Shoosmiths has asked its 2009 trainees to withdraw from their contract with the firm or defer until 2011 - without any offer of financial compensation. We understand why firms need to defer trainees. But we should be compensated for the inconvenience this has caused us, arising from the fact that we had relied on starting this September. According to www.thelawyer.com, Shoosmiths' last-published PEP was £396,000*. They are only asking 10 of this year's intake to defer. They can afford to compensate us. We are asking for compensation at the market rate, to cover our debt repayments and to enable us to do something constructive with our time off. This decision has been reported in the press and has generated considerable comment. http://www.legalweek.com/Articles/1197689/Shoosmiths+offers+no+payouts+to+deferred+trainees.html http://www.thelawyer.com/shoosmiths-to-withdraw-training-contracts/1000257.article http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/birmingham-business-news/legal-business/2009/03/31/birmingham-law-firm-shoosmiths-in-bid-to-defer-trainee-intake-65233-23269515/ We thought we were joining a firm that cared about its employees. This is a very poor way to begin the employment relationship. *http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:aARm9V7yWpIJ:www.thelawyer.com/uk100/2006/law/32_shoosmiths.html+shoosmiths+PEP&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk