u/phenols_reshoot5s

I have a new manager, and honestly, his favourite pastime seems to be demonstrating that he thinks none of us on the team are up to par. There's absolutely no respect for anyone, it seems. He's pushing us to buy a bunch of extra subscriptions for a specific software, even though the existing users barely use it. A few days ago, the vendor sent their pricing, which was, as expected, insanely exaggerated. My manager immediately replied with an email, describing their figures as "ridiculous" and demanding they reduce the cost significantly, by 60% discount. Then, in a supposed gesture of "partnership" with this vendor, he *volunteered me* - yes, *me* - to travel to a distant continent and give a keynote presentation at their upcoming annual conference. There was no discussion. No prior notice or warning. And he didn't consider at all that public speaking is not something I do, nor do I have any desire to do it. He simply committed my time and presence without consulting me. Worse yet, he later *boasted* about this "deal" in a subsequent team meeting, a meeting I wasn't even aware of. My colleagues came out of it, asking me about this presentation I'm supposed to give, while my manager still hasn't bothered to say a direct word to me. I am genuinely shocked by this. Maybe I'm a bit sensitive, but being literally a bargaining chip, without my knowledge, feels incredibly humiliating. And we shouldn't forget the context: I am a woman, and he is sending me alone to a place widely known for its traditional views on gender and lack of equality. I have my own life, and I have my boundaries. His disregard for our work is one thing, but basic human respect? That is non-negotiable.

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, but I'm absolutely fuming and need some serious input on a truly messed-up situation. So, a few weeks ago, around mid-March, I received a job offer from a doctor's clinic. They sent me the offer and onboarding paperwork. Their hiring manager initially stated that I should start the following week, around March 27th. I immediately emailed them back, explaining that I needed three weeks to properly resign from my current job, and asked if I could start around April 10th instead.

The recruiter didn't answer until the next morning. She mentioned that another new employee was supposed to start in three weeks on the same day I requested, and that she would follow up. This whole situation was confusing from the start, considering I needed to resign. Anyway, I went ahead and submitted my resignation that Wednesday, March 22nd. My current manager made it clear that he needed a full two weeks, meaning my last day would be April 12th - which was just yesterday.

I immediately informed the new company that I had resigned and that the earliest I could start would be April 13th, or the following Monday, due to my company's policy. Frankly, they should have told me then if it wasn't going to work out, but they didn't. Instead, the HR responded about a week later, around March 29th, confirming that starting on April 13th - the day after my last day at work - was fine. She promised me an updated offer letter and other paperwork. I replied the same day, confirming my acceptance.

The following days passed with no news. I followed up again on April 5th, forwarding the paperwork they had sent and asking a few preparatory questions. Still no response from her. Then came the next week, and I was supposed to start the following Friday. Yesterday was Tuesday, and it was also the last day of my notice period at my old job. I started calling the prospective company multiple times to get details about my start date for the following day, but I kept getting voicemail. I sent her another email that same day requesting information. She finally responded about ninety minutes later (which made me even angrier, as it was clear she wasn't too busy if she could reply that quickly) and hit me with the shocking news: the position had been offered to someone else.

Naturally, I am furious. I explicitly informed them early on about my current job situation, and they deliberately waited until the very last moment of my notice period to tell me this. They could have informed me earlier, giving me a chance to retract my resignation from my old job. And what's worse, I felt compelled to contact these people that day, otherwise, I would have been completely blindsided. If I hadn't done so, I would have shown up the next day, looking incredibly foolish, only for them to tell me to my face. I absolutely refuse to let them get away with this. I feel I *must* explore legal avenues because this level of irresponsibility and unprofessionalism is completely unacceptable, and it's not just about me. So, Reddit, what's my next step? Where do I even begin? Is this a situation where I might have legal recourse?