Overtime Lawsuits

[Anonymous]

What a complete joke these are.
In 20 years, I've never known a rep that works more than 20 hours a week, much less overtime!

 

[Anonymous]

You must be one of the "slackers".

I know many people who started their days at 7am at their storeage unit and picking up bagels and who visited clinics from 8am-5pm. Afterwards going home to enter in sample reciepts, checking emails and doing call activity reports, when we just had dial up.

During launches, we worked dinner programs until 10pm, displays and healthfairs on the weekends and late into the evenings at POA meetings. We were not allowed days off to compensate.

Not all reps were "slackers".

Now, life is a bit easier for reps due to having the ability to do computer work in coffee shops or parking lots.

Pharmaceutical Representatives do not Sell Products. They just talk about them and deliver samples and food.

 

[Anonymous]

And get on CP to browse since we are so busy we need overtime pay! Why not call on doctors instead of surfing CP self proclaimed "non-slacker"

Yes, some days start at 7 and end at 5, but those days are few and far between. With the number of doctors that will actually see reps today for ANYTHING more than a signature, the "signature" avg should be about 45. Getting 8-10 sigs in 2 hours is a piece of cake.

 

[Anonymous]

The whole model is broken. If they want young, energetic beautiful people to run around spouting out brand names and 2 second messages, delivering coffee, lunches and samples, they need to just pay them by the hour. If I were a CEO of a pharma company, I'd just use contract reps when launching new products and pay the rest of the force 25 bucks an hour plus a bonus when overachieving their metrics. With Ipads and technology they can clock in and clock out. Another alternative is to pay them a lot amount per Drs. signature. Enough is enough.

When pharma reps first came into this business, they actually sold products to pharmacists and would generate the business in the pharmacy by encouraging the Drs to write scripts for the products. That was called "pull through". In the seventies when wholesalers came into vogue, the reps also sold to wholesalers and paid push money to the wholesalers sales reps.

The entire pharma model has changed except for the fact that reps are still paid like sales people, but are not transfering product. They do not sell to pharmacies and they do not sell to wholesalers. They are not sales people and they are not managers. Their territory, who they call on , their targets, their message are all determined by sales managers.

 

[Anonymous]

Why is the Overtime Lawsuit thread starting now? Is there rumblings within the Pfizer world right now? The US Supreme Court will settle this issues of overtime next month. Pfizer will have to pay a lot of money!

 

[Anonymous]

And get on CP to browse since we are so busy we need overtime pay! Why not call on doctors instead of surfing CP self proclaimed "non-slacker"

Yes, some days start at 7 and end at 5, but those days are few and far between. With the number of doctors that will actually see reps today for ANYTHING more than a signature, the "signature" avg should be about 45. Getting 8-10 sigs in 2 hours is a piece of cake.

Getting 8-10 "sigs" for you slackard may be a piece of cake because that's all you do. Run around one large clinic to hand over your pad to a nurse and gather signatures. Some reps actually took time to wait for Drs to have Discussions.
Try having a manager who wants the 12 signatures to EACH be from different clinics, specific Drs. and having a rural territory.
The big point in this whole overtime is to determine if pharma reps really are really "sales people" or "marketing drones". If you are selling your samples then your a sales person. If you just talk about your samples, you are not. Pharma reps are not sales people and they are NOT managers.

 

[Anonymous]

I hear, and it is from a good source, that the drug reps will have the majority when the Court's decision is handed down. That is when the fun begins.

 

[Anonymous]

If I were a SC judge, I'd want to go work in the field with them to see what they do. "Hey Doc, can I have a signature for some Celebrex!? or " "Bought you some Celebrex Cookies, doc, be sure to fill out those Prior Auth forms" or "Remember to write Celebrex, dr., can I have your commitment?" "ok thanks dr" as he writes for Mobic....

 

[Anonymous]

Bottom line is we have part-time jobs for better pay and benefits than almost all other professionals in the corporation, the industry and the entire economy.........

 

[Anonymous]

Speak for yourself. There was a time, when this company was made up of a group of professionals who worked very hard to help tow the company line. And there is no disputing that management wanted us in the field from 8-5 and to do adminstrative work at home. If some did and others didn't, it's not the problem of the ones that Did.
It's managements problem and they should do something to fix it. Either allow a Friday or Monday for an admin day and allow people to take whatever days off after working a display. The policies were different from different managers. Some where A-holes and some were not.

 

[Anonymous]

I hear, and it is from a good source, that the drug reps will have the majority when the Court's decision is handed down. That is when the fun begins.

And I would add that most likely, drug reps are NOT going to like the "fun".

If the Supreme Court justices decide in favor of the rep's, then that means the rep's just became non-exempt employees as opposed to the exempt employees they are today. Pfizer might cut their salary as a result of that. Ask yourself this question: Why in the world would it make sense to Pfizer management to keep paying a rep an exempt salary, when they are now considered to be a non-exempt employee and should be paid OT for all hours worked in excess of 40? Think I'm crazy? I saw that very thing happen at IBM, and it was to the tune of a 15% cut in pay.

