Job candidate receives bait-and-switch lowball offer after successfully interviewing for the role, quits two hours before their first shift: 'I quit two hours before my first shift this morning'

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Nov 26, 2024 12:00 PM EST

There's really no place for bait-and-switch tactics in the interview process. The process of looking for a job is long and difficult enough without using deceit to try and trick prospective candidates into taking a job that wasn't what they thought they were signing up for, either changing the terms of their employment or compensation at the last minute and hoping they'll be desperate enough to go along with it.

Still, as with anything in life, communication is key, and sometimes—no, often—simple mistakes can be mistaken for intentional slights; either way, it's worth asking before going the nuclear route.

This job candidate was verbally quoted a rate by the interviewing manager, but once their letter of offer arrived, they quickly realized that the offer for compensation was lower than they had originally been told. Suspecting a bait-and-switch, they signed the offer letter, never intending to attend their first shift, quitting two hours before their shift was set to start.

They shared their story with this online community, sparking discussion on the topic and dividing readers.

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    I quit two hours before I was supposed to show up to my first day... ...because all weekend long, I couldn't sit with the feeling that the current manager quoted me $17/hour, and when the offer letter arrived, I was quoted $15/hour. I realized quickly that the manager's words were not binding and that I would have no choice but to sign the offer if I wanted the job. I signed the offer,
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
  • 03
    completed all the onboarding paperwork, and then quit two hours before my first shift this morning. Why? Because I hadn't even started the job and the company already was low-balling me into submission. Eff that. Why does anyone work anymore? Companies truly do not give two f s about us.
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    LadyLektra · 6h ago • • Job did this to me before. Super gaslighted me into thinking I made up the original offer. Then when I got promoted to a manager position there we were interviewing other assistants and I watched my boss laugh and say "fell for it" after doing the same thing to someone else. Felt great to leave when I finally found another gig.
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    • Sologretto2 7h ago You had another option. You could have simply responded that there was an error in the paperwork and the $17/hr you were originally quoted was set to $15. If you wanted to play hardball you could have said that this broke trust and that now you're only willing to work for $18/hr in
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    order to be willing to risk attempting to rebuild trust instead of moving on with your search. Remember... In negotiations the party most willing to walk away has the most power. In the future when you're willing to walk use that power to negotiate and watch the dark magick do it's thing...
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    darklogic85 6h ago • Did you try talking to them about the pay discrepancy? When you receive a written offer, if something doesn't look right, that's the time to speak up and counteroffer or talk about any possible problems on the offer.
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    A lot of companies will offer low, and a lot of times that offer comes from HR and not directly from the manager you spoke with, and they're expecting. people to try to counter higher. I'm not saying you don't have a point, but getting a job is a negotiation on both sides and you'll need to do your part to negotiate and fight for the pay you feel you deserve. Don't let the employers walk over you and just immediately accept what they send to you.
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    arcaeris • 6h ago A lot of people are saying you should have done or said something, but I disagree. I mean you could, but that takes energy. And why spend that energy? The fact is this is a company that has the time, money, and power not to make mistakes like this. But they didn't bother. I wouldn't be fed to deal with them more either.
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    Sea_Catch2481 · 6h ago You did the right thing. They hope you just sign it without actually looking at the offer. It has happened to me recently but I did send the offer back letting them know this wasn't the pay or hours discussed in the interview or with the recruiter.
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    LowDetail1442 5h ago • • Good decision, major red flag on the bait and switch. 17 is bad, 15 is poverty wages
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    tectail 5h ago • Company that I worked at did this to me but even worse. HR manager said that after training would be making mid 20s. I get the offer letter on first day of working and it said $18/hr after the 2 years of training at $15/hr (was expecting that part). I discussed with them the next day and walked out, not playing their games.
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    Notorious_GIZ . 4h ago • I had something similar happen. Worked for $55k, got an offer from another company for $55k with the promise to go up to $65k by year's end. Offer letter comes and there's no mention of the increase to $65k. Declined the offer immediately, ended up at $65k by the end of the year at my then-current job anyway. If it's not in writing it's not real.
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    stinkstankstunkiii • 5h ago I did the same, three times this year. I don't believe it was done an accident. Interviewers / managers offer one thing, recruiters another- then you may be able to negotiate if you're lucky. I was not.
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    Free-Stinkbug • 3h ago I was offered $25 dollars an hour for something earlier in my career and at the end of the second interview they corrected it to $13 an hour and were FLOORED when I rejected it. I had an offer for 40k a year plus commission that I took instead and the company that swapped
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    the pay offer called and texted me repeatedly trying to tell me I would regret taking that job and that I would ultimately move up and make more with them instead. I ghosted them
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    LoL_is_pepega_BIA . 3h ago I had this done to me once.. the idiot manager handed me a slip with my salary on it to handover to Accounts. She'd written $17 on it instead of the promised $19.50. I just carefully made it 19.50 and handed it to accounts since the 7 was vertical enough to not seem sus..
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    bor... 6h ago Edited 4h ago Hanlon's razor says, "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." Should have just addressed the discrepancy before you signed the letter. Probably someone made a mistake.
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
  • 19
    dali-llama 4h ago Not only that, you can just get any old job at those rates. It's not like "their" particular job is anything special.
    via SustuliSensiScripsi
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    punksheets29 · 4h ago I just took a job that was posted as $19-20/hr and when I showed up they said it was $17.50/hr. I get a 5%raise after a year though! FML..
    via SustuliSensiScripsi

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workplace discussion employment issues antiwork workplace-stories jobs employment-discussion job work i quit quit job candidates workplace Horrible Bosses quitting employment in the workplace
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