Offer letter question

[k3am]

Sooooo.. been waiting on this offer letter for quite a while. 

On Friday I sent an email to check in on the status of the letter, and he responded back on Monday that we must have had a miscommunication - he was waiting until March, when I get my annual bonus to get the letter to me. I explained I was hoping to get it sooner so I could address, get any questions answered, and be able to give my notice pretty much the day after I get my bonus. He said he'd try to get me something within a couple of days.

How long would you wait to follow up again??

I have things going on at work I can push out/avoid - that will be in current employer's benefit - if I know I'm leaving. If I'm staying, I'd go ahead and do them, but I really want to leave. 

[northerngal]

I would email tomorrow. Friday's and Monday's suck.

[somebabiesmom]

Since he pushed up his timeframe (whether due to a miscommunication or not), I wouldn't contact him at all. What more can be communicated other than, "Have you done it yet? Have you done it yet?" If another 2-3 weeks pass, though, without any response, maybe you could call. Maybe you could contact your old boss (who put you in contact with him, right?) and see if he knows what's up. But I wouldn't follow up too soon lest you be "too direct" with your communications.

[erinshelley21]

I probably wouldn't say anything at all because it sounds like he is doing what he can by pushing up your offer by at least a few weeks. I think I would find someone pushing for an offer letter that they've already gotten me to agree to deliver 2-3 weeks earlier than I originally planned annoying. I know you're kind of in a bind since you seem to have projects at work that you could be starting. Coming from someone who was left hanging high and dry when my main agent left the agency 2 days after our 2 and a half month sales season started (crop insurance kind of sucks) to start his own agency, your employer will survive if you have to leave in the middle of something. Will they be happy? Of course not, but they will do what needs done to pick up the slack and finish what you started.

[2chatter]

I would do a half and half strategy - take on the work that will be easiest to hand off and manage all of it as if you will be handing off. Push out the other half. If it were me, I would be way more stressed about just freaking wanting the offer than I would be about my work - the work would be the manifestation, but the impatience about the offer would be the cause and I would have to make peace with that (as there's not an action item at the moment, it's really just hurry up and wait). Hang in there!

[k3am]

As far as work load, it's not anything I can half manage. I'm either in or I'm out.

One of my counterparts quit a few weeks ago. They're asking me to pick up some of her accounts since I'm the most experienced and have been here the longest. The biggest complaint we get from clients (about us or their prior lender) is officer turnover. Companies leave banks over stuff like that. So to transfer them to me for a couple weeks and then to someone else is really a bad idea. One of the clients they're asking me to manage is one of our premier clients - 8-figure average balance, significant revenue generator - and they just happen to be up for renewal in March. If their CFO is worth the amount they pay him (and trust me, it's a lot), he's already shopping the deal.

I'm friends with the guy managing it in the interim. If I know I'm leaving, we can manage to push out the timing of the transition for a while, without it looking too suspicious.

[k3am]

Also, he's not really pushing the offer up.

When we first talked offer letter in the beginning of the month, he said he'd get it to me in a week or two. It's been a week or two. There was no discussion about tying it to my bonus, just discussion that the start date needed to be tied to my bonus. I would give notice after it's paid, and need 2 weeks from that date in the event that they don't walk me out the day I give notice. (Industry practice is if you go to a competitor, you're out that day. For some reason, we haven't been doing that lately.)

[mustardseed2007]

I actually think I would call on Monday (which is 2 days, he did say a couple) and let him know specifically that you're trying not to put your new employer in a lurch. I would think the new employer would appreciate that you're giving your old employer that consideration.

[2chatter]

It sounds like you heard 1-2 weeks and he heard March/bonus timeline....so in his mind, he's moving it up.

I would push out new relationships, with the context provided.

[anewadventure]

i do think you should follow up with him, probably monday or mid next week at the latest. to prevent it from being an annoyance, it helps if you indicate that your concern with the timeline is due to not wanting to cause problems at your current employer that could be prevented with the offer letter in hand.

i agree with mustardseed2007 - how you treat your current employer reflects on you, and your new employer would like to hear that you are looking out for the company despite wanting to leave.

[eddiegotsole]

I also agree with mustardseed2007, anewadventure. You have to be professional and put forward your best image even if old employer is not exactly deserving of it!

This is a frustrating situation that I have also been in before. In my last job I was working on a project to replace the company phone system and internet. I presented the best options and had to deal with indecisive upper management and others involved with the project who were dragging their feet. Deadlines had come and gone and I was barely holding on to the discount pricing from the vendors. All this while I was waiting for an offer on a new position elsewhere! I did eventually get offered the new job, but I didn't want to put myself in a bad situation just in case it fell through!