New job alarm bells

[Winterwonderlandisicy]

I’ve recently been offered a new job after my ftc ended. I have some concerns about the new job.

I was told the job was working from home but on the contract it states the place of work is location X . This is 2 hours drive each way from where I live.

Also included in the contract was a clause for clawing back the recruitment fee plus VAT in the event I leave. This is about £15,000.

In addition I was sent a medical questionnaire with about 50 highly invasive questions on it. There was also an added threat that if you don’t disclose everything and they find out you will be disciplined or dismissed.

I’m worried about this because I have a disability and I get the feeling the questioning at a later date will be highly intrusive.

The employer then decided to google me and found I’d done some work during the Covid period when my employer couldn’t afford to pay me, work was on hold and I was furloughed. The director said this was a conflict of interest and raised it with the recruiter.

The work which I did for a temp basis was over 2 years ago and the paperwork which was visible in public domain clearly indicated that this work was no longer being undertaken. The company were also told I was made redundant during Covid and this was agreed with former employer during Covid.

The director did not check the paperwork before making a serious accusation. It felt like I was being stabbed in the back before I’ve even started.

Would all these things raise alarm bells with you?

I’m at final interview stage for another job. The interview is next week. This is using another agent. The company has been told I have a job offer and if they want to offer I will need to know within 72 hours max. I’ve worked with this company historically for 6 years so stand in a good position.

YANBU - alarm bells are ringing don’t take the job

YABU - take the job

Trust your gut and don’t take it up. I had similar red flags before starting a new job, but decided to ignore them due to me needing to change location of work.

on the first day at work, I realised what a huge mistake I’d made, and left 6 months later

Walk away.
Something's not right. There's a lot of somethings not right about your post, but if you're this uncomfortable before you start then don't start.

I would either try and renegotiate that contract or walk away. The contracted office bit I find a bit awkward. I worked for a company where all individuals were aligned to their nearest office but could work from home. The work from home bit is simply a verbal agreement though and if at any time they wish to make you work from the office you are contracted to work in then they have every right to do so. And on this occasion they did. They had a large team of people all working from home and then one Friday night stated everyone had to be in the office at X location. People literally just handed their notices in that week because it was not doable for them.

I work from home, but my contract states I work from home (I specifically negotiated this). What this also means is if they want me to go to office they have to pay my expenses. The last time I went it was £150 in train fares, taxi's and parking.

Regarding the recruitment costs - that's just barmy. This should be between the company and the recruitment company - not involve you at all.

I definitely wouldn't take that job!

Heck no, I would not touch this company with a barge poll. I was in HR for years and never saw anyone try and clawback recruitment fees. Big red flag.

I'd defininitely get the recruitment fee clause taken out.

Clawbacks for training are not unusual. A clawback for just leaving? Sounds as if they have a major staff retention issue, know it, and haven't done anything to address it.

The WFH issue is common - many employers allow you to work from home but put the base office in your contract. Which is irritating because it blocks you from the tax relief.

I understand your discomfort over the medical questions - medical screeners aren't actually that unusual, but they tend to go to a third party screening company just to check you are fit to do the job. It would be odd if it went back to the employer directly.

The googling suggests a low trust culture, which together with the clawback cause sets all kinds of alarm bells ringing.

It sounds like the shine has already started to come off this opportunity, and you haven't even started yet. Imagine how you'll feel about it one week in, when even more gloss comes away? I don't think this is a good place to work if you can avoid it, OP.

You've been through the wars previously, and I suspect another shitty job would not be great for your self-esteem. You deserve to find a much better employer for your next move.

Run like the wind.

The worst part for me is googling you and admitting to it! Seriously?!

The whole paying back your recruitment fee smacks of a workplace with a very high turnover. Which in turn rings alarm bells.

Holy moly, run for the hills and don't look back!

The only slightly ok part of all of this is the location, and even then I'd want that changed to reflect that it's a remote-working position.

Good luck with your other opportunity, from the little you've said it sounds like the better option!

I think there are a lot of possible red flags.

