diff --git a/backend/src/api/public/v1/members/work-experiences/verifyMemberWorkExperience.ts b/backend/src/api/public/v1/members/work-experiences/verifyMemberWorkExperience.ts
index 650e3ad92c..be85eca166 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/public/v1/members/work-experiences/verifyMemberWorkExperience.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/public/v1/members/work-experiences/verifyMemberWorkExperience.ts
@@ -52,24 +52,22 @@ export async function verifyMemberWorkExperience(req: Request, res: Response): P
     throw new NotFoundError('Work experience not found')
   }
 
-  const orgsMapBeforeChange = await fetchManyMemberOrgsWithOrgData(qx, [memberId], {
-    withDomains: true,
-  })
-
-  const workExperienceWithOrgData = groupMemberOrganizations(
-    orgsMapBeforeChange.get(memberId) ?? [],
-  ).find((mo) => mo.id === workExperienceId)
-
-  if (!workExperienceWithOrgData) {
-    throw new NotFoundError('Work experience not found')
-  }
+  // Stash org fields for response fallback when reject soft-deletes the row.
+  const memberOrgsWithOrgDataBeforeChange = verified
+    ? []
+    : ((
+        await fetchManyMemberOrgsWithOrgData(qx, [memberId], {
+          withDomains: true,
+        })
+      ).get(memberId) ?? [])
 
   const overlappingGroupedRows = getOverlappingGroupedMemberOrganizations(memberOrgs, memberOrg)
 
-  const memberOrgIdsToDelete = [
-    workExperienceId,
-    ...overlappingGroupedRows.flatMap((row) => (row.id ? [row.id] : [])),
-  ]
+  const overlappingRowsWithIds = overlappingGroupedRows.filter(
+    (row): row is typeof row & { id: string } => !!row.id,
+  )
+
+  const memberOrgIdsToDelete = [workExperienceId, ...overlappingRowsWithIds.map((row) => row.id)]
 
   const verifiedUpdate = { verified, verifiedBy }
 
@@ -90,9 +88,7 @@ export async function verifyMemberWorkExperience(req: Request, res: Response): P
             verifiedUpdate,
           )
 
-          for (const overlappingRow of overlappingGroupedRows.filter(
-            (row): row is typeof row & { id: string } => !!row.id,
-          )) {
+          for (const overlappingRow of overlappingRowsWithIds) {
             await updateMemberOrganization(tx, memberId, overlappingRow.id, verifiedUpdate)
           }
         } else {
@@ -108,19 +104,25 @@ export async function verifyMemberWorkExperience(req: Request, res: Response): P
         })
       }
 
-      captureNewState(updatedMemberOrg ?? { ...memberOrg, verified, verifiedBy })
+      captureNewState(updatedMemberOrg ?? { ...memberOrg, ...verifiedUpdate })
     }),
   )
 
-  const orgsMap = await fetchManyMemberOrgsWithOrgData(qx, [memberId], { withDomains: true })
+  const orgsMap = await fetchManyMemberOrgsWithOrgData(qx, [memberId], {
+    withDomains: true,
+  })
+
+  const groupedMemberOrgs = groupMemberOrganizations(orgsMap.get(memberId) ?? [])
+  const groupedMemberOrgsBeforeChange = groupMemberOrganizations(memberOrgsWithOrgDataBeforeChange)
 
-  const responseMo: IMemberRoleWithOrganization = groupMemberOrganizations(
-    orgsMap.get(memberId) ?? [],
-  ).find((mo) => mo.id === workExperienceId) ?? {
-    ...workExperienceWithOrgData,
-    ...updatedMemberOrg,
-    verified,
-    verifiedBy,
+  const fallbackMo = groupedMemberOrgsBeforeChange.find((mo) => mo.id === workExperienceId)
+
+  const responseMo: IMemberRoleWithOrganization =
+    groupedMemberOrgs.find((mo) => mo.id === workExperienceId) ??
+    (fallbackMo ? { ...fallbackMo, ...verifiedUpdate } : undefined)
+
+  if (!responseMo) {
+    throw new NotFoundError('Work experience not found')
   }
 
   ok(res, toMemberWorkExperience(responseMo))