Deferral Stipend, Start Dates

Pillsbury Incoming Associates Still Waiting to Hear When They Can Start

By  
on

Back in May, we reported that Pillsbury Winthrop wanted some of its incoming first year associates to defer until January 2010, some to defer until 2011, and others to take $60,000 to go away entirely.
The firm couched all of these options as “voluntary.” But notwithstanding the firm’s choice of language, we reported that Pillsbury needed at least 22 of its incoming class of 54 associates to take the go away money, or defer for a year.
Pillsbury said that it would announce which associates were starting in January 2010 on June 26th. That was Friday.
But according to my iPhone “date and time” application (how people did anything before the iPhone, I do not know) it is Monday, June 29th. And there is still no word from Pillsbury. Here’s one tipster’s report:

As of this AM, still no news from the firm. Yet again, evidence they can’t be trusted – or don’t care about incoming associates. Their written letters to us said we would know by by Friday. I hope this is not how the firm conducts business with clients.

Should Pillsbury associates expect the firm to actually tell them when they can start? Or should they just start hanging out on the Acela and hope to catch a clue on the wind?
More reactions after the jump.


Our tipsters started worrying that Pillsbury would miss its own deadline as early as Thursday:

Tomorrow is the date that Pillsbury said they will let 32 of 54 know who will be starting Jan 2010. (I highly doubt they will honor that promise though, since Pillsbury has not put the interest of its employees very high on its list of priorities…)

I know of a few who have taken the $60,000 offer to kiss them goodbye. I am sure there are more. There seems to be a general feeling that Pillsbury can’t be trusted.

By late Friday, more people were angered by the firm:

It is 7pm West Coast time and still none of us have heard anything. As you well know, Pillsbury was one of the last firms to tell their associates anything in the first place. This is a whole new low, even for them. Please report this. I can only hope at this point we can shame a reply from them.

Sponsored

We haven’t spoken to anybody that has heard anything from the firm. We’ll keep you posted as we get more information.
Earlier: Pillsbury: Let’s Try This Whole ‘Voluntary Departure’ Thing One More Time

Sponsored

Topics