I resigned from my job after landing a new role with another company. Then things took an unexpected turn

When Sarah was offered a job at another company, she immediately accepted her current role and quit – but then a ‘nightmare’ unfolded.

Unfortunately, the manager told her via WhatsApp that the position was being withdrawn, but did not reveal why.

British career expert Ben Askins was sent the shocking text messages and read the conversation on a TikTok video.

‘[The company] handled this terribly. They really thought they could withdraw a job offer without explaining why?,” he said.

British career expert Ben Askins was sent the shocking text messages and read the conversation in a TikTok video. “Hello Sarah, I am very sorry to have to do this, but we will have to withdraw the job offer,” the employer said.

“Hello Sarah, I am very sorry to have to do this, but we will have to withdraw the job offer,” the employer said.

Sounding shocked and confused, Sarah replied, “What? But I’ve already submitted my notice.’

The employer asked, “Can’t you just ask for your job back?”

But Sarah said, “They’ve already hired my replacement; they won’t go for it. What has changed? Why are you doing this?’

The employer said, “I’m afraid I can’t tell you the details.”

‘That’s horse s***. If you’re going to do this, you can at least tell me why,” Sarah said angrily.

And the employer wrote back: ‘Please let’s keep it professional, no swearing necessary.’

Sarah replied bluntly, “Yes, the swearing is what’s unprofessional about this.”

‘Let’s be very clear: if you do this to someone, and it does happen, you have to give them an explanation. It’s terrible because Sarah has been left in a terrible position,” Ben said

‘Let’s be very clear: if you do this to someone, and it does happen, you have to give them an explanation. It’s terrible because Sarah has been left in a terrible position,” Ben said.

“Because she doesn’t have a job now, she’s gone from having a job to not having a job. She gets offered a new one, quits, goes to the new job and that job disappears, she is up to no good. It’s a really damning position to be in, leaving someone behind.

“You could absolutely tell them the specifics. Sometimes this happens and it’s horrible, but you have to tell them exactly why it is and be as honest as possible. It’s the least you can do.’

Ben criticized the company for choosing to tell Sarah the news via WhatsApp instead of a phone call.

The video has since been viewed more than 800,000 times, with many agreeing that an employee should never leave their current position before signing a contract for the new position.

‘Jesus… This is terrible. The mother of all warning signs,” one person wrote.

“Ask the employer what the damages will be for breach of contract,” said another.

A third wrote: ‘This is literally my worst nightmare when it comes to changing jobs. It takes so much time to do interviews, get an offer, negotiate salary, reference checks, DBS, and then get this?!”

Others shared their own experiences with similar situations.

‘This happened to me. Just told me a job is frozen, try to find a new one. Super stressful and facing some financial uncertainty,” one person said.

Another wrote: ‘My old boss told me not to officially notify him until my new contract was signed. At the time I didn’t think it was necessary, but when I hear stories like this, I really appreciate his advice!’

Many also argued whether it is legal for the employer to withdraw a job offer.

According to WetPad, in most cases it is illegal for an employer to withdraw an offer of employment once it has been offered.

In Australia, an offer of employment can be automatically withdrawn if a candidate has not yet accepted an offer.

If a job offer has been made but a candidate has not accepted, the offer can usually be withdrawn as there is no legally binding contract between the candidate and the employer.

However, if a candidate has accepted an offer and the employer backs out, there are several options for legal recourse.

For example, the employer may be liable for misleading and deceptive conduct, but the candidate may also bring a claim for breach of contract.

If the Fair Work Commission finds that a dismissal is unfair (‘harsh, unjust or unreasonable’), it can impose damages. An employee can only receive compensation for lost income.