Alarming conditions of a job offer letter

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amoLucia

7,736 Posts

Specializes in retired LTC.

ALL the PP posters sound really on target. But Tricia's last post is esp on point as is NICUGuy's. As a newbie, you just don't have any bargaining power.

My concern is with the "reassign or transfer job position or assign additional job responsibilities within ..." Problem.

That bit about 'other duties as assigned' is almost universally within the domain of the employer. But to not include the other SPECIFIC details you discussed is a bugaboo as I see it.

3 minutes ago, okurilen said:

Anything I should add?

"After carefully considering your offer, which sounds like a wonderful opportunity, I don’t believe it is the right one for me at this time in my life. I have, therefore, decided to decline your offer. I really thank you for the time and effort that you spent on my application for ... position. I also would like to cancel health screening appointment that I have scheduled for ....

I apologize for any inconvenience that I may have caused."

Take out the "wonderful" phrase. Just not a right fit here. IMO

You don't want to sound snide. You may want to consider them for something in the future.

Good luck.

guest1107684

37 Posts

Thanks, everyone. Negative experience is also a learning experience. Now, I will be more careful when accepting any offer.

amoLucia

7,736 Posts

Specializes in retired LTC.

You've also given many a reason to pause & think & READ anything before just blindly signing.

MJB2010

1,025 Posts

Bait and switch! Trust your gut, there is a reason you are having doubts. Clarify in writing.

Nunya, BSN

771 Posts

Specializes in NICU/Mother-Baby/Peds/Mgmt.
13 hours ago, TriciaJ said:

They're pulling a classic bait-and-switch. They need night staff and aren't getting any hits. So they advertise a day gig to score applicants. They hire you on the fly and get you to sign a contract that holds only you to account and absolves them.

The problem for you is that as a new grad day shift might not be realistic. By all means check out the other offers but you may have to reconcile yourself to working nights.

Yes, day shift might not be realistic but someone who isn't trying the bait-and-switch game would just say "I know you want days but that's not available at this point. The job is for nights." If it were a unit that I really really wanted I might take it, knowing they're going to switch me to nights and possibly float me a lot, otherwise I wouldn't take it. It's just kind of hinky. Listen to your gut.

Nunya, BSN

771 Posts

Specializes in NICU/Mother-Baby/Peds/Mgmt.
13 hours ago, okurilen said:

Anything I should add?

"After carefully considering your offer, which sounds like a wonderful opportunity, I don’t believe it is the right one for me at this time in my life. I have, therefore, decided to decline your offer. I really thank you for the time and effort that you spent on my application for ... position. I also would like to cancel health screening appointment that I have scheduled for ....

I apologize for any inconvenience that I may have caused."

Take out "which sounds like a wonderful opportunity" as well as the apology. They should be used to people interviewing and then not accepting jobs. And you were inconvenienced also and I guarantee they don't care. And I would take out "in my life" or change to career.

guest1107684

37 Posts

Thank you for the good advice.

I decided to decline the offer due to the nature of the deal. During the interview I was given a choice between Tele nights and med-surge days that would include gradually being cross trained to Tele unit. I said that even though I prefer days, I will think about Tele nights position, and med-surge days with gradual transition to Tele unit is also a great plan. I don’t understand why after all this discussion they still tried to pull this off, knowing ahead of time that I was open to either one.

The only thought that comes to my mind is that I was a good fit for them and they just wanted me on the team. After 90 days of probation period they would evaluate my skills and see if I can survive on Tele unit during day shift. They specifically mentioned during the interview that their Tele unit is extremely busy. If I did not do so well, they would reassign me to night shifts. They also openly discussed floating from Tele to med-surge, so I see how including additional responsibilities fits into all of this.

I guess I will also have to decide what qualities I expect in my employer. I don’t think integrity was on the list of their values, so I don’t really blame them for trying to pull something like this.

amoLucia

7,736 Posts

Specializes in retired LTC.

