What are the repercussions , if any ?

[Overtired201984]

Hypothetically speaking.

You accept a job , direct from the employer , verbally , haven’t yet signed a contract , but then over a week later your current employer offers a counter offer to keep you !

Are there any repercussions if you then tell the company you are not taking the job , and don’t and haven’t signed the contract , just said yes over the phone?

I’ve done this and no repercussions, except I imagine I’m black listed in the other company! I messed the company around a fair bit tbh and had them wondering for weeks. But I was entirely professional and it’s just what happens if you are negotiating sometimes.

but then over a week later your current employer offers a counter offer to keep you
You've got all the promises in writing, right? Including timescales (no "when the budget allows", no "filling X's shoes when they get promotion")

Also depends on how many players / employers there are in the market. How small is your world?

Why did you apply for the other job?

You have to seriously ask yourself if you want to work for an employer who only gives you what you're worth when you threaten you're leaving. And if they didn't value you enough before, they sure as hell won't value you now you've shown disloyalty. Staying is short-sighted. There was research done years ago that 90% of people who accept a counter-offer are gone within a year of accepting. But maybe you'll be in the 10%, there's only one way to find out.

As for the company whose offer you verbally accepted, don't expect to ever be considered for a role with them again. If your industry is small and/or you're senior, this could shut doors at other firms too. People talk and people move. You'll never know if the reason why you don't get an interview in the future is because of this.

Of course if you're junior and/or just one of many doing a role, there's probably not much of an impact on your reputation as you won't really have a reputation yet (other than being the one who threatened to leave) so not much to worry about other than your integrity.

@VioletOcean

Why did you apply for the other job?

Thanks for the replies ,

I didn’t actually apply so to speak for the other job , it’s fell into my lap , and I don’t want to leave my current place.

It was really all money related that I continued to talk to the next employer (as they contacted me directly on linked in )

I have been in the same industry nearly 15 years .

I’m really not too fussed about loyalty most of us are just a number at work , I work hard and as long as I get treated well when I’m there and get paid well I’m fine with that , I work to live not the other way round .

And trust me the place I work at take people back after they have actually left and didn’t like the newplace , I wouldn’t go that far.