How to Quit a New Job I Havent Started Yet if Something Better Comes up

jmondejar on 26/01/2022 - 02:05
Last edited 26/01/2022 - 02:56 by 1 other user

I just signed a 10-month contract to work as a Freelance Professional for a government agency based in South Australia last Friday 21-January as I really want to live outside of the Northern Territory and potentially buy a house outside of NT e.g. in Adelaide, Regional NSW or Regional Victoria.

The problem with this Adelaide company is since I'm a freelance contractor, they will not be providing any relocation allowance, which based on the quote I get is $10,000 (excluding AirBnB when I reach Adelaide while waiting for our stuff to arrive). However today, my current employer here in the Northern Territory offers me the ability to work remotely for 6 months to a year and then I will need to look for another employment somewhere else. The contract that I signed in South Australia requires me to give 4 weeks notice but I don't know if 4 weeks is applicable if I haven't even started yet with them since the contract start date is the last week of February.

Here are my options:

  1. Suck it up and move to the new company in Adelaide and hope that they extend my contract for another year and beyond. Also bear the cost of moving to Adelaide since the client do not should relocation cost to contractors.

  2. Send Adelaide company my resignation even though I have not started yet with them and continue with the company in Northern Territory for 6-12 months and hope that there will be another opportunity in Adelaide outside of the government agency.

Education & Work

Comments

  • garetz on 26/01/2022 - 02:23
    +10

    Inform the adelaide company you cannot afford the movement costs of 10k and that you will not be able to continue with the contract unless they cover them. If they say yes then do so, if they say no then stay in the NT.

  • DemocracyManifest on 26/01/2022 - 02:32
    +3

    You need to contact Fair work - 4 weeks notice is ridiculous for what you are - a temporary employee

    • bargainhuntingcouple on 26/01/2022 - 09:05
      +2

      You got downvoted but you seem to be correct.

    • jmondejar on 26/01/2022 - 09:12

      it seems common from experience. I've been contracting since 2015, and all of them requires 4 weeks notice. I'm not sure if its only common in my Industry (IT).

      • DemocracyManifest on 26/01/2022 - 09:52

        What’s the penalty for 4 weeks notice? If it’s government that should just let you walk away from it easily - especially now with changing situations

    • El cheepo on 26/01/2022 - 10:57
      +1

      Absolutely ridiculous.
      Fairly certain under a year is generally 1 weeks notice for a permanent employee (then over years progressively getting longer)

      Not sure how they manage to weasel a 4 week clause into a contract for someone who isn’t even directly employed by them.
      Whats their terms for ending the position early?

    • brad1-8tsi on 26/01/2022 - 12:56
      +1

      4 weeks notice is ridiculous for what you are

      I agree but am constantly amazed that people sign contracts without asking for amendments of conditions that favour the employer far too much.

      • bobbified on 26/01/2022 - 20:38
        +1

        The notice period specified usually goes both ways and it's not always a bad thing.

        There could be situation where you sign the new contract, hand in your resignation and then the new places decides that they don't need that role you signed up for anymore. That notice period clause at least gives you something to work with.

        • DemocracyManifest on 26/01/2022 - 23:14

          If that happened, I’d be taking them to pay out the entire contract if it caused me loss of another job and income!

          • bobbified on 26/01/2022 - 23:24

            @DemocracyManifest: A "contract" might be for a certain length, say six or twelve months, but there's no guarantee and if it's terminated prior to that, it's still the 'notice period' that's payable. It's usually quite clearly written. If it was the case that they had to pay out the entire contract, it'll go both ways. That is, it could be bad for the contractor if, say, they hate the job and wanted to get out.

  • holdenmg on 26/01/2022 - 06:13

    Is the vacancy you have been offered to cover someone on (Maternity) Leave or something?

    It seems like someone is away and you are providing them cover until they return.
    If they don't return, your contract may be extended.

    If you accept, this could put you in a position where your Contract ends (or is up for renewal) in December which may or may not be the best time to be looking or relocating.
    It suits the employer because your extension (if offered) could recommence in Jan/Feb 2023.

    If you accept and it is 10 months (and nothing more) do you:

    a) Return to the NT at your own or a prospective employer's expense?
    b) Stay in Adelaide and start looking for the next vacancy with either with the Government Agency or someone else…

    The only thing I can observe is that it may be an opportunity to look at Adelaide, jobs and property.

    For me, that they aren't offering relocation assistance is a bit of a Red Flag, but they are seeing you as just a candidate that satisfies their immediate needs. No different to a local candidate.

    It is probably more common for relocation expenses to be offered to the NT to attract candidates or allow for a remote living (maybe more so for Permanent Positions).

    If you haven't resigned maybe consider waiting for a better offer.

