Q: Can I cancel the job offer of type "At will" after accepting the offer for another better offer?
I am an international student on F1 visa. I have accepted a job offer from a company(in Illinois) for which I have signed documents such as employment contract and NDA contract. All these documents has clearly mentioned the nature of employment as "At Will" with no mention of notice period requirement anywhere in the contract, which states that "Your employment with the Company will be 'at will' meaning that either you or the Company may terminate your employment at any time and for any reason, with or without cause."
Now, I got an offer from my dream company and I do not want to loose it at any cost! So I want to know, are there any legal implications if I turn down the already accepted offer before even joining? Is there any legal notice period which I should follow even if it has not been mentioned anywhere in the contract and I have not even started working?
A: Since you did not mention a non-complete clause in the employment contract, I will assume that issue is no concern. Accordingly, unless you have received some valuable benefit(s) from the first company (such as a signing bonus, special training, valuable company equipment, laptop, etc.), there should be no legal reason for the company to move against you if you renege before actually beginning work. The only downside is your reputation with the people at the first company: if you renege and then do not get hired by your "dream company" you will not be able to go back there.
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