Term before they start!?!

Moria

We are a small not-for-profit organization, under 50 employees. We do a lot of national and international travel programs througout the year, some trips scheduled one to two years out. We recently had some turnover in our travel department, did the usual needs evaluation and decided that we would replace the employee. Did our search two months ago, found the appropriate candidate, offered her a position and set a March 3, 2003 date of hire. She of course quit her position and has made plans for her move, in fact she arrives tomorrow. (She has rented a home, moving her possessions, etc.).

Well, the bottom is falling out of our travel department. No registrations, and we are cancelling trips as we speak. We may have to lay off at least one employee in this department. Do I let our new employee start, then lay her off shortly thereafter or should I explain to her the situation and not have her start.

Please help as March 3 is nearing quicker then I want.

Don D

I see absolutely no advantage, to either of you, to have her unpack a box simply to pack it back up in a few days. Give her the same courtesy you would expect and tell her the truth about the situation. She might have a nice lawsuit, though, if you then turn around and fill the position. Your company should at minimum pay for her costs of relocation,........both ways.

Gillian

Depending on where you are, the employee may have a lawsuit. Organizations have paid lots of damages for hiring people who quit their job, move somewhere and then find out that the job they thought that they had doesn't exist. If you want to avoid all that, find a spot for her. If there isn't one, you may end up taking your lumps.

SDDCHR

Sounds like you may want to keep her on to help drum up some more business? I would definetly be up front and also offer at a minimum to pay her expenses. I would assist in trying to find her comparable work (networking). And finally, you may want to offer some other type of incentive for her displacement.

Trinity

Let's see.. have her pack, uproot her family and leave all that's familiar, let her unpack and try to get used to an unfamiliar surrounding, then tell her
"Sorry, no job!" ?? I agree with Don. Come clean asap,apaologize for the inconvenience, and pay for her relocation costs to soften the blow and lesson the anger she is sure to have. And let this be a lesson learned for future hires..

Moria

Youch, a little harsh. I am just asking for input, not cynicism. "And let this be a lesson learned for future hires". Well, my chrystal ball must have
been on the blink.

hrbanker

Don't feel too badly. Employees take a certain risk when they change positions. It's a fact of life that jobs are not guaranteed and sometimes things don't work out well in the new position.

I agree that you should tell her immediatly and offer to pay her relocation back to her previous location. But I've found that many employees have their own agenda in accepting positions. If she really was happy in the previous job, she wouldn't have considered taking the one you offered, so don't knock yourself for the situation.

Don D

Moria: I didn't necessarily mean to be harsh; however, I do think that some measure of admonition is due your organization if you do not reevaluate your practice of not offering relocation assistance and in this case, reverse relocation assistance. The fact that you are a 'small non-profit' notwithstanding. Even those organizations have budgets and often their cash flow is better on occasion than us 'for profits'. And I can't go along either with the suggestion that people changing jobs have their own agenda and are partly responsible for the consequences. Probably we have all changed jobs one or more times simply to better ourselves and our family situation....not necessarily due to unhappiness. Regardless of how, when and why your plan collapsed and regardless of who bought into what level of risk in the scenario, I feel the person should be well compensated (relocation twice and perhaps even a few other extras) for what has happened to her. I don't think a job offer has ever had a disclaimer stating 'you should realize that this accepted offer may not actually materialize; therefore, you are assuming a good deal of risk in accepting it'. I'm not bashing you for having to retract! But, once a retraction is decided as the company's only or best course, other things should fall into play. Just my thoughts. Don D.

valentine

I agree with Don. You made a good faith offer and she accepted it as a good faith offer. Regardless of what has happened to the economy, she is still due the courtesy of being told her position no longer exists before she moves. Also, by offering to pay her expenses and a little extra, it would be seen as a good will gesture on the part of your company and might help mitigate any lawsuit that might arise. Lawsuits are brought when one party feels damaged; by paying her relocation expenses and any other expenses she might have incurred in the way of the move, you are helping to make her whole and thus might diminish the cause of a suit.

Just my two cents

Valentine

Moria

First of all Don, I did not think that you were harsh, you and several others gave me the options and support that I was looking for. I certainly know that we have an obligation to her, I think what I was looking for was perhaps someone else in the travel industry to give us some hope that things will pick up in the near future.

The outcome here looks as though we are going to be able to absorb her into the organization, possibly into our marketing area, which works very hand-in-hand with our travel component. This will work until travel picks up. Anyone into an archaeological dig program in the four corners area, how about Greece or South Africa?

I think what took me over the edge was the comment made that "Let this be a lesson on future hires". I don't know about the rest of you, I have a fairly good record for good hires and placements. Must have been a PMS moment. I love this forum, but I also think that sometimes (okay me in particular) we know the answer to the questions that we ask, maybe we get paniced or need a quick answer so don't think things out clearly, and there are a lot of newbies as well that use the forum. I just thnk that many of you are knowledgeable with years of experience so I see you all as guides or mentors. I don't think any of us should feel uncomfortable to ask a questions, no matter how silly it may seem, and feel that you may get a snide response (again, not you Don), and made to feel that it is less hard on the ego to stumble into the wrong area then to ask advice.

Sorry for the rambling, took a midol for the pms, a prozac for the depression, paxil for anxiety, and just finished my Starbucks, now I am ready - bring it on:o)

Don D

, took a midol for the pms, a prozac for the
>depression, paxil for anxiety, and just finished my Starbucks, now I
>am ready - bring it on:o)


Moria: I took another look at your profile and noticed that, in the above list, you left out the most important treatment that HR people have at their disposal. But, only after 5:00. Have a good one.

Trinity

Moria,
Sorry if I sounded cynical. I didn't mean to come off as a smart-ass, although it appears to sound that way. I was only making the point that it should be pretty obvious that she needs to be told right away. After all, all one has to do is ask how they would want to be informed and the answer is obvious. Also, the lesson learned was not meant to be derogatory, but it was valid in that we all have to learn lessons in this field, sometimes the hard way. I find it hard to believe that there was no warning that this dept. was in trouble when you looked to hire her..maybe there wasn't but in that case, then you know in the future to make the disclaimer to those you hire about the uncertainties in that dept. and to prepare more in case it should occur.
No hard feelings I hope!! :0)

Moria

No hard feelings, in fact I feel nothing at all at this point and am axiously awaiting Don's five o'clock remedy!!!!!!!

Leslie

Wow, Moira, and only 6 more hours to go!

Moria

Six hours! I am beginning to think that we need to bring back old business traditions, well at least one, the two martini lunch!!!

valentine

I'll second that one. Moira, I understand where you are coming from. Sometimes even when the answer is obvious we need that reassurance and another view point is mighty helpful.

Valentine