Is that wwaswas’s car?

I’m not the worst boss ever. Only 3rd, 4th on a good day.

Employers realise that with their demands for ‘flexible’ UK employment law is can also cut both ways. If you haven’t started the job, then I’d have no qualms of taking a better offer – it’s not unknown for a new arrival to pitch-up on their first day to be informed the job no longer exists. I’m now facing my 4th ‘at risk’ with the same employer in 15 years and it’s only a decent redundancy and contributory pension that keeps me here. In terms of employer comeback and recourse through the law, it’s virtually zilch and any threat to ‘blacklist’ you is grounds for a suit.

I’m not the worst boss ever. Only 3rd, 4th on a good day.

Well someone is going to fail their appraisal.

All other things aside, which job do you want the most? Take that one.

Loyalty to a new company you’ve not even started at is laudable, but misguided. Companies routinely lay off employees who’ve worked for them for decades. If you renege on company B they’ll go “oh, that’s a bugger… who was second on the list of candidates, then?” They’ll be cross at you for about ten minutes, a week later they won’t even remember your name.

I was in a similar situation years ago when I was contracting. I’d not been contracting long, lined up a short-term job for a couple of weeks. Then a couple of days later something awesome came up. I knocked it back, figured it wouldn’t reflect well on my career to back out of something I’d agreed to. I’ve regretted it ever since.