After his father passed away, a new hire asked for more time to join but the company withdrew the offer instead
The author received an emergency call from his mother, informing him that his father had fallen ill and was rushed to the hospital.
While most companies are understanding during family bereavement, some don't seem to harbor any humanity. One such company is facing backlash for rescinding a man’s job offer after he asked HR to delay his start date by a week following his father’s untimely death. On October 27, a now-deleted Reddit post drew widespread support for the candidate, with users criticizing the company’s unjust action.
The author penned his frustration after having their job offer rescinded. He shared in his post that in the early hours of October 25, he received an emergency call from his mother, informing him that his father had fallen ill and was rushed to the hospital. After about 30 minutes, she called him again, informing him that it was suspected that his father had suffered a massive heart attack and that he had passed away, unfortunately. The author and his wife immediately booked flight tickets and informed the company that he had received a job offer from earlier, requesting them to postpone the start date by one week to handle the funeral.
However, in a twist of events, the company decided to rescind its offer altogether. "They basically rescinded my job offer since I could not cancel flying out to bury. Talk about a double gut punch," the author wrote. The email received from the company read, "We completely understand and empathize with your situation. However, due to the operational needs of this critical role, we will not be able to postpone your start date beyond Monday, October 27, 2025." The email continued, "If you are unable to begin on that date, we may need to proceed with another candidate to ensure business continuity. We truly appreciate your understanding and cooperation, and we wish you and your family comfort and strength during this challenging time."
In a 2021 study authored by Stephanie L. Gilbert and E. Kevin Kelloway, researchers found that when workplaces provided adequate accommodations during grief (like flexible scheduling, delayed responsibilities), employees experienced lower emotional exhaustion and higher organizational commitment. By not supporting their new employee's request, the company has lost its reputation in the eyes of the public. Soon after the post went viral, many online users offered their support during the challenging situation. u/BrainWaveCC wrote, "Very sorry for your loss, OP. And for everyone else, this is why you don't need to feel guilty when you need to change your plans concerning any employment — no matter what the reason. Always do what's best for you and your family." u/Vintage-Grievance commented, "Spends the rest of the email not doing either of those things." u/Bentley2004 shared, "Not worth working there, you dodged a bullet!"
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