Resigned For A Verbal Job Offer

[Dave20]

Hi all just some advice. I currently work as a HGV driver and recently went for an interview for a large national company. Better hours, and better pay.
After the interview, the boss went through the pay and conditions and verbally offered me the job there and then.I said yes and he asked how much notice do I need to give.
I said four weeks and the manager said the next intake was going to be in three weeks, would that be ok. So I said that should be fine- hoping my current employer would be ok with that.
Anyway I resigned the next day at my work , so I could give as much notice as possible. My current manager was slightly annoyed I didn’t give the full four weeks but understood the situation and allowed me to give three instead.
Only thing is I didn’t get anything in writing. As I said the boss verbally gave me the job offer and said a contract would come in due course. I’m aware sometimes contracts can take weeks to get issued, especially if it comes from head offices HR departments. I couldn’t wait for a contract - as I needed to resign as soon as I could.
Now should I have got something in writing? Straight after the interview, I went into the office and someone took my uniform size and took my proof to work in the UK documents. They photocopied my passport and council tax letter.
They told me where to be at what time for an induction. All should be ok shouldn’t it?
I do remember with my current employer resigning without a contract. It took them weeks to send me anything as they said the contracts team were behind.

Certainly not ideal to resign from your role without a formal offer to go to.

However- send an email to your new employer thanking them for the offer of POSITION and that you can confirm that you have handed your notice in and will be available for a start date of DATE in line with what was discussed at the interview.

You have my RTW documents - is there anything else you need at this stage and when should I expect a contract?

Thanks feministqueen will do

The reality is that if they renege on an offer of employment, even if it is in writing there is almost nothing you can do about it. At the very best you would possibly be due some "notice pay", but often not even that. So whilst resigning without a written offer isn't ideal, it probably makes next to no difference. Cold comfort, I know - there are pretty much no real protections for people in these situations.

Tbh I think everywhere needs hgv drivers right now so you won't struggle to get a job even if they do renege

Its always better to get a contract.

The other issue would be that the asked you to break your current contract of employment.
A company which is happy for that to happen may not stick to a contract term when it is for the company's benefit. In that instance it better to read exactly what you are signing to check that the t&c were not oversold in the interview.

Ps congradulations on your new job.

The other issue would be that the asked you to break your current contract of employment

No they didn't....

"he asked how much notice do I need to give.
I said four weeks and the manager said the next intake was going to be in three weeks, would that be ok. So I said that should be fine- hoping my current employer would be ok with that"

The prospective employer asked about notice and told them when the next intake was. It was up to the OP whether they joined that intake or not - and the OP said yes without having asked the employer. That woud have been on the OP had the employer said no.

I would usually like something written down before I resign, an offer letter say. But the contract is formed with the verbal offer and acceptance and a piece of paper doesn’t give much extra security anyway.

I said four weeks

OP said yes without having asked the employer

Agreed.

the manager said the next intake was going to be in three weeks, would that be ok.

Its 2 independant issues.

Having been told OP is not available for 4 weeks (notice) the manager asks for a start date 3 weeks out.

The OP did not have to agree, but the manager is asking the OP not to honour the existing contract. It shows the managers / company's attitude to a fundemental employee/employer relationship (committment to turn up to work as agreed).

I frequently ask new hires whether a shorter notice period than their contracted would be possible. I'm not telling them to walk out regardless, I'm asking whether they think they'll be able to negotiate an earlier departure with their current employer.

Re the OP's actual question, I think the chances that this very keen employer (who's sent you straight to on-boarding to get your uniform ordered and given you a place and time to start) will renege on the job offer is negligible. That's the sort of thing that's reserved for much flakier hiring processes.

Not ideal. But happens all the time in haulage. A major supermarket have only now decided to check on right to work etc after three years of employment……the fun fact is you can use the p60 issued by them as proof of eligibility to work in the uk !!!

Thanks for your replies. This is a national company. I had to do an assessment drive then had a brief chat with the hiring manager.
The manager asked how much notice I needed to give- he didn’t exactly ask me to giver shorter than required, I said I could probably do three so I could make the induction. I was keen to get the job.

My current employer didn’t give me a contract until 3 days before I started the job and I accepted a verbal offer form them. I even had four weeks notice then- it took them a long time to process a contract. The head office is in another part of the country to where I work , again a national company.

I guess it's a bit inadvisable to do what you've done but not absolutely crazy so long as you're confident there won't be anything untoward in your references or qualification checks. As a PP says an employer can pretty much just back out of an offer of employment for some kind of trivial or spurious reason even if they'd sent you a written offer or 'contract' (statement of terms and conditions) - the latter they are not obliged to do until 2 months after you've started anyway. Obviously it's usually wise to wait until they've confirmed they've performed all their checks and are happy for you to start work in case there's a delay or problem but it's very rare for an offer to get actually withdrawn IME so I think you'll in all likelihood be absolutely fine.

I would email the guy who made you the offer ASAP though to try and get your start date confirmed, this way if HR or whoever are dragging their feet you'll at least have some kind of paper trail that that's the day you are meant to start....

I recently changed jobs and only got my contract on my first day of work. All I had was an email confirmation of the job offer 'pending successful references' in the meantime. I just had to have faith that it would work out.