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Job bait and switch!? WWYD?

LapsfamLapsfam
in 3rd Trimester

Agh!
So, about seven months ago, I was approached for a really plum freelance gig and was hired - or so I thought. But the launch gig of the assignment kept getting pushed back, the nature of the work kept changing, etc. The woman who hired me kept me apprised of these changes (from her boss), and I just kind of waited around. In the meantime, the company that hired me began sending me admin type stuff, direct deposit info, etc from their corporate office.

About a month ago, I got wind that the whole assignment had changed per the woman who hired me. She said HER boss would be in touch. OK, so her boss was in touch and basically acted like I was any other applicant for the job. When I told her that I'd actually been in the loop on this job for about seven months already, she kind of glossed over that. Then she said the assignment, if I was picked, would begin in two weeks (!) - right when I am due. I explained about my pregnancy and the woman said, well, let me see if I can figure out a way to split your job with another person and I will be in touch.

The following week I get an email from her asking for some samples of my work, which I send right away. She then asks me for some other background info, which I send. Now nothing. So I follow up with the woman who originally "hired" me (sorry if this is getting confusing). The woman who originally hired me said, Man, I am so sorry. I don't know what is going on but I do know they were also in talks with another promising candidate. Let me poke around. She also suggested I follow up with bigger boss tmw.

UM. I thought I HAD THE JOB!

So now I do not know what to do. Dumbly, I even had told some professional contacts that I had the position (months ago, when I thought I did). Furthermore, I was counting on this money.

I am wondering how to approach bigger boss. Do I send an email saying, hi, I thought I'd been hired? (I don't want to get middle boss in trouble). Do I phone her? Do I sit tight? Needless to say, I am annoyed but I want to pursue this job (which is amazing) tactfully yet assertively. WWYD?

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Re: Job bait and switch!? WWYD?

  • MillersXingMillersXing member

    Ree-dic-cu-lous. Is this a large company, or a smaller company trying to act like a big company? Any contracts or HR stuff ever happen? 

    I'd start with a call to the head honcho (get a call scheduled and on his/her calendar if needed), take copious notes, and follow up with a detailed summary email. 

    This is the last thing you want to be dealing with. 

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  • m+jm+j

    Maybe I'm just being too cynical, but it sounds to me like they are trying to get out of hiring you, perhaps because you are pregnant and due soon.  Do you have any proof that you were actually "hired" as opposd to simply being considered for the job?  I agree with taking notes, making a timeline, and outlining the fact that you've dealt with corporate on obtaining the typical info needed from a hired employee.  I would then present that info to corporate and see how they handle it. 

    ETA: You may want to throw in that you certainly hope they aren't trying to lay you off or fire you due to your pregnancy because you feel you are fully capable of handling the position and have been completely open and honest with everyone throughout this process.

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  • panicked228panicked228 member
    Do you have an offer letter from them? Have they paid you any money at all? If not, unfortunately, I don't think you can say you were hired. Verbal agreements don't count in most states.
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  • LapsfamLapsfam

    I know. It was all verbal/good faith (then I began getting random HR emails).

    So mainly I am wondering how to use the fact that I was verbally hired to some kind of advantage. I know I don't have a LEGAL case, it's more just simple courtesy!

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  • ColieJColieJ
    Send them BOTH an email requesting clarification. Be direct stating you believed you had been hired and received HR paperwork to complete.
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  • ColieJColieJ
    BTW- this kind of happened to me years ago. It was an online job. I lived close enough to the college to go in for an actual interview. Was told I would enter the 5 week training in July. In the meantime they also hired my mom (we do the same thing). When I contacted the lady again was told the July training was full but she would contact me for Oct. I continued to inquire, nothing. Finally THE NEXT MAY I get an email asking if I am still interested in teaching and they wanted to setup an interview. I replied I had already interviewed previously. Well this one was tone a phone interview. I agreed. I waited for the call, but where I was had bad phone reception and all I got was voicemail. The lady stated maybe I could contact them for a later training in the summer. Needless to say I replied basically I was given the run-around for a year when I believed I had been hired and I now had NO INTEREST in working for them. So my story didn't end well.
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