Wonder if I can sue my old boss and the company for verbal breach of promise? I mean, hmmmmmm, other people sue every day for lesser things and win. I had gone four years ago to get another job. I got hired by two other companies and was deciding which offer to except before telling my boss I'd found another job. I called one company, thanking them for the offer, and declined because the other company offered a bit more pay. Then I called the other and told them that I accepted their offer for the job.

The next day, the company that I declined the offer from, called me back and offered me the pay I had been going for, plus a dollar more. But I still declined, however, the recruiter told me that if I ever changed my mind, to give him a call. They would certainly like to have me on their team.
I have to say that after both of these companies had made me the job offers and in fact, both had given me the job, I was walking in the clouds. In a sense, I had three jobs for a couple of days and had to make a tough decision on which one to take.

After making my decision, I went and told my current boss that I had found another job.
Much to my surprise, he pulled me aside and asked me if I was happy there then wanted to know the reasons for my leaving. After explaining it to him, he asked that if he could get me a bit more money would I stay. I said that I'd think about it.
(I've touched on this before here)
He comes back later and tells me that they would truly like me to stay because I had been such a loyal and good employee. He praised me for the job that I had been doing and said that if I stayed, they would give me a bit more money as well. We had a talk and he stated that they had plans for me and one other to be over the running of the whole warehouse end. He went on to say that the plans had been made for him to take a more active roll in the running of the business side and they would need me to run things on this end.
So I thought about it and he asked if I was okay with that. He even asked me after the talk "Are we okay now? Are you going to stay?"
I told him that enlight of what he promised me that sure, I liked it there and the people too and, actually I didn't want to leave but had felt that I wasn't going anywhere. He told me outright that it would be around six months before I could get any more money and to be patient. They would take care of me if I was willing to stick with them. (His words passed on to me from above) So I told him that I would stay.
He passed on also, that they appreciated all that I had done for them over the years and felt very lucky to have me in their employ.

So I gave up the other offer for the other job based on the promises that I was made. (I made note of the conversation, date and time and with whom I had spoken to in my daily minder. With a brief description of the account of the conversation)
I believed them and felt good about my self and the situation there that I had help them to build over many years. They hadn't known much at all about the running of a warehouse when they hired me to help organize it into what it is today. The place was a disorganized mess when I got there with stuff everywhere. You had to hunt and hunt to find anything. It was taking to much man power and time. After I and one other fellow got it into shape, it actually saved them money and the time to get something from racking to truck was so efficient that customers in a very timely fashion. Very little shipping mistakes and happy customers.

I can't remember all of the times that customers came in and remarked at the efficiency and well organized way things were being done. They always remarked at how efficient things were done there and that they had never seen such a clean and well organized warehouse in all their years.
The way I and the other man had set things up made them a well oiled machine that other companies tried to copy in there own operations. The warehouse division grew and grew and they had to add on twice and even take in some outside buildings to accommodate new customers who wanted us to handle their warehousing needs. It had gone from a little 30,000 square foot operation to close to 100,000 + in four short years with minimal shipping errors. And we never had enough room for more customers who turned over most of their storage and shipping needs to us.

The owner of the company even made comments for years to the lady who had put us together at what a great job I was doing for them. She told me that he was always thanking her for sending me his way. He just couldn't thank her enough or say enough about my job performance and sense of pride in my job. His reports to her were always about how much of a fine job I was doing. I would swell with pride each time she would tell me about what he said about me to her. She said that it made her feel good knowing that she had recommended me and that I had not let her down.

I was just so confused when they got to that point that after all of that, they wouldn't give me a raise. And then later to make me a promise to stay and get more money for helping to make them what they are today, they breached the verbal promise and hand shake as I walk away with nothing to show for it at all. I'm left standing with egg on my face. I was a sucker alright to buy into empty promises. I trusted and believed them and took them at their word. After all. I had given my word and kept it. Why should I think that they wouldn't do the same.

I turned down a better job with more pay for lies. I trusted them to be men of their words and put a lot into what they said, them all being so religious and all. I thought they they actually meant what they said. Boy was I a fool.

Wish that I could sue them for that promise. I know several practices that OSHA would shut them down for in the last four years. But that would put me on their and I'm bigger than that. Still wish that I could sue them though for taking money out of my pockets. Maybe if I had spilled some coffee on me I could have been sitting on easy street. But I'm not that way.

Guess I'll just always just be a sucker for a mans handshake and his word.