    • jmondejar on 26/01/2022 - 08:54

      I will respond to your individual comments below:

      Is the vacancy you have been offered to cover someone on (Maternity) Leave or something?
      Answer: No. the vacancy is a short term fixed contract only. However they mention that there is a possibility of an extension for other projects that they may need my expertise. By the way, I already accepted the offer last Friday 21 January with SA company but now having second thoughts as SA company does not provide any relocation and when I started tallying up the cost e.g. removalist is easily $10,000, plus add in AirBnB, airfare for our family of 3, breaking my lease, etc. I'm going to do this anyway, but my current employer now agrees for me to work remotely although for 6 months (potentially be extended by another 6 months) then I have to look elsewhere after this (potentially in Adelaide).

      If you accept and it is 10 months (and nothing more) do you:
      a) Return to the NT at your own or a prospective employer's expense?
      b) Stay in Adelaide and start looking for the next vacancy with either with the Government Agency or someone else…
      Answer: B. I plan to buy a house in Adelaide so after 10 months (31-Dec-2022) once I have a secure job in Adelaide. Maybe I'll switch from being a freelance contractor to a full-time permanent employee, even though I'll have easily a pay cut of 50%. But yeah, the plan is to stay in Adelaide long term.

      If you haven't resigned maybe consider waiting for a better offer.
      Answer: I submitted my resignation from my NT explorer right after I signed the contract with SA company since I'm required to give 4 weeks notice at my current position. The problem is, the company here in NT do a counteroffer for me to work remotely so I can still move to SA and work with them for potentially 6-12 months, and then after that, I will have to look for a job in SA.

      • MrFrugalSpend on 26/01/2022 - 09:52
        +5

        I'm totally confused, it seems you want to move to SA (or Vic) regardless, yet your post is complaining about the moving costs from NT to SA.
        As others have commented, very rare for someone in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane etc to offer you relocation costs - they are large cities with dozens of candidates to choose from. It's not their problem where you are coming from. So forget waiting for that. If you plan to move anyway, it's irrelevant.

        A - If you stay with your current job for 6-12 months, you still pay moving costs to SA to work "remotely".
        B - If you go to the new job, you still pay moving costs to SA AND you have 10 months work lined up (very similar to 6-12 months) AND you have started making new contacts that may lead to a full time job or extension in that new permanent place of residence….

        Sounds like you should get the move over with and start living where you want to live and get some local contacts for the job post 10 months because this original post about moving costs is a null point - its just timing?!

  • original15 on 26/01/2022 - 07:51

    $ to stay in NT is better?
    Sounds like you want to get out of the NT but because the Adelaide gig isn’t going to pay for you to move then you’re having second thoughts. For the Adelaide gig are you an on payroll employee (fixed term) or an external contractor/consultant?

    • jmondejar on 26/01/2022 - 09:05

      $ is will be the same. Yes, you're right, the relocation cost is so enormous e.g. removalist that's the quote to us is $10,000. Plus we have to rent an Airbnb temporarily while looking for a place in SA and while waiting for our stuff to arrive which is another 2-3 weeks. Plus I have to break my least which for sure would cost us also.

      The current NT company offers for me to work remotely which means, I can finish up my lease here (until the end of July), missus can still work in her current company until we decided to move. My daughter can finish year 1 first semester here so less disruption in her education. The downside of doing this is, the missus would really love to move to Adelaide and need to start our plan of living there and hopefully be able to buy a house in early 2023. The plan has always been to move outside NT. I just hope that there is a company that provides relocation costs for us to move, just like the NT company provided relocation to us when we move from Sydney to NT.

      • original15 on 26/01/2022 - 09:45

        Imo I’d move
        It should have come up before u accepted the job of relocation assistance was provided. Feels like you should have done a lot of this thinking prior to applying and indeed accepting. What level seniority are you? IC, mgmt, mid mgmt, snr specialist, snr leader? Only certain tiers will get relocation, and even then only if your skills are so in demand and rate that it warrants wearing the extra cost. If there are others who can do the job just as well locally (say if it’s a common field or expertise) I can’t see much scrambling to pay for you to move. And if you’ve said and wife already wanted to relocate to Adelaide thru IV it’s even less likely they’d fork out for it

        Just me tho
        Have lived in NT so appreciate wife wanting out :) found it a great place to visit but not live

        So you’ve three options:
        1 move to Adelaide
        2 reneg on Adelaide and stay in NT
        3 ask them for relocation assistance (if denied see option 1-2 Altho relationship may be strained in option 1.

