What just happened?

[MrsCatLady]

Last month I was offered a teaching job. I applied after seeing the ad in The Guardian. The job was perfect in every way - school, location, year group.
I was interviewed, and was delighted to be offered the job the next day. I accepted straight away and swiftly provided all the info they asked for (education certificates, personal correspondence to prove address, photo ID). Contract was on its way, as is normal in teaching.
One month later, and very soon before the start date, they have come back and said that actually they can't afford to pay me, so are rescinding the job offer.
I just can't get my head round it. I thought I was starting work next week, and now I'm not. I just can't understand how people can be so stupid to check the finances after appointing someone rather than before advertising.
Yes, very identifying I know, so if it's you who called me today 💩
Help me feel better and get back on track for the job hunt. Do you have any similar stories?

Thags awful. I think a verbal contract still counts so they actually need to pay you notice x

Not how it works I’m afraid.

Thats rubbish OP, I’m sorry. But typically cack handed of public sector.

How do you know it's a public sector job? It isn't usual for state schools to advertise in the Guardian. Financial instability suggests small independent school.

Yes, public sector. There are lots of state school ads on the Guardian jobs site, many of them are agencies, but not all.
No similar stories? Oh well, maybe I'm unique!

Honestly I would never assume I had a job till I had a signed contract in my hands. Even then it can go to shit but before getting a contract you literally have not got the job.

I work in the public sector, but not schools. It's not unheard of for a manager to think they've got budget when they haven't. Accountants usually find a way round it, eg borrowing capacity from another area. I've not known a job offer be rescinded but money is very tight at the moment. Either that or they have massively overspent and have to urgently find savings. It's rubbish though, really atrocious.

Surely there is now a class of kids who have no teacher. Are we sure it's a budgeting issue or is that just flannel?

Many years ago I did some work with a company who had a truly awful approach to HR (not my field) - they created jobs almost on a whim and ended up over staffed in some areas, under in others (skills not really transferable). The worst was when they signed up to take some apprentices, then realised they didn't have capacity/finances. They kept one, a couple were early enough to be stopped before recruitment (or whatever the process is), but one was cancelled days before the poor sod was due to start. The company had to pay out a pretty hefty sum as a result. I don't remember how much but I was shocked at the time. Last I heard (some years after) they had a major restructure and a change of leadership...

I once had a non-teaching, private sector job offer, but their finance got pulled after the verbal offer and before they sent the contract out. The department was also pissed off about it.

Yup, that's the plan, it's being covered internally, so I'm guessing a mix of non teaching SLT and TAs (but don't know for sure). Not great for the kids.

It is how it works. Verbal contracts are binding, including job offers. If the offer was made unconditionally or if OP had met all conditions before the offer was withdrawn, it is breach of contract and she could sue for the amount of the notice period in small claims court.

But It sounds more like OP is here to vent about a disappointing and sucky situation than looking for advice on whether there is anything she can do to hold them accountable.

I'm sorry, OP. Hope you find something even better, soon.

Thanks @RawBloomers, that's interesting. The email confirmation of Ts & Cs, plus the emails requesting I go in ASAP with all my documentation, fill out numerous forms with personal data (which I did, and have thrown up no issues) does indicate more than a verbal offer. Schools are often slow on the contracts. so that wasn't a surprise for me. I am tempted to go to the union.
Weirdly, I feel scammed, having invested so much time in complying for the requirements of a job that actually never existed. I also feel exposed that they hold all this info on me but aren't employing me. I'm sure I'll get over it, but for now I just can't get my head round the fact that a school is so badly managed that the Exec Head does her sums 4 weeks after an offer has been made, and not before. Keeping track of the finances is her main responsibility, and it's not a huge organisation. Schools being tight for money is hardly a surprise for anyone who has been in education for the last 10 years. Anyway, just venting. I should make the most of the early morning and get job hunting (again!)

Under GDPR you have a right for them to delete your personal data. There is no legitimate reason for them to hold it (or indeed have sought it in the first place, given the absence of an actual job).

Hopefully you hadn’t resigned from a prior role. This is exactly why I never resign until contracts are signed.

It is gutting when that happens. I work at a jobcenter (not UK) and that kind of thing really takes a toll on you when you're unemployed. Ours can stop job hunting once they've sent documentation but even then it's no guarantee that everything will go through.

The only thing that I can think of is that someone unexpectedly returned from maternity leave who had previously said that she wasn’t returning. At the time, only three weeks notice was needed of intent to return to work.

That once happened to me just before an interview for a teaching job. The interview was cancelled.

i went for a job share at a school but they job sharer decided to go full time
annoying

I’ve heard of this happening a few times recently across industries, it’s so bad. Honestly shouldn’t be allowed.
Good luck with the job search.

It's really not with job contracts, not least because the start date on a job contract is usually the day you start work orie your date of commencement of employment. The contract conditions don't apply until then.

It really is with job contracts.

Putting a start date on a contract does not mean one party can decide to cancel it beforehand unilaterally without fulfilling whatever cancellation conditions are statutory or contained within it. This applies to job contracts as much as it does to any other.

The issue with verbal contracts isn't that they are not as binding, it's that it's harder to prove to a court that the offer was made so they can be more difficult to enforce. If terms aren't spelt out in the offer, a court will infer from standard practice and other evidence. And in the OP's case, she even has a copy of the T&Cs that they emailed!

What is common with job offers, though, is that they are conditional - so if an offer is made conditional on references, for instance, or a satisfactory DBS check then you can't enforce if the conditions have not been fulfilled. And some conditions - like references - can be subjective, giving employers massive leeway.

Thanks for the stories and words of comfort. I'm already in a better place in my head, getting used to the idea. Still scunnered that someone thought that this was the best option.
I'm already looking for something else, just deeply disappointed as I thought I'd finally found a school that was well run and organised - apparently not 😓

If you have Union membership definitely give them a call. It is an awful way to treat people. I once had an interview at a school, was offered the role but that afternoon was phoned to recind the offer. This was 30 years ago and I still remember how it made me feel. They have gone way beyond that sort of cock-up.

Teaching is BRUTAL lately.
My most recent experience is interview, verbal offer then finally a written offer (on the last day of the the summer term!!!) changing the role, permanent to one year fixed and two scale points lower.
I honestly think the huge delays and a last day of term written offer and contract were to ensure I was stuck and forced to agree the lower terms.
As soon as I refused it they returned to the original offer (luckily I had a back up plan, most wouldn’t).
Supply is worse, all umbrella agencies and false promises.