As an employee, you may have just received an offer from a current or potential employer that you believe may be too good to be true. It might be. But, if you get everything in writing you will be able to keep your employer honest. This can be extremely crucial if you are presented with a job offer that requires you to quit your current job or move across the country. Even if the employer does not provide the details of the offer in writing, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Here is what our Birmingham employment attorney recommends.
Confirm everything in writing
At a minimum, any verbal offer or promise that is made to you by your employer should be confirmed in writing. That can be as simple as emailing the company official who made the promise or offer and confirming what you were told. For example, your email could read, “Per our conversation on Tuesday, this will confirm my understanding that you have offered a general manager position for $65,000 per year. If this is incorrect, please let me know within 24 hours. I will advise you of my decision by Friday.”
If they respond with an email saying the job offer is accurate and then you respond by email that you accept the offer, you now have a contract. There is an offer, acceptance, and consideration, which is all that is required for a contract, and all of it is in writing. It is important to confirm everything of importance in writing. If you are guaranteed to have your particular position for at least a year, put that in writing. If you are promised to receive relocation expenses, put that in writing as well. At the very least, you will have something to use to protect yourself if your employer tries to go back on what they have said.
Beware of employers with a high turnover rate
One thing that many potential employees overlook is high turnover rates for potential employers. It may not be a generally high turnover rate across the board. You may find out that four or five people held the position you are seeking in the past year or two. If that is the case, odds are there is, at the very least, a problem supervisor for that position. Even if those former employees left because of the same or closely-related health problems, you may be dealing with a hazardous condition in the workplace. The important thing to remember is to not simply look past such information, even if the job offer seems too good to be true. There may be a reason they are making such an incredibly good offer – they are having a hard time keeping employees in that position.
If you feel you have been the victim of discrimination or retaliation in the workplace, or if you have any other questions regarding your employment rights, please contact the experienced employment law attorneys at Michel Allen & Sinor . You can contact us either online or by calling us at (205) 265-1880. We are here to serve you!