How Should I Handle an Offer Cancellation After Missing My Start Date Due to a Family Tragedy?

Dear Seniors,

I need a suggestion regarding an offer letter cancellation due to not joining on the given date. My father passed away on the joining date, and I had to perform rituals as the elder son (as you know, in the north, it takes 16-17 days). I submitted my resignation to my current company, and acceptance and clearance were received.

Kindly suggest and provide a request mail format so that I can cope with the situation.

Regards,
Alok

Hi, Sorry to hear about your situation.

Offer cancellation and employer perception

Offer cancellation depends on the employer. Many candidates fail to report on the joining date and will share some inadequate reasons at the last minute. Probably, even your case might have been perceived indifferently by your employer, and hence they canceled the offer letter.

Steps to address the situation

You can write a simple email to your employer, attaching the death certificate. Explain that you were already relieved from your previous employer's office and due to your father's sudden demise, you were not able to join as committed. They may consider your request. Even if they refuse, look for another offer. Opportunities are abundant for talented candidates. This is not the end of your career. Never give up.

Dear Alok Kumar,

It is unfortunate that on the day you were to join a new company, your father passed away. RIP.

Since you could not join your new company, they have revoked the offer letter. Now you have asked for the draft of the letter to restore the offer letter. A learned member has guided you on how to write the letter. However, when a dispassionate view is taken of your post, or if it is analyzed critically, the following questions arise:

a) How did the death of your father take place? What were the signs of illness preceding the death? Was he admitted to the hospital? Was he admitted to the ICU? If he was hospitalized, did you communicate to your future company that owing to the hospitalization, there is a chance of missing the joining date?

b) What communication took place before and after the death of your father? How did you communicate?

c) Are you a Hindu? As per the Hindu religion, the "Asthi Visarjan" (immersion of the ashes of the dead) takes place on the second or third day. Thereafter, post-death rituals start again on the ninth or the tenth day.

d) Is the location of your new company and the place of the death of your father the same? If yes, then after the immersion of the ashes, for the five or six days in between, there was a chance of joining the future company. Yes, during the "Sutak" (mourning period), one is not supposed to take on a new project or start new work. However, considering the demanding lifestyle or the work challenges of the 21st century, at least you could have visited your new company and explained your unpleasant situation. Did you do that?

Final comments: "Niyati" (destiny) keeps on taking various tests of humans in various forms. Probably, this was the test of your equanimity. Whatever the circumstances may be, one needs to be communicative. Many companies empathize when one is mourning. However, in your case, why the company authorities revoked the offer letter is not understood. What was the cause of their anguish? Despite maintaining the constant flow of communication, if the offer letter is revoked, then it shows the company authorities' inability to share one's grief. If this is the case, then the revocation of the offer letter could be a boon in disguise, and there is no need to repent for it. Start searching for a new job vigorously.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Dear Alok,

You need to talk with the HR department of the new company by describing the whole issue. At the same time, you should discuss it with the old company since you know the people there. The action of canceling the offer is not only bad but also an unfair practice. In my opinion, not joining an organization without consideration is important. This is because, in the past, we have considered several such cases.

Why don't you email or share the copy of the death certificate of your deceased dad with HR, seeking their understanding and another opportunity to return to work at a time convenient for you? Alternatively, you could ask some of your relatives, such as your brother or maternal uncle, or a close friend, to deliver these documents (death certificate, burial/cremation certificate) to HR on your behalf and inquire about the next available reporting date. Consider practical and reliable solutions to overcome this situation. Wishing you the best of luck and the compassion you deserve. Rest in peace, dad.