Henry Rauzi, the controller for Sunbeam, issued an offer to Linda Croce for an entry-level accounting position at Sunbeam at a salary of $34,000 per year. Ms. Croce accepted the offer and gave notice to her employer. When then-CEO of Sunbeam, Paul

Question

Kazarian, was informed of the offer, he demanded that Mr. Rauzi rescind it because Kazarian had not approved it prior to it being made. Mr. Rauzi called Ms. Croce at 10:00 P.M. three days before she was scheduled to being work and told her of Mr. Kazarian's action. Ms. Croce had no job and remained unemployed for several months while she searched for a new job. Evaluate the legality and ethics of Sunbeam's officer's actions with respect to Ms. Croce.

Answer 1

Apart from the obvious legal difficulty that Ms. Croce had a contract because she had already accepted the offer, there is the ethical dilemma, even without such formality, of reneging on one's word. There was a meeting of the minds and Ms. Croce relied on the promise in quitting her other job. The fact that an internal error in reporting lines was made should not affect the extension of the offer to Ms. Croce. Ms. Croce had no way of knowing that there were limitations on Mr. Rauzi's authority. Certainly she had no way of knowing that he could not issue an offer. Sunbeam's actions with respect to Ms. Croce were unfair, unbalanced and unethical.