Leveling up your career sounds empowering—until your employer turns against you. More workers are discovering that job searching while employed can trigger retaliation, sabotage, and career-ending backstabbing. When ambition meets a toxic workplace, the fallout can be brutal. One reader just experienced this firsthand, and her story is a wake-up call.
Dear Bright Side,
Our biggest rival company offered me the same role, double the salary.
I handed them my resignation. HR said that my 2-week notice wasn’t enough for them to find a replacement for my role. I didn’t really care.
Before I got out, she snapped, “You’ll regret betraying us like this after 9 years!”
I just smiled, not realizing what she really meant.
My 1st day at the new company was a bit strange. No warm welcome, nothing.
Then my blood ran cold when my new boss sent me an email.
It said:
“We regret to inform you that we’re withdrawing your job offer effective immediately. Your former employer sent us a negative reference, claiming you left unfinished work and raising concerns about your performance. We wish you success in your future career.”
I went numb... Today was supposed to be the day I signed my contract and started this higher-paying role. Instead, I suddenly had no job at all.
My old company clearly interfered and pressured my new workplace to cut me loose.
And I get it—most companies won’t risk industry conflict or bad blood with a competitor over one employee
Now I’m stuck asking:
Was I wrong for making a career move?
Am I the one who betrayed them—or the one who got betrayed?
— Rena
You were WRONG to tell them where you were going. It's entirely possible that your old boss and your new boss, did it together. YOU quit, NO unemployment, NO New Job. I HAVE seen it happen. Any new boss, that takes the word of the old boss, WITHOUT ANY CONVERSATION with the new hire, is NOT someplace that will treat you fairly. Did you sign ANY paperwork for the new company? Talk to a labor lawyer, and see if you have any options.
Rena, thank you for writing in. What happened to you isn’t just upsetting; it’s professionally damaging. We’ve reviewed your situation, and you still have options. Here’s what you can do next, step by step.
Archive every single message and screenshot anything that shows HR panicking or threatening you. This isn’t “hurt feelings” — it reads like retaliation and possible employer interference.
Create one secure digital folder and label everything with dates + timestamps: the rescinded offer, the “incomplete work” accusation, and the exact HR threat. Solid documentation is your strongest weapon if this escalates into defamation, wrongful blacklisting, or coordinated intimidation between competitors.
Email their HR or Compliance team and calmly request a copy or written summary of the negative feedback they received about you.
Most companies get very cautious the moment they’re asked to justify a rescinded offer, especially if it looks like blacklisting, sabotage, or unverified claims. And that tense, silent first day? It sounds like people already knew something was wrong. Sometimes one polite, documented request is enough to make them rethink, backtrack, or admit they acted too fast.
A company doesn’t keep someone for 9 years if their work was truly “incomplete.” That accusation is flimsy, convenient, and frankly suspicious.
Use your long track record as your strongest proof point when speaking to recruiters and hiring managers—especially those experienced with toxic workplace exits, career sabotage, and competitor-firm retaliation. Frame this as corporate politics and unethical interference, not a performance problem. Done right, it positions you as a capable professional caught in a company feud, not someone with a credibility issue.
It looks like your former employer interfered after your resignation, and that interference led to a rescinded offer and financial harm. That can fall under tortious interference and possibly defamation if false claims were shared.
An employment lawyer can quickly tell you if you have a case—or if a formal demand letter could stop them from sabotaging future opportunities.
When the world feels brutal, these moments restore your faith in humanity. These 15 real stories prove that small acts of kindness can change everything—and remind us that good people still exist.
