| Five
months ago, I turned down a job offer after my manager begged
me to stay on and promised to "take care of my career.”
A month later, his attitude changed and he began excluding me
from meetings, among other things, which has affected me
badly. When I e-mailed him with my concerns, he said I was
being "too emotional" and decided that I should no
longer work for him. Now I'm afraid he's going to try to lay
me off. What should I do? Do I have a legal case?
Generally, oral
and verbal promises are difficult to enforce in a lawsuit, but
that doesn't mean you don't have a case or some recourse. The
first thing to consider is whether you can document the
conversations you had with your boss about his promises. For
example, did he send you a follow-up memo or e-mail on the
subject, or did you send anything in writing to him? If not,
did anyone hear the conversation in which his promise was made
and, if they did, would they be willing to vouch for you?
One thing to
consider is whether there was a specific reason your boss
changed his attitude - and, again, is there any kind of
documentation that backs up either of your points of view on
what it might be? Finally, no matter what kind of
documentation you have in hand, sit down and create a
chronology of your situation, in as much detail as you can.
Exploring
Other Options
Every
organization should have a Human Resources function that has
clear guidelines to protect its employees. Check your firm's
manuals to identify what policies and procedures it might have
in place for situations like yours. Find out exactly how HR or
other management staff can help. For example, it might be
possible to move to another position within the organization,
with no risk to your career. Or, you might be able to find
another job within your firm while you try to re-connect with
the competitor who made the original offer, or begin to search
for a new job entirely.
If you do want
to explore legal recourse, find an attorney who specializes in
employment law. Every state or jurisdiction handles these
issues differently. In the U.S., check with your area's bar
association and ask for a list of attorneys who focus on the
area.
Whatever you
choose to do, don't make a hasty decision. Consider the pros
and cons of all your options and choose what works best for
you.
Robbie
Miller Kaplan, a nationally-recognized expert on career
communications, is the author of "How to Say It In Your
Job Search" and "How to Say It When You Don't Know
What to Say: The Right Words for Difficult Times,"
published by Prentice Hall Press.
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