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Question -
I am from Scotland and had an interview for a job in Cornwall, England. I was offered the job at the interview. I accepted. I then decided to reject the offer. I had not received a written contract. They are now refusing to pay the £300 because I had let them down, it cost them thousands and I had verbally accepted. could you advise please?
Answer -
Hi Aileen,
Contracts do NOT have to be in writing, except for special circumstances for minors and land.
You had a contract and you broke it and you want them to pay you money. Get real. I am not sure why you are asking for GBP 300, but think on. It costs 6 - 12 month's salary to recruit staff. You should have got the money before you broke the contract.
Be thankful that they are not suing you for breach of contract.
Sorry, forgot to say that the £300 was for travel expenses!
Aileen
Hi Aileen,
Write the travel costs off against experience and be thankful that they are not suing you for breach of contract. Even if they had a firm commitment to reimburse your travel expenses, I would advise against persuing the matter.
In future think more carefully before accepting an offer, and even more carefully about rejecting it once you have accepted it.
Life is a learning experience and sometimes it can be painful or expensive.
Good luck with your next job.
Peter
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Answers by Expert:
Peter M. Elliott
Expertise
First response to queries regarding extensions of time, variations orders, site instructions and payment using FIDIC and other forms of Conditions of Contract, based on English Law, and derivatives only. Anyone who needs advice about EoT should download and study the SCL Delay & Disruption Protocol www.eotprotocol.com before submitting a question.
Experience
Value . . .
It's unwise to pay too much, but it's unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much you lose a little money, that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it's well to add something for the risk you run.
And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.
. . . John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)
"We are too poor to buy something cheap"
.Romanian Proverb 2002
A lean compromise is better than a fat lawsuit.
George Herbert (English poet 1593-1633)
I said it in Hebrew, I said it in Dutch,
I said it in German and Greek:
But I wholly forgot (and it vexes me much)
That English is what you speak!" Hunting of the Snark - Lewis Caroll
Match your presentation to the reader!
The joy of food lasts but an hour, of sleep but a day, of a woman, but a month, but the joy of a building lasts a lifetime. Syrian proverb.
Comments and observations leading to improvements in the translation of FIDIC Red & Yellow books into Romanian prior to approval by FIDIC (reference 'Preface to the Romanian edition')
Organizations
Institution of Civil Engineers, Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants, Society of Construction Law, Dispute Resolution Board Foundation
Education/Credentials
B Sc(Hons) in Civil Engineering
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