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Anonymous said:
Is there a policy that states we have to be in field making calls from 8-5pm and do "other stuff" on our after 5?
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Probably nothing in writing. But in all the years I've been in pharma, it's always been understood that you would make calls 8:30-5, and do all else outside of those hours. I would imagine that if your CTL wants to investigate you, and finds that you habitually start calls late and end calls early, a case could be made that you are not doing your job (i.e., selling).
 






Translation - turn on your laptop by then and don't turn it off until then so the user log will record that.

One of my previous directors made it a policy that the first signature is to be obtained by 8:30 am and the last between 5 pm and 5:30 pm. Is it legal? Well, he is still with Merck.
 






Anonymous said:
Probably nothing in writing. But in all the years I've been in pharma, it's always been understood that you would make calls 8:30-5, and do all else outside of those hours. I would imagine that if your CTL wants to investigate you, and finds that you habitually start calls late and end calls early, a case could be made that you are not doing your job (i.e., selling).
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You're right, nothing exists in writing. No one has ever been terminated for not working between certain hours, otherwise the company is at risk for getting caught in the hourly wage trap. Reps are salaried with incentives and as such, there are no defined hours to be worked. You may be terminated for any number of other failures as well as of course, nothing at all! You are at will employees my friends and you better not ever forget that.
 






Seriously!! I've been around for a lonnng time and can tell you that work ethic has nothing to do w/ anything in Pharma! I think what we saw in Love and Other Drugs pretty much sums it up!
 






Anonymous said:
Seriously!! I've been around for a lonnng time and can tell you that work ethic has nothing to do w/ anything in Pharma! I think what we saw in Love and Other Drugs pretty much sums it up!
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Didn't see the movie but I'm sure it did a very good job of depicting all that is being a drug rep. That was reason enough for me not to see it!
 






Anonymous said:
Translation - turn on your laptop by then and don't turn it off until then so the user log will record that.

One of my previous directors made it a policy that the first signature is to be obtained by 8:30 am and the last between 5 pm and 5:30 pm. Is it legal? Well, he is still with Merck.
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LOL. Before 8:30 and after 5pm, seriously? Was your previous director actually competent at the job?

Only an incompetent leader would implement a policy like this...clearly they can't figure out how reps might actually bring value to their customer aside from what time they visit.

What doctor/office wants to see you earlier than 9am and later than 4pm?

10 to 3 is enough.
 






Anonymous said:
LOL. Before 8:30 and after 5pm, seriously? Was your previous director actually competent at the job?

Only an incompetent leader would implement a policy like this...clearly they can't figure out how reps might actually bring value to their customer aside from what time they visit.

What doctor/office wants to see you earlier than 9am and later than 4pm?

10 to 3 is enough.
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The guy kept getting promoted. He has no problem sacrificing anyone. He volunteered his region for any kind of pilot tests that may hurt the reps' bonus. He operates on the fear principle. You may not like his style. But Mother apparently does.
 






what a freakin' rat race. only at the end of the maze theres no cheese. "baby monitored" by what time you turn on/off your computer. my last merck dm always said: "I know all the tricks." and since she was a (errr) "speciality" rep in our terr. before going straight to "diversity" management we knew she did. drop off a few singulairs, pick up the kids from school @ 3. but of course when she became a manager she became a nazi. the only " trick" I knew was go out early and stay out late and it served me well w/numbers but not with merck. If you possibly can - get out. I can honestly say looking back,more than 20years,12 w/merck - I wish I would of chosen a different career.
 






Anonymous said:
The guy kept getting promoted. He has no problem sacrificing anyone. He volunteered his region for any kind of pilot tests that may hurt the reps' bonus. He operates on the fear principle. You may not like his style. But Mother apparently does.
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Exactly why mother is ill. Fear as a management tool, much less a consistent style of conduct, is as effective as asking a doctor to rely soley on a detail piece for information. It doesn't work, and never will. Do some research. Again, this is just a demonstration of poor leadership.

Remember, "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering".

But seriously, it amazes me how the use of clinical studies is so important to selling another 'me too' drug, but when it comes to leadership...why would we ever want to look at studies on effective leadership/management styles? Ther are plenty of them, none of which shows that FEAR is ultimately effective. Fear is linked directly to poor employee productivity and operations, and indirectly to negative brand experience. If I were in marketing, I'd be pretty pissed that all my hard work is going down the drain because someone in sales leadership is managing ineffectively.
 






