I am just a number and so are you.

[anonymous]

I have given a lot to this company over the years. This latest layoff really indicated that does not matter if you have been a high performer and leader. If your number was up or was on the wrong selling team. You lost your livelihood.

I am so sorry to the families impacted this Holiday. I wish you well and will prayer for all of you.

I appreciate Hudson more now than ever.

 

[anonymous]

Agree..This was a shock! So many gone just before the holidays. Not based on performance or rankings..why bother even having these anymore...drug close to going to generic? You will be gone soon..This layoff just proved that!

 

[anonymous]

Well said...I completely agree! I don't think they could demotivate the sales force more if they tried! For all those displaced..there is a window opening and hopefully you will land in a much better place!

 

[anonymous]

Well said...I completely agree! I don't think they could demotivate the sales force more if they tried! For all those displaced..there is a window opening and hopefully you will land in a much better place!

I was displaced and not angry about it. Shocked and saddened but not angry. Not sure what else is out there yet or what the future holds, but i am ok with it because I know for certain staying here means no future. I Just look at the pipeline compared to other companies and there is my answer. We are offered the opportunity to post for other jobs that open before our termination, but most of my colleagues are ready to move on from a company that went from innovate to imitate the market. good luck to the rest of you!

 

[anonymous]

Agree..This was a shock! So many gone just before the holidays. Not based on performance or rankings..why bother even having these anymore...drug close to going to generic? You will be gone soon..This layoff just proved that!

Very true. I was let go. As a previous poster said, not really mad but puzzled. I know several people whose rating last year was a 2 and will probably get the same this year, yet they were left alone yet I was in a different division but knew the TA very well that these people are in. BTW, received a 3 last year and was told the same this year. So the previous poster said why do we even have ratings if they are ignored? I really believe it came down to cost. They would rather have an underperformer at a lower cost to the books.

And you wonder why AZ is a fast falling knife. PCP force: Good Luck. If Advair does go generic in 17', you will be decimated at EOY. You heard it hear first.

 

[anonymous]

Very true. I was let go. As a previous poster said, not really mad but puzzled. I know several people whose rating last year was a 2 and will probably get the same this year, yet they were left alone yet I was in a different division but knew the TA very well that these people are in. BTW, received a 3 last year and was told the same this year. So the previous poster said why do we even have ratings if they are ignored? I really believe it came down to cost. They would rather have an underperformer at a lower cost to the books.

And you wonder why AZ is a fast falling knife. PCP force: Good Luck. If Advair does go generic in 17', you will be decimated at EOY. You heard it hear first.

AZ is using a professional team of layoff experts to manage this. They are compensated for saving money and limiting legal challenges. The one legal fact across all of Pharma is that it is virtually impossible to measure our sales impact as an individual contributor. The surest way to a legal settlement is to use your performance rating to determine who stays and who goes. A good lawyer will hold up the shared customer and sales goals and find multiple examples of highly rated performers who haven't worked for months at a time.

 

[anonymous]

AZ is using a professional team of layoff experts to manage this. They are compensated for saving money and limiting legal challenges. The one legal fact across all of Pharma is that it is virtually impossible to measure our sales impact as an individual contributor. The surest way to a legal settlement is to use your performance rating to determine who stays and who goes. A good lawyer will hold up the shared customer and sales goals and find multiple examples of highly rated performers who haven't worked for months at a time.

Eliminating CvMET was a no brainer on their part. 250 highly paid veterans in one fell swoop! Well played AZ, well payed!

 

[anonymous]

When are people going to wak"e up? We all knew AZ had serious problems and layoffs were going to happen. Most have the attitude "I will wait it out...I make a great salary for very little work." Or "My boss loves me I'll never get laid off...my rating is great." This last layoff proves...doesn't matter who you are....who you know or how long you've been around." I understand if you're close to retirement you will try and wait it out and hopefully make it to that golden time. If you're not close to retirement this should be a strong wake up call to get another job. Yeah I know this is one easy gig for great coin. Yep you will have to work somewhere else...yep you probably will start at less money than you're making now. In time it will be all worth it. How much is your self esteem worth? When you're at a social gathering.....are you proud to tell people you work at AZ? I'm not. Oh and don't look for another pharma job...most companies are the same as AZ with different players. I hope some good comes out of this layoff. I hope our brothers and sisters who were displaced land on their feet. I hope those of us remaining look for a real career.

 

[anonymous]

The shock is wearing off. When I received that fed ex package the next day it was obvious this was in the works for some time. I wonder who made the decision and why they put us thru all this training

 

[anonymous]

You ask yourself why? I was let go last round. Over thirty plus years with this company. Some were kept because they were of a certain gender or had a disability (lack of being able to sell did not count as a disability). I was lucky in that my pension had maxed out and the severance check was like winning the lottery. The company i started with no longer existed. Professionalism and a strong work ethic were not valued. I truly have empathy for those who still need to work and provide for their family. The job provided me the opportunity to put my kids through college , weddings and not have to work again. It may seem like a shock now but there are better opportunities out there for people who have the above mentioned attributes.

AZ is toxic and will continue to spiral down. They do not value or utilize the talent that they have and you are just a number. They actually sent me a gift to celebrate my retirement. When i called they actually said "congratulations on you retirement". I corrected them and told them i was displaced and had not retired and would appreciate them addressing my situation accordingly. The gift-worth $75.00 for all my years. That tells you something. Good luck to all, you are better off.

