Can an employer offer you a job, hire you, then turn around and say that "you aren't officially hired?

Question

I was offered a job last Friday, was told to report on Monday for orientation to be held all week long, I quit my other job so that I could be there for orientation, but come to find out I haven't been officially hired. I got a phone call last Firday, a job was offered to me, I had accepted it, and then today i was told that I wasn't officially hired, that I am not considered "highly qualified" its messed up!

Answer 1

Unless you have filed out legal documentation (like the tax forms, etc.) that prove your employment with them, then technically you're not officially an employee. Sorry.

Answer 2

Do you have an offer letter from the company?  I never quit a job unless I receive a written offer from the company that hired me first.  Otherwise, you put yourself in a position where something like this can happen.  Yea, it is definitely a messed up situation.  Are you sure you want to work for a company like that anyway?  See if you can get your old job back - if you were a good employee, they might understand the situation.  I would also contact the U.S. Department of Labor and let them know what happened.  That's about all you can do.  Maybe they will come across similar complaints about that company.  Unfortunately, you can't bad mouth them in public either due to defamation laws.  That's why I hate Corporations -- the old handshake/or phone call hire doesn't mean squat anymore.

Answer 3

.   I had this exact situation.  Turned out the business closed in 3 months.  It was the first sign that they had no money.  Many businesses are started with a dream.  That doesn't pay the bills.