Job Offered Different from Advertised Job

Iluvfreebies on 31/10/2020 - 21:35
Last edited 03/11/2020 - 09:33

I applied for a role as a full time "Accounts and Admin Assistant". I was successful at securing the position after two phone interviews and two face to face interviews. During the last my interview we discussed and agreed on work hours (full-time), pay and office timings.

A day after my last interview when I got the offer letter I was surprised to see the designation was "Department Assistant" and the work hours was reduced to 30hrs per week with reduced pay. I called the hiring manager about the discrepancies, he told me that he forgot to mention me about the reduced hours and the reduced pay due to Covid-19. Also the designation in the job ad was just to make it easier for job seekers to find the role. He also told me the offer is not going to change and once the pandemic is over the role would be full-time hours (which could be 2 years from now who knows??). I am wondering why was this information not provided to me at the interview stage. I was really excited to start the role but now this has die down.

Something similar happened to me some years ago where the job being completely different from what was initially offered and I quit after 3 months which now looks bad on my resume. My fear is this might be happening to me again.

I am currently employed and this job is an upgrade career wise if I am actually doing what they have mention in the job description but worst off in pay.

Should I still accept the offer or not?

Update: I did not accept the role. Thank you for all your comments.

Poll Options

  • 2
    Yes
  • 2
    Not sure, Need more info.
  • 140
    No
Education & Work

closed Comments

  • Hybroid on 31/10/2020 - 21:43
    +29

    Absolutely not, especially since you're already employed and not desperate for the income. If they're quite lax about this & bending truths then there's likely more you don't want to touch with a bargepole. Anything verbal holds no merit and not to be believed. I would move on elsewhere.

  • godofpizza on 31/10/2020 - 21:58
    +8

    OP, I am surprised you didn't get very upset.
    The job agency has pretty much wasting your time with the interviews. I wouldn't even bother answering their calls in future. There's nothing for you to believe the next job they offer is even legit.

    I've had so many bad experiences with job agencies, I wouldn't recommend them.

    • Iluvfreebies on 01/11/2020 - 08:06

      I was shocked. My excitement for the new role died within seconds.

  • Zuba on 31/10/2020 - 22:00
    +7

    classic bait n switch

  • scrimshaw on 31/10/2020 - 22:00
    +12

    It's basically a job offer bait and switch. And this happens quite a lot more often than you think, especially with recruitment companies hungry for commissions… they prey on people who can't say no to a job offer that's put in front of them.

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2017/05/15/how-to-handl…

    • Iluvfreebies on 01/11/2020 - 07:57

      Didn't know know about this. Thank you for the information.

  • serpserpserp on 31/10/2020 - 22:10
    +9

    Sidenote: I love it when I waste my time applying/interviewing for jobs that apparently will pay very good money and then when I get to offer time the company can't understand why the recruiter would say X dollars when they clearly were going to pay Y dollars all along. Most recruiters have no clue what they are doing.

    Second sidenote: OP if you worked somewhere for 3 months years ago just change your resume so that period is covered by the two roles around it. No one is going to bat an eyelid over 6 weeks either way.

  • Orico on 31/10/2020 - 22:24
    +4

    Happens all the time especially when the manager is a prick and scumbag.
    I do a lot of contract positions so I take frequent gaps between jobs. Sometimes hiring managers try and give me the old "but this position is a contract position" in the last fking interview despite the job ad and HR saying nothing of the sort and the job ad conveniently leaving this information out.

    I usually just give a fake smile and tell them I am ready to commit to this job and I want security(blah balh blah).They usually cave because they cbb interviewing another poor sap.

  • yellowfever on 31/10/2020 - 23:12
    +1

    Once you have made a decision, and confident enough that you are not accepting, I would troll them by saying 'oh it's not what was discussed at the last interview', but verbally accepting the offer, but don't sign the contract and then pull out last minute. f&%K them over and waste their time, like what they have done to you.

    The employer and agency are f&#kwits for re-negging on terms of employment. That is totally unprofessional to offer employment terms and then later change the terms in the offer letter.

    • Quantumcat on 01/11/2020 - 08:14
      +1

      Don't do this, it could get around to other organisations and you might have trouble getting a job in future

  • RM on 31/10/2020 - 23:20
    +5

    Consider it as a trailer … you get how the actual movie will turn out to be (if you do decide to join).

