation are all better at current job.

Too difficult to tell without knowing what the old job and new job are. The new job would need to have serious progression prospects for you to choose it, based upon the info given.

Looked at your previous post. In my view, it's a no brainer to say in your current post.

In terms of telling the new company, did you get the job through an agency? (If so get them to do it). If you got the job direct, my approach would depend on whether you mind if you burn your bridges - if you do (i.e. you might want to work there again) then you should probably the person who recruited you in person/by phone. If you're not bothered, do it by email. For both options, follow up with a formal letter by post.

The message is the same either way:

"Unfortunately, due to unforseen personal circumstances, I am now unable to take up my position of employment with you. I thank you for considering me for this role and apologise for the short notice and inconvenience"

Just tell them and apologise. Own it. It's better than starting then leaving straight away.

Thanks @Dozer, Yes I have a DP and the hours are more (fulltime mon-fri and every other Saturday) so more money, however I would be covering the extra childcare with my wages as DP already pays the majority of the household bills. (He works 48 hours a week so wage is alot better than mine) You make a good point about having the more sucessful job if im not married.

Disagree that it’s a ‘no brainer’ to stay in current job.

New job pays more (more hours) and has better prospects, for example.

Current job sounds like risk of redundancies.

@kerosene20 That's interesting. My current employer is redeploying people due to lack of business in current role. So I could end up somewhere different (WFH) but under the same company. If that makes sense. So there is a risk of that happening, and me not getting a great redeployment oppurtunity.
@HTH1 current job is just standard customer service (call centre), new job is customer service in property, so could turn into a higher role in property.

@KiloWhat @Trodonplug good advice, thank you!

@Dozer

Disagree that it’s a ‘no brainer’ to stay in current job.

New job pays more (more hours) and has better prospects, for example.

Current job sounds like risk of redundancies.

Agree, the lack of certainty in the current role would worry me.

Yes that is a worry to. Its unlikely we'd be made redundant as now were able to WFH there's a high chance they'll ship us off somewhere else (they have already done this to many staff) but no one really knows what will happen.

I'm sort of in the same position as you. Currently in a role I do enjoy with great benefits, (fab pension, full sick pay/ maternity etc) but I really want to do something different now. I will possibly be going back to a previous job in April (for same company) that I hate so I have been looking to see what else is out there and I have got quite excited about a change but other jobs don't have the same benefits and I'm completely stuck at what to do 🙈

@Yuppie20 Yes definatley some similarites there! Its very hard to decide on what to do for the best. :(