To Elaine - you know, I also felt funny about the 'apology' thing. Maybe too much of NCIS and Gibbs' rule ('never apologize, it's a sign of weakness') got to me. :roflmao:

OP - again good luck.

Nunya, BSN

771 Posts

Specializes in NICU/Mother-Baby/Peds/Mgmt.
12 hours ago, okurilen said:

Thank you for the good advice.

I decided to decline the offer due to the nature of the deal. During the interview I was given a choice between Tele nights and med-surge days that would include gradually being cross trained to Tele unit. I said that even though I prefer days, I will think about Tele nights position, and med-surge days with gradual transition to Tele unit is also a great plan. I don’t understand why after all this discussion they still tried to pull this off, knowing ahead of time that I was open to either one.

The only thought that comes to my mind is that I was a good fit for them and they just wanted me on the team. After 90 days of probation period they would evaluate my skills and see if I can survive on Tele unit during day shift. They specifically mentioned during the interview that their Tele unit is extremely busy. If I did not do so well, they would reassign me to night shifts. They also openly discussed floating from Tele to med-surge, so I see how including additional responsibilities fits into all of this.

I guess I will also have to decide what qualities I expect in my employer. I don’t think integrity was on the list of their values, so I don’t really blame them for trying to pull something like this.

A hospital needs SOME integrity though, seeing as they're responsible for people's lives. When they show their *ss (as they say in the South) at the beginning of your relationship with them that's pretty bad. What will happen later on in the relationship? You were right to refuse to work there but don't discard your values and ethics so easily. No employer is perfect but this sounds pretty sneaky!

I worked mostly days throughout my nursing career and like you, refused to do nights even throughout the interview but towards the end of the interview that I had with my manager, I said yes. I am glad I did. It has its challenges but it works best for me. Maybe give it a try if you can. Maybe you may consider this later with another employer.

kp2016

490 Posts

22 hours ago, okurilen said:

Thank you for the good advice.

I decided to decline the offer due to the nature of the deal. During the interview I was given a choice between Tele nights and med-surge days that would include gradually being cross trained to Tele unit. I said that even though I prefer days, I will think about Tele nights position, and med-surge days with gradual transition to Tele unit is also a great plan. I don’t understand why after all this discussion they still tried to pull this off, knowing ahead of time that I was open to either one.

The only thought that comes to my mind is that I was a good fit for them and they just wanted me on the team. After 90 days of probation period they would evaluate my skills and see if I can survive on Tele unit during day shift. They specifically mentioned during the interview that their Tele unit is extremely busy. If I did not do so well, they would reassign me to night shifts. They also openly discussed floating from Tele to med-surge, so I see how including additional responsibilities fits into all of this.

I guess I will also have to decide what qualities I expect in my employer. I don’t think integrity was on the list of their values, so I don’t really blame them for trying to pull something like this.

It's worth keeping in mind the priority of most managers is the overall staff mix of their units, what a potential candidate actually wants is not a priority at all. I was at a job interview a few years ago that was going extremely well (I thought) until the senior of the two managers interviewing me informed me that I would be wasted and bored on this unit and that I would be much better suited to her unit and therefore they would cancel the rest of this interview and I would come back and interview with her team!!

As it happens I had seen the opening on her unit and had not applied because for several reasons it was not a job I wanted. Bottom line I cancelled my upcoming interview and took a position with a different hospital. I think they are making it very clear to you that if you take this job you will be doing whatever shift suites them on whatever ward they decided they want you on.

Declining the position is probably a smart move that will spare you a lot of drama.

TriciaJ, RN

4,328 Posts

Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

I'm with KP2016. I'm not buying the whole spiel about seeing how you do on days and reassigning to nights "if it doesn't work out".

They're just greasing the cogs for you to be stuck on nights after you applied to the day shift job that they posted.

While it might be tough to get a hospital day shift job as a new grad, I'd think twice about working for anyone willing to pull such blatant shenanigans.

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