California Employment: Signed A Contract And Received A Start Date, But I Was Sent Home On My First Day While Hr “reassesses” My Salary

Location: California.

I recently accepted an at-will position with a school. I completed the interview process and had my former employers submit Verification of Employment forms so my experience could be considered when determining my salary.

The school sent me a contract that did not include my verified experience in the salary placement. I signed it in good faith because I was told that my salary would be reassessed after the employment verifications were reviewed. However, the employer never signed the contract.

The contract itself did not list a start date, but the department director confirmed by email that my first day would be Monday, August 17, and HR was included in that email. I reported to work as instructed, but HR sent me home. I was told that they could not help me at that time and that I needed to wait while my contract was reassessed.

It has now been several days, and no one has responded to my follow-up emails or provided a timeline. I do not know whether I am officially employed, whether they still intend to move forward, or when I am supposed to begin working.

What should I do next? Should I send a formal written request asking them to confirm my employment status by a specific date? Can an employer direct someone to report for their first day and then leave them waiting without confirming whether the position is still available? Should I speak with a California employment attorney, or is this something I should continue trying to resolve directly with HR?

I want to confirm whether I am entitled to pay for reporting to work as instructed, even though I was sent home before I could begin. I have saved the contract, emails confirming my start date, VOE communications, and my follow-up messages.