Legacy Merck Severance Question

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Anonymous

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I have found the severance program on Sync. Could anyone tell me if Merck pays you a set amount up front and then add 2 weeks per year depending on your band level? I know that it previously was 3 months and then 2 weeks per year but I think that they changed that. Serious replies only; trying to formalize my plan B.
 








Anonymous said:
There is no lump sum anymore. The package is two weeks pay for every year of employment and the ability to use Cobra for 18 months.
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I think this person meant that there is no 'base' not lump sum. Pre-2013 it was a base amount of weeks for a grade PLUS two weeks for each year of service AND the 60 days of WARN pay.

Now, if you have 5 years in you get 60 days WARN and 10 weeks severance.
 




Sorry, forgot to mention that is all in one check now and taxed as 'special' earnings per IRS guidelines. Expect to see 18 weeks of pay net out to a one time check worth about 60% of the gross with no 401k withheld.
 




Anonymous said:
I think this person meant that there is no 'base' not lump sum. Pre-2013 it was a base amount of weeks for a grade PLUS two weeks for each year of service AND the 60 days of WARN pay.

Now, if you have 5 years in you get 60 days WARN and 10 weeks severance.
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No 60 days WARN pay this time around. 2 weeks notice and then, weeks of severance based on years of service and CCF level. they played with the numbers and events to avoid activation of WARN.
 




Anonymous said:
No 60 days WARN pay this time around. 2 weeks notice and then, weeks of severance based on years of service and CCF level. they played with the numbers and events to avoid activation of WARN.
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I didn't want to believe this but a look at the PA state WARN site and Merck hasn't made an entry since Nov 2011. I would look it up on NJ's site but it sucks and is not so easy to navigate. Anyone recently separated want to warn (no pun intended) the few of us left?
 




Anonymous said:
I didn't want to believe this but a look at the PA state WARN site and Merck hasn't made an entry since Nov 2011. I would look it up on NJ's site but it sucks and is not so easy to navigate. Anyone recently separated want to warn (no pun intended) the few of us left?
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Sorry, it's Nov 2009 not 2011.
 




This disgrace is so toxic its not even waiting for a package. I had a much better opportunity as have a few friends and we were gone. Some will stay and try to milk a dying pig- not worth the effort for the talented.

Fools gold is all thats left.
 




Anonymous said:
This disgrace is so toxic its not even waiting for a package. I had a much better opportunity as have a few friends and we were gone. Some will stay and try to milk a dying pig- not worth the effort for the talented.

Fools gold is all thats left.
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I left as a hand raiser in Dec 2011 from HQ. I keep in touch with a few folks still left and the above post couldn't be more true. I was part of the last good batch of packages. 2012 they got really bad and, now, they seem to be just plain insults. If you have 5 years of service they'll send you off with 10 weeks pay. I also heard the total cap is 6 months, or 24 weeks. So anyone with more than 12 years of service leaving now is totally screwed.

Good luck to all waiting for news.
 




That is most unfortunate as the industry standard was always 2 weeks pay per year so older people with 25 or so years at least could ease into displacement as it is difficult to find work when one is over 50 as there is so much age discrimination. Corporate Pharma is changing but the CEO's will still leave with their millions.
 




Wish I had been laid off a few years ago. Would have received a much better package and the market was better to find a job......Rep's waiting to hear-do not trust anything they say!
 




Anonymous said:
Wish I had been laid off a few years ago. Would have received a much better package and the market was better to find a job......Rep's waiting to hear-do not trust anything they say!
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Yep, we heard back in mid-2011 that "if you're gonna get laid off, get laid off this year (2011) because the packages are only gonna get worse". So after 20 years of service, I got laid off in Oct 2011, told to go home and got 60 days pay for WARN, then 12 months of full severance starting in mid-Dec 2011. Got another job (same pay) 3 weeks into Jan 2012 and enjoyed having 2 full paychecks all of 2012 - it was real nice. And no longer in the toxic atmosphere that is Merck. And absolutely true about "do not trust anything they say"... I was told by an HR rep during my exit interview that my Merck health insurance would continue through my severance period, then found out that was absolutely false during the first dial-in teleconference for severed employees the next week.
 




