Not much to add, but if someone told me that I had a job and then later said that the job was actually contingent on some other factor, I’d be pissed.
Dude, you gave me the job! I made decisions based upon that offer. It’s like selling somebody something and then a few days later asking for more money. Dude, you already sold it to me. Take a leap.
Having been around for awhile 
I always tell them I will give my current employer 2 weeks notice when I have a firm offer (not conditional).
I don’t remember, it had no fine print on it, I know that. I pretty much wiped my ass with it after she told me I was turned down.
But in all honesty, I wouldn’t have quit my job unless I knew for sure I had a new one. I know the difference between a contingent offer and a firm one.
It’s my guess that the 'screw up on the driving record" was a DUI, and that is why the offer was rescinded.
If I am correct, kwc27 may also have filled out an application which asked for felony convictions. The way he phrased his screw up makes me think it was a DUI, and consequently, makes me think he may have not answered the felony conviction question honestly. Grounds for withdrawal of offer/termination.
And, if that is the case, how the job *offer *was extended is irrelevent, IMHO.
Just my suspicion.
That was my guess also, but DUI is not a felony in most areas.
I think this is all kind of moot. It doesn’t sound, from what you’ve written, like you even kept the letter they sent you, (you were guessing at the exact wording, up thread!) In which case, no matter how egregious their errors or missteps, even if criminal, you have no recourse anyway, without the letter. Do you know the name of the person who sent it to you? Do you know the name of whom you spoke with?
I realize you’re only after hypothetical conjecture, but if you didn’t bother to document anything, you’re screwed regardless, aren’t you?
Yes, I was reading about the Nexus “expresss pass” for the Canada-USA border. The Americans will deny your request if you had a pot posession or shoplifting charge 30 years ago. The Canadians don’t care. The Canadians will deny your application if you have ever had a DUI (since it’s considered a criminal conviction in Canada) but the Americans don’t care.
You are correct, but a DUI is not a felony in this state. A third DUI is, which I do not have. I’ve got a misdemeanor. I answered every question truthfully.
Really? Most job applications I’ve seen ask about convictions, with the explicit exception of traffic violations - offenses a step below misdemeanors. A misdemeanor conviction is a pretty significant deal; employers generally want to know about it.
I suspect you read your disclosure requirement too narrowly. I’m not your lawyer, obviously.
Nothing to add except to say that this is more common than most people realize.
At an old job a hiring mamager I know was told his budget was cut and he would not be able to take on the three people he was hiring. He was told this on the first day they were to start, about 30 minutes before they were scheduled to show up for orientation. He had no choice but to meet each one of them at the front door, thell them there was no job and that they were not permitted to enter the building.
He (the hiring mamager) was devestated at being put in this position. He really was a good guy and felt betrayed by the company and terrible at the damage this would do to these three people. I don’t think he managed to get over it - he left shortly after.
Here is an excerpt from the application, which is available online:
Within the last 10 years, have you been convicted of a felony? (Conviction of a crime does
not necessarily disqualify you from employment.)
Yes No
If yes, (if the answer is yes, it does not necessarily disqualify you), explain the nature of the offense and the
date:
I stand corrected.
Hmmm…I’m even more curious now. did you mention the DUI on your application? Because, felony or misdemeanor, I’d rather suspect that a DUI isn’t considered 'just a driving record" issue. I would guess it’s more like an assault, isn’t it? Were you arrested, or just given a ticket?
Could be wrong, tho.
I had something similar once. I got a job that had the same question as above. I had been charged with DUI, 4 years prior, but the charge was dismissed. I got the job, but a couple of weeks later the boss called me in his office and said he was upset that I wasn’t candid with them, but they would let me keep the job.
I told them that I answered the question honestly, and that if they wanted to know about an arrest without a conviction, they needed to ask. I’m not going to volunteer every time that I didn’t listen to my 2nd grade teacher.
He said that was fine, but “in the future” to “err on the side of caution” and “disclose everything.”
Disclose where? Say no, I’ve not been convicted of a felony, but I was arrested for a misdemeanor that was later dismissed? Who answers a question that way?
The point is that these hiring managers aren’t lawyers and when they pull shitty questions off of an internet form template, they blame you for not giving the answer to the question they wanted to ask.
Yeah, I’ve seen enough online application forms, paper applications and etc that I don’t think there is a true standard. Common ones I’ve seen:
“Have you ever been convicted or charged with a crime?” - Pretty much a catch all that covers any criminal conviction or any arrest including misdemeanors. Sometimes seen with the qualifier “other than minor traffic violations.”
“Have you ever been convicted of a felony?”
“Have you been convicted of a felony in the past X years?”
“Have you been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor in the past X years?”
I’ve also seen a formal job application that only asked “Have you ever been convicted or charged with a felony?” But in the second round of the hiring process, you had to fill out a background check consent form and a DMV record release consent form (so they could view your DMV record.) The DMV record form also asked that you disclose upfront any issues on your driving record so for that job in the second round of hiring you would need to disclose a DUI upfront or most likely not receive the job offer.