Duped

Status
Not open for further replies.
U

UglySituation

New Member
I was laid off, received severance package which allowed me to find another position within a large world wide based company. I will refer to them as the "big company". I applied for a position that was 325 miles away from my home. With the goal of adding to my 8+ years of service and ultimately retiring in 12 years, I sold my home and relocated.

I put my home on the market the day I received and accepted the offer for a mid-management position and started my job a month later. Less than 30 days after starting my new job, it was announced that the entire site was SOLD to another company as part of a contract to continue doing the same work at the same pay. I will refer to them as the "contract company". We were told we could not apply for another position at the 'big company' for 1 year. We were told we would either accept the Job Offer from the "contact company" or issue our 2 week notice to leave the 'big company'.

This 'contract company' had won the contract at least 4 months prior to my hire date. The 'big company' KNEW they were hiring me as part of this contract. It was well known by the Recruiter and Hiring Manager that I was selling my home so that I could stay with the 'big company'. It was part of my pay negotiations that I was moving to an area that has a cost of living that is 4 times higher than where I was living.

The 'contract company' is not a company I would have chosen to be associated with. Prospective employers will see this as a huge step down in integrity, reliability and skill.
The 'big company' HR show me and all of the other employees from this site as "TERMINATED". They insist this is a usual & normal HR practice.

A week ago the 'contract company' announced the bonus structure. At best I might receive up to $5000 annual bonus. This is about 1/2 of what I would have received at the 'big company'.

Since this situation has transpired I have suffered several physical ailments from the overwhelming stress and shock. Some how pulled meniscus in left leg (don't know how), lack of sleep, depression, full blown IBS that had previously been tamed.

Do I have any recourse to recoup moving, selling my home, higher cost of living expenses and emotional distress. How about the Bait & Switch circumstance?
It there a formula I can use to calculate the losses?
 
"Terminated" is not a synonym for fired. It does not mean that you had to be let go because you were such a bad employee. It means that you are no longer employed with that company. No one is going to hear, "terminated" from "big company" and refuse to hire you on that basis, or instantly think less of your skills or reliability. Particularly not in view of a merger/acquisition of the size you're describing. Do you really think prospective employers are going to be unaware of that?
 
I sympathize. My spouse is a highly ranked professional in an ESOP and has a few more years to fully vest. They received a purchase offer last year that was narrowly voted down. The reason it failed was the working professionals were concerned the company that wanted to buy them (was a customer and could not duplicate their work) would cherry pick a few employees to teach their current ones, them dump everyone. This year, that company was bought out by an even larger foreign company. In the professional world, sometimes you are the bug, sometimes you are the windshield.
 
These days more & more companies are being bought out by other companies/sold to other companies.

Agree that terminated just means you no longer work for the company (doesn't always mean fired) - employment can be terminated for many reasons. You can even terminate your employment with a company.
 
To be clear, I work in an industry that experiences many mergers & acquisitions. It seems I was too emotional or wasn't clear about my questions.

The issue is I was hired under false pretenses. The RFP had been awarded 3 months before the 'big company' re-hired me.

Do I have any recourse about the Bait & Switch circumstance?
Is there a formula I can use to calculate the losses?
 
UglySituation said:
To be clear, I work in an industry that experiences many mergers & acquisitions. It seems I was too emotional or wasn't clear about my questions.

The issue is I was hired under false pretenses. The RFP had been awarded 3 months before the 'big company' re-hired me.

Do I have any recourse about the Bait & Switch circumstance?
Is there a formula I can use to calculate the losses?
Click to expand...

Why not go and speak to a few lawyers in your area?
Normally the first consultation is offered gratis.
Just so you're clear, speak to a half dozen or so.
That way you get a bigger picture, a more comprehensive analysis of your legal position.

That way you can hear a definitive answer form several experienced, licensed (in your state) lawyers, and decide if you punt, pass, kick, or forfeit.

Good luck.
 
Typically you are not as companies do not have to disclose their inner workings with candidates before making them public. Post merger you still have a job and from the sounds of it, pretty much the same job though your potential bonus *may* be less. That isn't even going to come close to being the basis for any sport of legal action. Your "Big Company" could have changed their bonus structure at any time even if they didn't get bought out. Unless you were made specific promises at the time of hire that were known to be false, I don't see any recourse but you can always talk to an attorney and see if there is more to the story.

As for your stress, I highly suggest seeking medical attention. A torn meniscus is totally unrelated, and the others are rather extreme reactions warranting evaluation. The sign on the door changing is not even going to come close to being grounds for intentional affliction of emotional distress claims.
 
ElleMD said:
Typically you are not as companies do not have to disclose their inner workings with candidates before making them public. Post merger you still have a job and from the sounds of it, pretty much the same job though your potential bonus *may* be less. That isn't even going to come close to being the basis for any sport of legal action. Your "Big Company" could have changed their bonus structure at any time even if they didn't get bought out. Unless you were made specific promises at the time of hire that were known to be false, I don't see any recourse but you can always talk to an attorney and see if there is more to the story.

As for your stress, I highly suggest seeking medical attention. A torn meniscus is totally unrelated, and the others are rather extreme reactions warranting evaluation. The sign on the door changing is not even going to come close to being grounds for intentional affliction of emotional distress claims.
Click to expand...

Thank you for reading & replying
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Share this page

Get a free case review from a lawyer
Back
Top