 

[anonymous]

You ask yourself why? I was let go last round. Over thirty plus years with this company. Some were kept because they were of a certain gender or had a disability (lack of being able to sell did not count as a disability). I was lucky in that my pension had maxed out and the severance check was like winning the lottery. The company i started with no longer existed. Professionalism and a strong work ethic were not valued. I truly have empathy for those who still need to work and provide for their family. The job provided me the opportunity to put my kids through college , weddings and not have to work again. It may seem like a shock now but there are better opportunities out there for people who have the above mentioned attributes.

AZ is toxic and will continue to spiral down. They do not value or utilize the talent that they have and you are just a number. They actually sent me a gift to celebrate my retirement. When i called they actually said "congratulations on you retirement". I corrected them and told them i was displaced and had not retired and would appreciate them addressing my situation accordingly. The gift-worth $75.00 for all my years. That tells you something. Good luck to all, you are better off.

Like

 

[anonymous]

AZ is using a professional team of layoff experts to manage this. They are compensated for saving money and limiting legal challenges. The one legal fact across all of Pharma is that it is virtually impossible to measure our sales impact as an individual contributor. The surest way to a legal settlement is to use your performance rating to determine who stays and who goes. A good lawyer will hold up the shared customer and sales goals and find multiple examples of highly rated performers who haven't worked for months at a time.

What a crock of shit you are!... You can't talk legal settlements when u get canned assjoke... Get a job loser ... You didn't do you're job!

 

[anonymous]

You ask yourself why? I was let go last round. Over thirty plus years with this company. Some were kept because they were of a certain gender or had a disability (lack of being able to sell did not count as a disability). I was lucky in that my pension had maxed out and the severance check was like winning the lottery. The company i started with no longer existed. Professionalism and a strong work ethic were not valued. I truly have empathy for those who still need to work and provide for their family. The job provided me the opportunity to put my kids through college , weddings and not have to work again. It may seem like a shock now but there are better opportunities out there for people who have the above mentioned attributes.

AZ is toxic and will continue to spiral down. They do not value or utilize the talent that they have and you are just a number. They actually sent me a gift to celebrate my retirement. When i called they actually said "congratulations on you retirement". I corrected them and told them i was displaced and had not retired and would appreciate them addressing my situation accordingly. The gift-worth $75.00 for all my years. That tells you something. Good luck to all, you are better off.

What a fucking liar!!!... AZ pension sucks!!! I would know.. You have no money ... Yea.. Put my kids through college!! Retired after 25 years. Saw u at Walmart last week greeting me... Broke ass

 

[anonymous]

What a fucking liar!!!... AZ pension sucks!!! I would know.. You have no money ... Yea.. Put my kids through college!! Retired after 25 years. Saw u at Walmart last week greeting me... Broke ass

Troll. Beat it.

 

[anonymous]

AZ pension sucks? Typical of what was left at AZ. Don't believe me, fine. Your lack of knowledge typifies you. No I never have to work again and deal with people like you. DO some research.

 

[anonymous]

The old timer might be correct. There were still people who started with Stuart Pharmaceuticals that became ICI Pharma then Zeneca then Astrazeneca. If they had one of the old DCP plans they were worth many times more than what most currently have.

 

[anonymous]

The old timer might be correct. There were still people who started with Stuart Pharmaceuticals that became ICI Pharma then Zeneca then Astrazeneca. If they had one of the old DCP plans they were worth many times more than what most currently have.

Those lucky enough to have started with Stuart in the early 80s and stuck with it for 25 to 30 years all retired with a minimum of $1 million if they took it in a lump sum or a nice monthly check if they took the annuity.
The really lucky ones were those that were offered a separation package on top of their pension. Those people are really living large and many not yet 65. People at AZ today will never see that kind of retirement. Those days of defined pensions are long gone.

 

[anonymous]

Those lucky enough to have started with Stuart in the early 80s and stuck with it for 25 to 30 years all retired with a minimum of $1 million if they took it in a lump sum or a nice monthly check if they took the annuity.
The really lucky ones were those that were offered a separation package on top of their pension. Those people are really living large and many not yet 65. People at AZ today will never see that kind of retirement. Those days of defined pensions are long gone.

And there are folks in between that realm... Started with Zeneca...in 1994.... Retired after 20 years... Never have to work again... Not because of pension, but the 401k and retirement fund will do just fine! Good luck to the newbies!

 

[anonymous]

The shock is wearing off. When I received that fed ex package the next day it was obvious this was in the works for some time. I wonder who made the decision and why they put us thru all this training

This is done months in advance, probably before the last layoff or soon after. These things are done in advance to help avoid legal issues with doing it wrong. Going through training is the new way to boost moral to buy time and make you think everything is going smooth and you're part of the future.

 

[anonymous]

This is done months in advance, probably before the last layoff or soon after. These things are done in advance to help avoid legal issues with doing it wrong. Going through training is the new way to boost moral to buy time and make you think everything is going smooth and you're part of the future.

Absolutely and don't think that you are safe if you made this time. There are 3 more phases already in the works. Twelve months in advance. If this number or this drug doesn't do this by x date then we pull the next lever and continue cuts.