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I got a verbal job offer today. They asked that I start on Monday/Tuesday. It's Friday now. They said the written job offer will be coming over.

If they want me to start that soon, should I tell my current boss now or wait until I get the written offer?

I know the person who offered the job and interviewed with. We both used to work together at the same company I'm at now (i'm paid out by invoice instead of a full time employee).

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  • You said in comments that you don't have a contract with your current company. So you are certain that you are not required to serve any notice period with your current company? Where are you located? Local laws may apply.
    – David K
    Dec 8, 2017 at 20:53
  • No, I don't have one. Nothing was ever signed, they just asked me to come back as a temp, invoicing them to get paid out. It's not leaving them that's the question, it's whether I tell them im.leavong jpw, to start next week, even though I don't have the written contract.
    – Michael Mickiewicz
    Dec 8, 2017 at 20:56
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    Be careful about assuming you're not required to give a notice period just because you don't have a signed document saying so. In many jurisdictions local laws dictate a default in the absence of a written contract. In the UK, for example, the advice given by Unison (a major trade union) to its members is that where no written contract exists the default notice period required is whatever your pay period is (weekly, monthly etc). Check your local laws; don't just assume.
    – Jonathon Cowley-Thom
    Dec 11, 2017 at 12:08

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If they want me to start that soon, should I tell my current boss now or wait until I get the written offer?

I would never act formally on an offer until I got it in writing.

If they want you to start soon, you should tell them that you will need the offer in writing before you can give your notice. Then you should tell your prospective employer how long of a notice you intend to give.

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  • Thank you for the reply. I was finally able to get it worked out.
    – Michael Mickiewicz
    Dec 9, 2017 at 0:23
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    I got the offer letter at the last seconds the day and talked to my current boss. They were completely understanding, left of good terms, and told me they're only a call away if the new job doesn't work out.
    – Michael Mickiewicz
    Dec 9, 2017 at 14:25
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Did you state in the interview your availability is immediate? You should wait for written offer and also check your contract with current work place. It may be construed as dualism , but you first need to think of #1 - you

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  • I don't have a contract with them. I was laid off a while back and then taken back as a temp, payed out by invoicing instead of regular salary. They do want to take me back full time now though. I just don't want to miss out on this job, starting when they want me to, because I don't have the written offer just yet. They want me to start in 4 days. I wasn't sure if I should tell my current boss that, or wait till I get the letter, only because they wanted me to start so quickly.
    – Michael Mickiewicz
    Dec 8, 2017 at 20:31
  • In that case you do not owe them a thing. They may be the ones owe you for taking advantage of the situation and push you out to contract position from a full time job earlier. In any case my statement stays, you should look for #1 here. and if old job want you, and you don`t mind a little extra work , get a freelance contract with them to do on your own time. If you are in control, your hourly can go high :)
    – Strader
    Dec 8, 2017 at 20:34
  • Oh I don't feel I owe them anything. They haven't show me any loyalty, I have none to them. It really was just the act of telling them now, or waiting till I get the written offer, only because they want me to start in 4 days. haha.
    – Michael Mickiewicz
    Dec 8, 2017 at 20:36
  • IMO, Don`t say anything.
    – Strader
    Dec 8, 2017 at 20:37
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It's best to think of a verbal offer not as an actual offer, but a promise that an offer is going to come. Should you quit your job for a promise? That depends entirely on your financial situation and your level of trust in the promise - to be explicit: only do it of you can afford to lose your job, and you completely trust the promise.

You're cutting things too close tough - you will want some extra days once the written offer is received to be able to read it through and discuss any points that need to be adjusted. In most - but not all - situations, people who hire you for your skills can wait an extra week.

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