is a job offer letter a contract?

A reader submitted this question to me and I forwarded it over to employment lawyer Donna Ballman:

I was employed at a large successful company. While there, I got a call from a man who is a CEO of a smaller company offering me a job and saying he could beat whatever I was currently making. Long story short, I ended up taking the position in July at the smaller company and leaving my current position.

Two weeks ago, the same man who hired me, also hired a sales manager who has convinced my boss that myself and 1 other rep are making too much money and he is trying to significantly lower our salaries and commission structure. My question is: if this man lured me away from my position at with an offer letter of more money and is trying to renege less than 6 months later, what are my rights? Is there a law that states how long an offer letter is good/enforceable?

Donna’s answer is up at her blog and you can read it here.

Feel free to predict the answer ahead of time and see if you’re right!

{ 5 comments… read them below }

  1. Joanna Reichert*

    That IS surprising – my company’s filter threw a hissy fit over timeanddate.com and called it “porn.” Funny but embarrassing sorting THAT one out . . . .

    If this company is this obtuse and unethical to think that they can pull a stunt like this, then perhaps the extent of their legal might is a Lionel Hutz persona. Do you have an HR rep you can talk to? What’s the protocol for putting the muscle on THEM?

  2. Ask a Manager* Post author

    Just a quick note: Thanks to everyone who alerted me/Donna that there was a problem with her site. She found the problem (a link in one of the comments someone had left) and fixed it. Everything should be working now.

  3. Anonymous*

    My current employer is pushing me to sign a job offer letter and relocate if I sign it how long do I have before I can change my mind and walk away from the offer ?

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