Anonymous said:
I left as a hand raiser in Dec 2011 from HQ. I keep in touch with a few folks still left and the above post couldn't be more true. I was part of the last good batch of packages. 2012 they got really bad and, now, they seem to be just plain insults. If you have 5 years of service they'll send you off with 10 weeks pay. I also heard the total cap is 6 months, or 24 weeks. So anyone with more than 12 years of service leaving now is totally screwed.

Good luck to all waiting for news.
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Watch who you say is getting "totally screwed."

Any older with just 5 years (or any under 10 years) are the really the screwed ones...they are not getting any reduced rate healthcare as the older with ten plus years would get. Bet many of them won't be able to afford the very high premiums on a non-subsidized plan. They're also not getting the bigger pension -- major difference on 12 years vs 5 years..

Now who is really getting screwed?!
 




Anonymous said:
Watch who you say is getting "totally screwed."

Any older with just 5 years (or any under 10 years) are the really the screwed ones...they are not getting any reduced rate healthcare as the older with ten plus years would get. Bet many of them won't be able to afford the very high premiums on a non-subsidized plan. They're also not getting the bigger pension -- major difference on 12 years vs 5 years..

Now who is really getting screwed?!
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It's true that many are about to get screwed any way you look at it. My point about the 12+ year reps is how much severance they are out since the packages have gotten so skimpy just over the last 18 months. People who have put in that much time serving the company deserve something a little better, IMO.

Not to say the newer folks don't also deserve to be treated a bit better than the paultry 2 weeks/year, but knowing how the company was 12+ years ago to how it's become in the last 5(ish) makes me sad for the longer-timers still holding on.
 




Anonymous said:
It's true that many are about to get screwed any way you look at it. My point about the 12+ year reps is how much severance they are out since the packages have gotten so skimpy just over the last 18 months. People who have put in that much time serving the company deserve something a little better, IMO.

Not to say the newer folks don't also deserve to be treated a bit better than the paultry 2 weeks/year, but knowing how the company was 12+ years ago to how it's become in the last 5(ish) makes me sad for the longer-timers still holding on.
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If you have ever gone through a lay off over the last 15 years you know that that getting to a mere 4 years in any new company is considered golden. Getting to 10 is often considered a very hard and sometimes unreachable fruit on the vine...

The trend has become hire them, work them hard then set them free. Why you ask? Its all about the money and the benefits. For much of America it is less pay, no pension and cut them before they qualify for much of anything. Then, if jobs need to be filled its look for a new and fresh young crew...work them hard till the next date of release.

Most headhunters, search firms and placement agencies will inform you all about this as you sit in a room with highly qualified, highly educated candidates all looking for work just like you...

So in the end anyone who has been anywhere 10 or 15 or more years needs to realize how lucky they have been....
 




Anonymous said:
I didn't want to believe this but a look at the PA state WARN site and Merck hasn't made an entry since Nov 2011. I would look it up on NJ's site but it sucks and is not so easy to navigate. Anyone recently separated want to warn (no pun intended) the few of us left?
Click to expand...

Recently separated. Had 1 week to mull over hand raiser letters, then layoffs began...all is 10/2013. WARN was offered.
 




Anonymous said:
I left as a hand raiser in Dec 2011 from HQ. I keep in touch with a few folks still left and the above post couldn't be more true. I was part of the last good batch of packages. 2012 they got really bad and, now, they seem to be just plain insults. If you have 5 years of service they'll send you off with 10 weeks pay. I also heard the total cap is 6 months, or 24 weeks. So anyone with more than 12 years of service leaving now is totally screwed.

Good luck to all waiting for news.
Click to expand...

Not true. Saw a pkg with 14 years of continuous svc, 18 of total svc and 36 week severance.
 




Anonymous said:
It's true that many are about to get screwed any way you look at it. My point about the 12+ year reps is how much severance they are out since the packages have gotten so skimpy just over the last 18 months. People who have put in that much time serving the company deserve something a little better, IMO.

Not to say the newer folks don't also deserve to be treated a bit better than the paultry 2 weeks/year, but knowing how the company was 12+ years ago to how it's become in the last 5(ish) makes me sad for the longer-timers still holding on.
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As a 12+ year employee, what do you consider paltry? What do you think of a 20 yr employee with a 16 week severance?
 












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