employment
Can I decline an offer I have already signed?
<p>I received an offer letter for a job and they want me to give them a response very soon. I'm still waiting to hear back from other offers. If I sign the offer letter but later on I receive another offer, can I call them back and decline the offer? I've heard of other people doing this before and had no issues. I've found articles saying that you can decline an offer after accepting it, but they don't specify what they mean by "accepting" the offer. Any thoughts?</p>

<p>You sign <em>employment agreement/contract</em>, not offer letter. </p>

<p>"Accepting" offer letter normally means stating, either verbally on in writing, that you <em>intend to</em> (as opposed to <em>will</em>) commit to the employment — sign the agreement and start working. </p>

<p>Even though legally you can walk away at any time before you have signed the agreement, it is a good idea to avoid giving promises to start working before you sign. If you feel the employer wants you to affirm/promise, you can either:</p>

<ul>
<li>make it clear that your offer letter acceptance is conditional on you being happy with the fine print, and you cannot commit until you have seen and considered it, and that you are looking forward to seeing the agreement for consideration and signing; or</li>
<li>if you really-really want the job and feel the employer may pull back if you do not show boiling enthusiasm, take chances to say you <em>will</em> sign the agreement and risk being frowned upon if you later walk away because you get a better deal.</li>
</ul>