Sure, you might get a lump sum cash distribution from the lawsuit, and it might be in the thousands of dollars. (As was the case at IBM) But if your pay is cut, and you're told not to worry, that you can make it up by working OT, what will you do when they eventually say "Nobody will work OT" which is what they also did at IBM.

 

[Anonymous]

And I would add that most likely, drug reps are NOT going to like the "fun".

If the Supreme Court justices decide in favor of the rep's, then that means the rep's just became non-exempt employees as opposed to the exempt employees they are today. Pfizer might cut their salary as a result of that. Ask yourself this question: Why in the world would it make sense to Pfizer management to keep paying a rep an exempt salary, when they are now considered to be a non-exempt employee and should be paid OT for all hours worked in excess of 40? Think I'm crazy? I saw that very thing happen at IBM, and it was to the tune of a 15% cut in pay.

Sure, you might get a lump sum cash distribution from the lawsuit, and it might be in the thousands of dollars. (As was the case at IBM) But if your pay is cut, and you're told not to worry, that you can make it up by working OT, what will you do when they eventually say "Nobody will work OT" which is what they also did at IBM.

Good...just work demands an honest wage!

 

[Anonymous]

I'm only working 15-20 hours a week now, how do hey expect me to get to 40? Call on gas stations?

 

[Anonymous]

Bottom line, reps do not sell.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm only working 15-20 hours a week now, how do hey expect me to get to 40? Call on gas stations?

OK wiseguy, you work part-time.

If Pfizer cuts your pay, maybe you can get a second part-time job WORKING at a gas station.

 

[Anonymous]

Bottom line, reps do not sell.

What does Reps not selling have to do with winning the battle and losing the war?

I dont give a crap if Reps sell or not. That means NOTHING in this fight. Reps earn a salary for whatever it is they do. In the short term, Reps probably will benefit monetarily from winning the court fight. That's good, but what about the long term implacations if Pfizer decides to cut Rep salary's? That sux.

And if you think jumping ship is the answer, do you think other pharm companies couldn't or wouldn't do the same thing?

Many people think the OT class action lawsuits are a joke. Some people probably didnt opt in to the class, so they wont receive any lump sum cash distribution. See, if the Rep's win, they immediately become entitled to any/all OT wages that they might have worked for in the past. Pfizer will be ordered to pay it to the Rep's. That could be a nice chunk of change for some people. For others it may not be.

Ever hear the expression "Watch out what you wish for because you might just get it"? That's the not-so-fun part. Yeah, Rep's might get a nice little pile of cash, and have their salary cut too.

 

[Anonymous]

What does Reps not selling have to do with winning the battle and losing the war?

I dont give a crap if Reps sell or not. That means NOTHING in this fight. Reps earn a salary for whatever it is they do. In the short term, Reps probably will benefit monetarily from winning the court fight. That's good, but what about the long term implacations if Pfizer decides to cut Rep salary's? That sux.

And if you think jumping ship is the answer, do you think other pharm companies couldn't or wouldn't do the same thing?

Many people think the OT class action lawsuits are a joke. Some people probably didnt opt in to the class, so they wont receive any lump sum cash distribution. See, if the Rep's win, they immediately become entitled to any/all OT wages that they might have worked for in the past. Pfizer will be ordered to pay it to the Rep's. That could be a nice chunk of change for some people. For others it may not be.

Ever hear the expression "Watch out what you wish for because you might just get it"? That's the not-so-fun part. Yeah, Rep's might get a nice little pile of cash, and have their salary cut too.

I think most of the people who signed up for that are not with Pfizer anymore and have moved on to other jobs.
What's going on with this suit? Are they waiting to see what the Surpreme Court decides regarding exemption?

 

[Anonymous]

I'm so stupid - I didn't sign up 'cause I thought it was a little like biting the hand that feeds me. Well, the hand kicked me to the street, took a big chunk of money away from my present and future. I wish I had joined the class action. FU Pfizer, I hope you have to pay.

 

[Anonymous]

I think most of the people who signed up for that are not with Pfizer anymore and have moved on to other jobs.
What's going on with this suit? Are they waiting to see what the Surpreme Court decides regarding exemption?

While I cant provide a lot of specifics regarding the Pfizer lawsuit, most pharm companies are waiting and watching to see what the Supreme Court hands down.

Combine that with the fact that Novartis settled with their 7,000 Rep's for 99 million, it's no wonder to me that pharm companies are concerned. If the Rep's win in the GSK case argued before the Supreme Court this past Spring, that wouldn't be a good sign for pharm companies. I would think that'd make them more inclined to settle as opposed to risking a trial.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm so stupid - I didn't sign up 'cause I thought it was a little like biting the hand that feeds me. Well, the hand kicked me to the street, took a big chunk of money away from my present and future. I wish I had joined the class action. FU Pfizer, I hope you have to pay.

You arent alone, if that's any solace for you.

Many people in many OT related class action suits have been/are reluctant to join the class because they fear employer retaliation. Retaliation is illegal, but how would you prove in court you were retaliated against? Also, being an anonymous class member is NOT guaranteed. Your employer may or may not find out you joined the class, depending on how arrangements are made to pay the class members, if they win.

I'm sorry for your situation, good luck in the future