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I received an offer letter for a job and they want me to give them a response very soon. I'm still waiting to hear back from other offers. If I sign the offer letter but later on I receive another offer, can I call them back and decline the offer? I've heard of other people doing this before and had no issues. I've found articles saying that you can decline an offer after accepting it, but they don't specify what they mean by "accepting" the offer. Any thoughts?

polaris
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  • To be clear: you cannot by definition decline once you have accepted. Changing your mind after saying "yes" is repudiation, and whether it is worth hitting you for the damages is a decision the company will make. Are you willing to risk that outcome for the sake of giving a quick answer? –  Oct 26 '17 at 03:16

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You sign employment agreement/contract, not offer letter.

"Accepting" offer letter normally means stating, either verbally on in writing, that you intend to (as opposed to will) commit to the employment — sign the agreement and start working.

Even though legally you can walk away at any time before you have signed the agreement, it is a good idea to avoid giving promises to start working before you sign. If you feel the employer wants you to affirm/promise, you can either:

  • make it clear that your offer letter acceptance is conditional on you being happy with the fine print, and you cannot commit until you have seen and considered it, and that you are looking forward to seeing the agreement for consideration and signing; or
  • if you really-really want the job and feel the employer may pull back if you do not show boiling enthusiasm, take chances to say you will sign the agreement and risk being frowned upon if you later walk away because you get a better deal.
Greendrake
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  • +1 for the first suggestion: this buys you some time without committing you. But -1 for the second: the risk is not "being frowned upon", but being sued. – Tim Lymington Oct 26 '17 at 10:37
  • @TimLymington What sued for? If you say you will sign but do not sign, that is not legally binding, is it? – Greendrake Oct 26 '17 at 10:49
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    @ Greendrake: Yes and no. If you write "I will sign", the company acts on that to its detriment (say by turning down other applicants) and then you turn round and say "I only meant that I intended to sign at that time, but have since changed my mind", it may very well be up to a judge to decide whether you committed yourself and have to pay damages. Law is not formal logic. – Tim Lymington Oct 27 '17 at 15:38
  • Something that I did not mention is that the job offer stated "employment at-will" (as it is with most offers), meaning I can quit any time and be fired any time for any reason. But I do agree that declining beforehand is the best way. – polaris Oct 27 '17 at 17:57