Duck and Cover

[Anonymous]

The old Merck made you feel like you were family, the new Merck really turned in something else. I hope this is not true but my heart and Merck logic feels you are correct.

ditto....I knew from the outset when it was announced that Merck was buying Schering Plough, that it was OVER.

 

[Anonymous]

Actually, most companies cannot afford to give 2 weeks/year anymore. Take a look around they've trimmed the package. As far as 'slightly' more benefits for the higher management, again-take a look around. Look what Fast Freddie got when he left. A package that was well beyond his worth.

But, go ahead and keep talking about your entitlement. You're the only one who works hard and deserves the extra week. Union workers-well, they're all lazy and overcompensated. ...

Entitlement - thinking you deserve something for free without working for it.

I think you are being harsh when you use this description on someone who has truly worked hard in the past when Merck was sane, and now feeling he/she may be out of a job soon and is wishing that all those years invested would translate into a reasonable severance package. Not sure if you even work for Merck. Or how many years you have been with Merck. Or if you have seen how the old Merck reps, without the crazy managers, used to work a typical day. Christie is so fat that he can trim himself. If he is as cold-blooded and ruthless as you said he is, I definitely will not vote for him for a national office.

 

[Anonymous]

Actually, most companies cannot afford to give 2 weeks/year anymore. Take a look around they've trimmed the package. As far as 'slightly' more benefits for the higher management, again-take a look around. Look what Fast Freddie got when he left. A package that was well beyond his worth.

But, go ahead and keep talking about your entitlement. You're the only one who works hard and deserves the extra week. Union workers-well, they're all lazy and overcompensated.

Funny, it is always the 'other guy' that is squeezing the system. Never oneself.

Sales people are overpaid. When we start farming out the jobs to contract reps the better the bottom line is for this company. Cut the fat salaries, the benefits and bonuses.

And if you're truly a fan of Christie then you won't mind it so much as the cuts come here-remember, it is a time of pain all around. Time you felt some.

And may I ask.....what level of pain will you be enduring? Probably little to none.

 

[Anonymous]

ditto....I knew from the outset when it was announced that Merck was buying Schering Plough, that it was OVER.

actually, it was S/P that bought Merck. Remember, it was a reverse merger.

Business has never been 'family.' It was your idealized thoughts that made it so. It has always, always been 'just business.'

Go look up the numbers, pharma has done these things many times in the past. If you find the old timers that were affected by the previous layoffs-they'll tell you it was brutal and painful.

Don't take it personally, it is just business. Just like the layoffs in the auto industry, steel industry, and even the tech industry-take a look as Cisco's announcement today-15% reduction.

 

[Anonymous]

And may I ask.....what level of pain will you be enduring? Probably little to none.

you're right. I came over to S/P from Bayer. Stayed awhile before the layoffs-got a package and am retired. Own several houses that are rentals, plus my own is paid off so, I'm pulling in solid money. I also had lots of stock in S/P and Merck-now all Merck along with a diverse portfolio. I want to see that portfolio climb. Just like everyone else with a 401K. So yes, I'm doing quite well and I don't want some socialist trying to take my money away like the current occupant of the WH.

I want my stock and dividends to go up, they won't if the margins aren't right. If that means your job is on the line because of too high a salary or redundancy, too bad. Go find another job. I'm no different than any other shareholder. In fact, I bet you have a diversified portfolio in the 401K program too. Don't you want your portfolio to grow? Or is it only on those other stocks you have that should increase in value?

 

[Anonymous]

Entitlement - thinking you deserve something for free without working for it.

I think you are being harsh when you use this description on someone who has truly worked hard in the past when Merck was sane, and now feeling he/she may be out of a job soon and is wishing that all those years invested would translate into a reasonable severance package. Not sure if you even work for Merck. Or how many years you have been with Merck. Or if you have seen how the old Merck reps, without the crazy managers, used to work a typical day. Christie is so fat that he can trim himself. If he is as cold-blooded and ruthless as you said he is, I definitely will not vote for him for a national office.

Times are changing. We've had enough with the socialist agenda and covering for the people who don't want to work. Christie, Walker and Ryan have the right idea-cut the spending and get rid of the free loaders. Same thing here at Merck.