        🤷🏻‍♂️

      • MrFrugalSpend on 26/01/2022 - 10:06

        Again I'm going to suggest you need to push forward here…

        School starts in a week's time - if you pulled your finger out you'd have had time to (give or take a few days) get your daughter into school in Adelaide in line with all the other newstarters at the start of a year - which would've made it far less disruptive to her. Its not good to start her making friends etc for 1 term then move mid year - that's more disruptive.

        Are you going to start a new life in Adelaide or not!? If yes - you're just delaying / procrastinating.
        Perhaps what's really going on is you don't want to move - I note you said "missus would really love to move to Adelaide" - what do you really want?

        I suspect the answer for you is really NT but you don't want to admit it to her… but if Adelaide is the answer -

        1/ Get some other removal quotes - sounds ridiculous. Maybe ask some transport companies about cost of moving a shipping container if you pack it yourself?
        2/ Enquire about prospect of putting the house for re-lease - they may get someone lined up before you even are ready to move if you hurry - people be moving to NT to start a new job at the start of the year too.

  • dts88 on 26/01/2022 - 08:45

    you already have an answer in mind, leave outside NT.

    Tell the SA company you are leaving soon. Just tell them you like the job, but you are having financial issue (additional accommodation cost) where you need to support your family in NT.

    If the SA company like to keep you, they may sit down with you, and negotiate a new contract.

    • jmondejar on 26/01/2022 - 09:09

      thanks for this. They specifically told me that they don't give relocation to contractors, Which means I only have two options, suck it up and eat all the cost of moving or tell them I'm not coming, potentially severing the relationship and potentially working with them again.

  • holdenmg on 26/01/2022 - 10:05

    Hi,
    I saw:
    Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job
    https://jobsearch.gov.au/content/documents/20%20programme%20… but I'd guess you might not be eligible but I thought maybe you might.

    • jmondejar on 26/01/2022 - 10:27

      Unfortunately I'm not eligible.

      • holdenmg on 26/01/2022 - 10:43

        No worries.

        If you lived @ Uluru you would between a rock and a hard place… :+)
        (Damn, OP profile says Darwin).

  • [Deactivated] on 26/01/2022 - 10:42

    Just tell the new job you were offered a better job and cannot start anymore. This happens all the time when hiring, I had to tell a job that I signed the contract too with 4 week notice that I could no longer come and they accepted it.

  • dogboy on 26/01/2022 - 10:53
    +4

    Just a note. People who accept jobs and then rescind before the start date for a better offer are very poorly looked upon in many professional industries. Be careful you don't get a bad reputation from doing this.

    • star-ggg on 26/01/2022 - 11:20
      +2

      What industries are those? I work in finance and nobody cares. People get better offers before a job starts or after. What's the point of training and integrating someone knowing that they know they can get a better offer elsewhere immediately?

    • holdenmg on 26/01/2022 - 11:22

      Plus if you are Security Cleared for Federal (or possibly State Government) vacancies they often ask if you have previously worked for or applied to them before. They can pull your "file" and see if you what went on.

      Years ago, places used to record with "Would / Would not Reemploy.

    • Benoffie on 26/01/2022 - 20:40
      +1

      People can pretend Adelaide is a different place but everyone knows everyone. Reputation is very important and seeing out a contract and performing well really does matter.

      Most industries in SA, outside of the regular ones, are tied to defence - even more insular.

      No SA company will offer relocation from NT as people relocate from up north all the time. OP needs to simply get on with it. Otherwise they'll end up being 'that person'….

    • freefall101 on 27/01/2022 - 13:57

      I’ve worked a lot in recruitment and no one cares. Individual managers may get pissy but overall people recognise that a better offer is a better offer.

      If they’re any good they’ll just match it or move on to the silver medalist.

  • star-ggg on 26/01/2022 - 11:25

    Aren't you going to be earning more than 10k in the extra 4 months of the contract? The Adelaide contract seems the better choice since you already want to move to Adelaide in the first place, and the government contract has a much higher probability of getting renewed. I guess it depends on how confident you are of scoring another job while working remotely (or the chance of them letting you work remotely indefinitely).

    • jmondejar on 26/01/2022 - 17:48

      to answer your question if I'm earning more than 10k in the extra 4 months of the contract, the answer to that is no. I will be paid the same rate.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/01/2022 - 12:40

    4 weeks notice? mate its like 1 week in the first year

  • Peter Enis on 26/01/2022 - 14:40

    Get more removalist quotes. $10k sounds like an awful lot. How many bedrooms / family members are you relocating?

    • jmondejar on 26/01/2022 - 17:49

      Only two-bedroom. We are a family of 3 (my partner and I and a 6-year-old).

      • Peter Enis on 26/01/2022 - 18:19
        +3

        $10k would go a long way replacing a lot of your stuff when you arrived there. You wouldn't consider selling most of it and maybe hiring a one-way box trailer to take your most precious things yourself?

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