Duck and Cover

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Pray that you're one of those let go and never have to stomach this s--thole of an employer again. Expect them to tell everyone the layoffs are performance-based. Yeah, right. Dumbasses will believe it.
 






Anonymous said:
Pray that you're one of those let go and never have to stomach this s--thole of an employer again. Expect them to tell everyone the layoffs are performance-based. Yeah, right. Dumbasses will believe it.
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Nothings based on job-performance..you're a fool if you believe it. It's based on who likes you.
 












So this talk mostly about R &D and Manufacturing, sales? You think?? I think they are closing a lot of plants and doing more cuts at West point? Any thought from people at West point or R&D ? Will it be sales too?
 


















Anonymous said:
Well, we knew this was coming. So, here it is:

http://www.pharmalot.com/2011/07/merck-job-cuts-to-pick-up-steam/

Another 8K to be let go, many to happen in the next month or so.






And people are worried about what kind of car they have to drive.
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You missed the point... these are the REMAINING layoffs that were initially telegraphed right after the merger. There will be another round after this. Trust me, we won't stop until we hit 75,000 employees AT THE MOST. Sorry (believe me)
 






Anonymous said:
You missed the point... these are the REMAINING layoffs that were initially telegraphed right after the merger. There will be another round after this. Trust me, we won't stop until we hit 75,000 employees AT THE MOST. Sorry (believe me)
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They started this reduction from a base of probably close to 106,000 and they are below 93,000 today. Merck was probably on its way to 45,000 to 48,000 without any influence of the S-P merger. S-P was notoriously fat at around 56,000 on Day 1. They came into Merck with more sites and had closed almost nothing in the prior 10 years. Synergy ought to eliminate at least 40% of one or the other base so that would be 22,000 S-P. 34,000 plus 45,000 is 79,000 as the top side figure. Long-term with more and more of the business contracted out, it is not inconceivable that Merck will be less than 60,000.

However, how the hell these indivduals will gain the proper experience to provide direction in their field of responsibility is a mystery. With due respect to the sales force, the heart of the business is technology. When you move that heart to China and India, the business will almost be forced to follow. Laptops in Taiwan, anyone? Acer (Taiwan) says personal computer manufacturing will not exist anywhere in the US in 20 years. I give it 10.
 






Anonymous said:
You missed the point... these are the REMAINING layoffs that were initially telegraphed right after the merger. There will be another round after this. Trust me, we won't stop until we hit 75,000 employees AT THE MOST. Sorry (believe me)
Click to expand...

I am an old HR person and I have seen this happen a few time. Don't worry about the total number of employees because that is extremely misleading. I have seen 10k layoff really become 25k and the headcount does not change much because they move the jobs to friendlier geographic regions. The bean counters look at $$$ and start an chain reaction.

75k is a very high number. It will be closer to 60k when it's all over. The big issue will be where they will be doing the hiring after the layoffs run it's course. Merck is in a ditch right now. They will layoff 30-40k total and bring it back to 65k by hiring overseas. That will really stink but I know how Merck operates.
 






Anonymous said:
I am an old HR person and I have seen this happen a few time. Don't worry about the total number of employees because that is extremely misleading. I have seen 10k layoff really become 25k and the headcount does not change much because they move the jobs to friendlier geographic regions. The bean counters look at $$$ and start an chain reaction.

75k is a very high number. It will be closer to 60k when it's all over. The big issue will be where they will be doing the hiring after the layoffs run it's course. Merck is in a ditch right now. They will layoff 30-40k total and bring it back to 65k by hiring overseas. That will really stink but I know how Merck operates.
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This is damn sobering as I've seen the same scenario play out just like the pp says.
 






To run this business profitably and effectively, it takes bright people and they need to get proper experience and professional (as opposed to social) mentoring. Merck is abandoning its experienced base in order to jettison payroll. It is also continuing to do a shit job of developing its new talent, a tendency that was initiated by the present generation of self-centered leaders 20 years ago. Almost all of the new installations that opened during the pharma industry's massive facility expansions of the last 15 years have struggled with establishing technical competence, regardless of the money splashed to build and open them. Vagelos cautioned against expanding the base too fast and thereby diluting the experience base but he was ignored, apparently. A few centers of development excellence and a few strong manufacturing sites is all that could ever be profitably sustained. But low tax zones are tempting to those that don't really appreciate the core business. Moving the industry and its leadership overseas would seem to be a counterproductive thing to do unless, of course, it is a devoid of technical capability as it seems to be right now, right here at home.
 






























Anonymous said:
stupid reply. Merck on resume is strong in the real world. Big pharma has weight.
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It has weight in the US only for as long as it can profitably lobby government. The US is going broke, both privately and publicly. Spending on drugs will not be one of the top priorities in that scenario. Debt service, military & police spending, and pensions in the public sector; taxes, food & energy, and entertainment in the private. Credit card debt is too large, school loan debt is too large, public debt is obviously too large, housing valuations are dropping or stagnating at best. Big pharma cannot compete on price and that will be the real market force in the coming decade. No easy bucks equals fewer friends in power. In India, people know Coke but not Merck. And if they did, there will be 10 counterfeit Merck tablets for every legitimate one. And they are broker than we are.
 






Anonymous said:
stupid reply. Merck on resume is strong in the real world. Big pharma has weight.
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That was formerly true and I would have been the first to say so. But the percentage of Merck employees that would be totally lost if they left is far greater than you might realize. Merck used to recruit the best, pay above the median and, deliberately or not, create work environments that stretched new employees. Not one of those contributors to Merck talent has been true for years. But Merck folks talk the same crap and act like they're the best. But the truth is that when they get out into the real world ex-Merck are more lost than most because of their arrogant attitude. I know because I interview many candidates, some from Merck, and I am shocked at how limited ex-Merck are today. Merck doesn't automatically get a resume to the top of the pile anymore. Sadly, I wish that this were not true. It marks a lost era.
 


















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