Cut the overpaid crybabies who don't want to work. If you think just dropping off samples and bringing lunch is a career, then it is no wonder you're complaining for the loss of the job. Grow up. No one ever said the job or benefits last. You're employed at will.

BTW: Christie, Walker or Ryan won't need your vote-there a plenty of supporters out there willing to help get them into office so, we can clean up this socialist mess.


'

 

[Anonymous]

Here here Mr. "market capitalist." The best thing about a free market is it naturally eliminates redundancy and obsolescence. Which is a drug rep. Go ahead ask you customers how often they prescribe based on what some rep tells them. Only a small minority of prescribers even see reps. Why? Because it's not a "value added" proposition for them. Merck knows this.The truth is you are hugly expensive to train and maintain while only marginally effective at actually "moving the needle." You have a low ROI. You are a huge liability. You wreck your car. You lose your computer. Your suit virtually drips with potential lawsuits.You speak off label. You break HIPPA rules. You mow down some patient in a parking lot in your company car while you are talking about "messaging" with your equally "value negative" manager. Well you get the idea. All hail the free market and by it the demise of the shiney shoes know nothing drug rep.

 

[Anonymous]

Times are changing. We've had enough with the socialist agenda and covering for the people who don't want to work. Christie, Walker and Ryan have the right idea-cut the spending and get rid of the free loaders. Same thing here at Merck.

Cut the overpaid crybabies who don't want to work. If you think just dropping off samples and bringing lunch is a career, then it is no wonder you're complaining for the loss of the job. Grow up. No one ever said the job or benefits last. You're employed at will.

BTW: Christie, Walker or Ryan won't need your vote-there a plenty of supporters out there willing to help get them into office so, we can clean up this socialist mess.


'

I am a retiree holding as much stocks and other portfolios as the other retiree. I want my investment to grow too. I just caution not to group all old timers together as free loafers. I have a few mentors that are simply hard working brilliant people when I joined three decades ago. In the end the way they forced them out was simply brutal. They were definitely not coasting along nor whiners. I am not saying I support the person in the WH. Most East Coast Republicans are still spenders to me, may be less.

 

[Anonymous]

I am a retiree holding as much stocks and other portfolios as the other retiree. I want my investment to grow too......Most East Coast Republicans are still spenders to me, may be less.

But there's the rub. How do you cut spending without cutting people? If the cuts are good for the government-the cuts are good here. Stop the pretend caring of fellow workers. This is just a business decision. Cut the workers. Make people afraid for their jobs and they will produce more.

Survival of the fittest, anything else is socialism. If you liked your past or current worker-just remind yourself of the last raise you got compared to what s/he got. Were you pleased that they got a better raise/bonus? Of course not. You wanted it.

Free market, only way to go. Anything else is socialism.

 

[Anonymous]

Straight up truth-
If Improve-it goes well there will be limited reductions on the cardio side. If fails to show benefit then massive cuts.
Respiratory is going to see huge cuts next year with singulair patent cliff, however if you were one of the reps who picked up diabetes than you should be ok. All of those reps were chosen based on competencies and are viewed as valuable by their manager.

Good luck and I hope the severance is nice. Pharma is on the edge and you will be better off getting out now.

Improve-IT will not go well.

The delta on atherogenic particles is so low and the population is so sick, that the results will be a push only.

Ezetimibe is dead and SGP and Merck killed it to sell product with a dated message. "Lower is better" is a 1980s vision. Everybody close to this franchise knows that MRK/SGP had an opportunity to do "REAL" outcomes trials and demurred.

 

[Anonymous]

Here here Mr. "market capitalist." The best thing about a free market is it naturally eliminates redundancy and obsolescence. Which is a drug rep. Go ahead ask you customers how often they prescribe based on what some rep tells them. Only a small minority of prescribers even see reps. Why? Because it's not a "value added" proposition for them. Merck knows this.The truth is you are hugly expensive to train and maintain while only marginally effective at actually "moving the needle." You have a low ROI. You are a huge liability. You wreck your car. You lose your computer. Your suit virtually drips with potential lawsuits.You speak off label. You break HIPPA rules. You mow down some patient in a parking lot in your company car while you are talking about "messaging" with your equally "value negative" manager. Well you get the idea. All hail the free market and by it the demise of the shiney shoes know nothing drug rep.

Well put!

I rue the day I became involved in this insipid industry.