However first step would be to push back on things you don't like in contract and as added bonus will give you more time.

If you do have to consider them - I know it will cost money but consider seeking some legal advice - as we found when DH was being made redundant and got sent to employment lawyer - it turns out a lot of what was in his employment contract was completely unenforceable under UK law - they were waving some of the more egregious terms but solicitor just laughed and said it wasn't enforceable so of course they were.

It's is apparently fairly common occurrence - and while MN often say well it was in your contract so you have to - turns out it really does depend - so may well be worth paying for some advice before signing - if at all possible.

Are the medical q's through a third party occupational health firm? If so, that's normal for a pre-employment medical. The personal info you give us read by a medic (nurse usually).
They issue a fit-for-work certificate, if you need accommodations like a special chair they define and recommend them. If your conditions can't be accommodated (ie, epilepsy in a high risk strobing environment) they will not issue a fit certificate and you won't be hired.
Either way, the employer is told one of:

Fit to work, no accommodations needed
Fit to work with reasonable accommodations
Not fit to work in this role.

They don't get any specifics and everything is confidential to the OH provider.

I'd play for time with the clarifications on work location etc as PPs have suggested whilst you have this next interview. Hopefully you'll get that job and can say no thanks to the current offer (which does sound pretty off)

It's quite normal for employers to check out prospective new employers on:

• LinkedIn
• Social media
• Google

It would be odd not to check someone out in this day and age for a £80k/year position (working on the recruitment agency fee being c. 15% of salary), it's basic due diligence.

it is not normal to claw back money from the recruiter not the talent. That is ridiculous and says a lot about their negotiation with the agency. That should be paid back on a pro Rata basis by agency or the invoice paid at the end of your probation depending on if you pass probation or leave.

where you work is important, I’ve been stung in my role by not paying attention to the contract because the advert was remote and in the office. The manager likes us in the office🤷🏾‍♀️

mention these and ride it out and fingers crossed for the other role.

i have never seen a crecuitment fee clawback for an employee.

Training or sign on bonus/relocation - yes - as you GET this money, then could in theory repay it.

but if you leave in a week, you'd have earned £1000 and have to repay £15k! madness. (i assume 15k is based on a £60k salary - 25% or so of annual salary is normal for recruiters in some industries)

Absolutely do not take this job. I had joined a company in the spring. I had been through a recruiter who basically put me (round peg) into a square hole. I didn't get a contract when I started and for the first time in my career I trusted this company to put in writing what we had agreed. They didn't. They changed the whole job. I am also disabled and as it is a autoimmune condition I didn't volunteer that information. They deliberately informed everyone of my condition. Apparently a language mistake.
I had no choice but to accept my job was cancelled or sign their shockingly inferior contract. It cost me bonus from my previous employer to join them. Les Bastards.

I’m contacting a former employee . Will report back what they say

God, run, don't walk, away!! If you're getting this blowback from them now imagine how bad it'd be when you're officially working for them! They sound bloody awful.

The intrusive medical questions would be the decider for me.
I mean, all of it sounds difficult but no company has the right to know your whole medical history.
I would be very, very wary about taking this position.

Wow. That's outrageous. It absolutely isn't anyone's right either to know someone else's medical history - nor to announce it to all and sundry on top of that.

Les Bastards, indeed.

Absolutely listen to your gut that is rightly screaming at you not to take this job.

Have you proof of the accusation of wrong doing?

After rejecting the job I would be formalising on paper a complaint about the accusation of dishonesty.

I would NOT let that go.

Every single time throughout my life, when I have ignored my gut instinct, it has bitten me extremely firmly on the arse. All of your senses are telling you to not accept that role. You have other options and you know what even if you didn’t i’d still be saying, don’t take that role..

I have been using recruiters on a weekly basis for the last 25 years, and never once has that clause been included because you cannot charge an employee, a recruitment fee it’s illegal.

Hell no, follow your gut but I’d not touch this job. The recruitment clause is a no no never ever seen that. Never mind the other things I think you know this is something you shouldn’t touch ...imagine once you are working for them.