    Gives you a nice insight to the org - there will be more issues of trust, performance and stress in the long run

    But it all depends on your personal situation and how desperate you are to accept the offer..

  • ProlapsedHeinous on 01/11/2020 - 00:06
    +4

    Make an example of these people OP. There is nothing worse than a company wasting your time like that misrepresenting the job. Additionally, if they are willing to f**k you around this early in the recruitment, what other bullshit are they going to pull on you later? If you don't mind burning bridges, play along with them and just don't show up for any shifts. Waste their time like they have wasted yours.

    Edit: With regards to the 3 months employment looking bad on your resume, I'd suggest you simply remove that job. 3 months is nothing, either say you were having time off, or stretch your end and start dates with your other jobs a little to make up the difference.

  • apoptosis on 01/11/2020 - 01:40
    +3

    If you did end up wanting to take this, I would get all that they said in writing no the contract. Leaving no room for them to weasle out.
    The contract should state after X amount of months, they will bring you to full-time hours with $Y pay. Don't let it be a "when pandemic over" since that is way too loose and they have wiggle room.

    I get that businesses are struggling but this just sounds dodgy and really says something that they weren't upfront with you.

    • Iluvfreebies on 01/11/2020 - 08:02

      I requested the same but they said "no"

      • apoptosis on 01/11/2020 - 12:46
        +1

        That's definitely red flags

  • holdenmg on 01/11/2020 - 01:45
    +1

    I wonder why the last person left.,,

    I'm sure they will want you to do the work of the Full Time but pay you for 30 hours work.

    What a scam.

    Run…

    • AustriaBargain on 01/11/2020 - 03:41
      +1

      I wonder if some manager who made the decision gets to keep the difference, if not for themselves then to spend on something they do want for their department.

    • Iluvfreebies on 01/11/2020 - 07:59

      When I called a friend who is a senior professional in his field raise the same concern as you did. He told I will be working 40+hrs for 30 hrs of pay.

  • AustriaBargain on 01/11/2020 - 03:40
    +1

    Even if they did forget to tell you, do you want to work for an organisation that has problems telling you the very stuff you need to know? How will you do your job if you can’t count on really basic and primary communication.

    • Iluvfreebies on 01/11/2020 - 07:56

      I have the same concern

  • Freezies on 01/11/2020 - 05:38
    +2

    "Forgot" to tell you that it was for a different job for different hours and different pay?

    Look at your poll results. Nobody wants to work for employers who are dishonest and deceptive from the get go.

    • Iluvfreebies on 01/11/2020 - 07:55

      Job is the same the designation is different. But, yes, you are right.

  • Quantumcat on 01/11/2020 - 08:15
    +3

    Since you already have a job, say no.

    If you were unemployed I would have said take the job but continue job hunting and leave as soon as you found anything else.

    • Iluvfreebies on 01/11/2020 - 08:21

      Even if I was unemployed I am doubt I would like to work for a company after this. Also my concern is I will be working 40+ hrs for 30hrs pay

      • Quantumcat on 01/11/2020 - 08:29
        +3

        You might not want to work for a company like that but if you are burning through your savings trying to pay your mortgage and are at risk of losing your house you'd have to say yes to anything, even if terrible

  • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2020 - 08:39
    +2

    The whole "I forgot to mention" is pure and utter bs, if this was your 1st exposure to their honesty, you can only imagine what you would be in line for later on in that working environment.

    It's no better than me saying to a prospective partner, "Hey I am financially stable, let's get married", then you see the prenuptial agreement it states that "Anything she makes before the marriage is mine to make sure I am financially stable".

    I wonder if you were going to be apart of the gov scheme for employment handouts, this would make things much worse.
    In the end, you just do not start any relationship with a lie.

  • Donaldhump on 01/11/2020 - 10:48
    +1

    Happened to me early in life, complete wrong duties, so I just chain smoked for 5 weeks solid out from of the building, chucked a sickly, then quit.

    • Iluvfreebies on 01/11/2020 - 11:24

      Ha Ha, not a viable option for me. I don't smoke. :(

  • Almost Banned on 01/11/2020 - 11:57
    +1

    Misleading conduct in relation to employment is specifically prohibited by the ACL.
    I think you should see a lawyer now.

  • Kaz0551 on 01/11/2020 - 15:48
    +1

    Take the job and don't show up. They waste your time. You waste theirs.

  • Moderatormoocher on 03/11/2020 - 09:56

    Commenting closed as OP has made a decision.

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