Would you ditch the first job offer?

Z

z106

Guest
Late last week I signed a 6 month contract with a company which is one hour away door to door and difficult to get to as it requires a couple of modes of transport.
I have now just been offered another 6 month contract for the same pay in a place that is a 3 minute walk away.

Both are to start next monday.

I am curious what other people would do in this situation?

Would you just ditch the first one at this late stage given that it is comfortable 2 hours travelling each day for the next number of months resulting in letting down the agent and company in question?

Or would you stick with it given that you have signed the contract.

(suing for breach of contract or anything like that will definitely not be happening by the way in case that influences anyones comments)
 
Would leaving the first place in the lurch adversely affect your professional reputation or potentially have adverse implications in the future? If you are going to do this then at the very least you should contact them and let them know even if it is an awkward conversation.
 

I will most certainly ring the agent and inform them asap if i do decide the nearby option.

And no - it won't affect my career in any way.

Basically - it is slight bad form on my part.

On the flip side a guy has gotta think of himself too.
It is a little over 2 hours travelling each day versus 5 - 10 minutes travelling.
2 hours travelling is quite an inconvenience on my daily lifestyle.

Basically I'm just curious as to what other people would do in this position.
 
I would talk to company A and tell them you have had a recent change in circumstances which has forced you to reconsider working for them and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

I would then go with company B.
 
DavyJones said:
I would talk to company A and tell them you have had a recent change in circumstances which has forced you to reconsider working for them and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

I would then go with company B.
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This would be my advice too. My husband is a contractor and was in a similar situation recently. As he had done similar to DavyJones advice it all progressed amicably.

Done courteously and correctly these situations can be managed well..in this current clime it's worth treating people properly because you just never know when you might need them (and ofcourse it's good manners).

Person most likely to be brassed off with you to be honest is the agent...who's probably mentally spent his commision.
 
Bubbly Scot said:
Person most likely to be brassed off with you to be honest is the agent...who's probably mentally spent his commision.
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I agree with that - it' s actually mainly the agent I feel bad about.
 
From someone who has gone from ten minute commute each way to an hour and a half each way - I hate it and in some ways am sorry I signed up, although the job and people are grand, I hate the public transport and would say to anyone, it is easier said than done. It's one thing thinking about commuting, but another doing it.
 
As said, basically the ball is in your court. It will be annoying (and they will have incurred some cost in the recruitment process etc) for the first employer, but such is life, better offers come along.

As has been mentioned, speak to the first employer and explain the situation and reasons why you're turning down their offer now. They could be understanding or they could be a bit narked, at the end of the day once the conversation is over that's the last of it, so don't get too hung up about it.

Commutes are a killer, more so when the journey is relatively small and it still takes over an hour to go 10 miles or so. If pay and terms and conditions are the same, it's a no brainer, quality of life (even those extra couple of hours) takes precedence over upsetting the first employer.

A couple of weeks of getting home in time to watch Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and you'll forget all about it.
 
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