Anonymous said:
what a freakin' rat race. only at the end of the maze theres no cheese. "baby monitored" by what time you turn on/off your computer. my last merck dm always said: "I know all the tricks." and since she was a (errr) "speciality" rep in our terr. before going straight to "diversity" management we knew she did. drop off a few singulairs, pick up the kids from school @ 3. but of course when she became a manager she became a nazi. the only " trick" I knew was go out early and stay out late and it served me well w/numbers but not with merck. If you possibly can - get out. I can honestly say looking back,more than 20years,12 w/merck - I wish I would of chosen a different career.
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Agree...what a maze, and no cheese anymore. Glad I'm close to retirement.
 






Anonymous said:
what a freakin' rat race. only at the end of the maze theres no cheese. "baby monitored" by what time you turn on/off your computer. my last merck dm always said: "I know all the tricks." and since she was a (errr) "speciality" rep in our terr. before going straight to "diversity" management we knew she did. drop off a few singulairs, pick up the kids from school @ 3. but of course when she became a manager she became a nazi. the only " trick" I knew was go out early and stay out late and it served me well w/numbers but not with merck. If you possibly can - get out. I can honestly say looking back,more than 20years,12 w/merck - I wish I would of chosen a different career.
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me too, but I don't think think are so much better elsewhere, unless you have your own business.
 






It is a rat race. Why should a younger colleague tell me how to turn the laptop on early, close out each call at different times, and of course the last one after 5 pm to beat the system. We seem to spend more time trying to outsmart the ever watchful Merck and less in selling.
 






Anonymous said:
Ain't gonna happen under NCM! Had a partner for years that never drops kids off at day care before nine, takes offices breakfast at 10:30, picks the kids up most days by 3:30 and never misses a chance to take time off to do nothing! But manages to call on a few high ranking customers to make points and managers have no idea what's going on! Has missed customers for years and nobody said anything even when confronted! Management is going to get rid of those they don't like and keep those who are consummate ass kissers and do nothings! Managers don't manage anymore, no wonder!
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Very True.. My counterpart continually goes home at 230 to "study her products"...sure. Yet the CTM thinks she walks on water. Same with every corporation in America, when it comes to downsizing, the only that will matter is money honey
 






Anonymous said:
Is there a policy that states we have to be in field making calls from 8-5pm and do "other stuff" on our after 5?
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Shit no..that's why they have so many teleconferences and other bullshit things during business hours! Why have some dumbass manager on a teleconference telling us what to do when they have no clue! Most managers are working with the reps so little they have no idea what's happening. When they do it's some dumbass NCM call with an office or customer manager that means little to real business but makes the managers think real work is getting done! Right now Merck is a company in search of an 'identity', our leaders have failed us as a pharmaceutical company and they are trying to pull a solutions blanket over our eyes! All this bullshit about IBM, they were not remade, IBM was always in the program and IT space dumbasses, it only became big when everyone had a box and boxes became commodities! When no money was to be made in boxes IBM sold their box business (for a profit) and improved the businesses that still made a profit! Merck can't even get Insight or MyCall right and the only solutions we provide is when we 'piss down our own leg'!
 












Anonymous said:
Shit no..that's why they have so many teleconferences and other bullshit things during business hours! Why have some dumbass manager on a teleconference telling us what to do when they have no clue! Most managers are working with the reps so little they have no idea what's happening. When they do it's some dumbass NCM call with an office or customer manager that means little to real business but makes the managers think real work is getting done! Right now Merck is a company in search of an 'identity', our leaders have failed us as a pharmaceutical company and they are trying to pull a solutions blanket over our eyes! All this bullshit about IBM, they were not remade, IBM was always in the program and IT space dumbasses, it only became big when everyone had a box and boxes became commodities! When no money was to be made in boxes IBM sold their box business (for a profit) and improved the businesses that still made a profit! Merck can't even get Insight or MyCall right and the only solutions we provide is when we 'piss down our own leg'!
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Wish I knew this poster since it is nice to read and discover someone holds the same beliefs and views about Merck and our problems. If I didn't know better I might think I had made the post myself. The "piss down our own leg" comment is priceless for that perspective of what we're doing is exactly right.
 


















How does anyone work when there is persistent fear of losing this income? benefits?
Fear kills more than disease.....management should recognize this--->but it is always the bottom line. Dog chasing the tail. Stuuuuuuuuuuuuuupid.
 






Anonymous said:
8:30 to 5 is more than sufficient. Don't forget the time it takes to do stuff on our "own time" (storage unit visits, testing, Comet, reports/planning, etc.) In fact, one could argue these things should be done during 8:30 to 5.
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One could argue. they should be done during the day- in fact you are salaried exempt employees so getting a pedicure during the day is all fine too. Look into what exempt means - there is zero nine to five requirement!
 






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