Pension/retirement benefits cut....

[anonymous]

It's too pathetic that anyone with tenure here can only hope for a layoff and a severance. Now anyone displaced in the future (probably) will get no severance. I'd bet that's coming next. Instead of two weeks per year, it's gonna be at best 3 months salary for everyone.
Highly suggest everyone with tenure to get out AZ ASAP. You CAN find another company that is loyal to their employees vs. a culture of being distasteful and deceitful in their shining moment.
No matter your age, if the writing isn't on the wall, I personally don't know what else could be so in your face obvious.
Since last offered in 2012....nothing but regret not volunteering to leave with at least something.
Watch out, it's so bad now that you can't even beg for layoffs. What's the difference? Might as well stay. Screwed either way. AZ absolutely needs to can the moniker "We do the right thing". Better not hear that term anytime soon.

 

[anonymous]

It's too pathetic that anyone with tenure here can only hope for a layoff and a severance. Now anyone displaced in the future (probably) will get no severance. I'd bet that's coming next. Instead of two weeks per year, it's gonna be at best 3 months salary for everyone.
Highly suggest everyone with tenure to get out AZ ASAP. You CAN find another company that is loyal to their employees vs. a culture of being distasteful and deceitful in their shining moment.
No matter your age, if the writing isn't on the wall, I personally don't know what else could be so in your face obvious.
Since last offered in 2012....nothing but regret not volunteering to leave with at least something.
Watch out, it's so bad now that you can't even beg for layoffs. What's the difference? Might as well stay. Screwed either way. AZ absolutely needs to can the moniker "We do the right thing". Better not hear that term anytime soon.

Why would you ever trust a company to take care of you. We are all expendable. The sooner people realize that, the easier it will be to accept the environment that we are experiencing. We all have choices to stay or leave. Just don't expect it to be different anywhere else. Taking care of yourself doesn't mean you have to stick it to AZ either. Just don't depend on them to be there for you.

 

[anonymous]

I wonder when AZ corporate is plastered all over the media because someone snapped at HQ.

 

[anonymous]

Why would you ever trust a company to take care of you. We are all expendable. The sooner people realize that, the easier it will be to accept the environment that we are experiencing. We all have choices to stay or leave. Just don't expect it to be different anywhere else. Taking care of yourself doesn't mean you have to stick it to AZ either. Just don't depend on them to be there for you.

A little more transparency from AZ regarding this statement above would allow us to adjust our expectations about the way the company really feels about its employees. The problem is that AZ wants you to think it cares about its employees future (career, retirement and otherwise) when in reality it doesn't. What goes on behind closed doors and what leadership tells us are completely different. This is where some gullible employees are led to believe leadership in which case said employees make decisions based on those leadership statements. Its true we shouldn't allow a corporation to "take care of us". AZ is a prime example of a corporation with double speak. They are showing us they don't care, just not saying it.

 

[anonymous]

A little more transparency from AZ regarding this statement above would allow us to adjust our expectations about the way the company really feels about its employees. The problem is that AZ wants you to think it cares about its employees future (career, retirement and otherwise) when in reality it doesn't. What goes on behind closed doors and what leadership tells us are completely different. This is where some gullible employees are led to believe leadership in which case said employees make decisions based on those leadership statements. Its true we shouldn't allow a corporation to "take care of us". AZ is a prime example of a corporation with double speak. They are showing us they don't care, just not saying it.

They tell you to speak up, when you do, they harass you. All of those brave enough to speak up yesterday will be retaliated against. You will find that the pension fund is underfunded. Fancy bookkeeping.

 

[anonymous]

They tell you to speak up, when you do, they harass you. All of those brave enough to speak up yesterday will be retaliated against. You will find that the pension fund is underfunded. Fancy bookkeeping.

Thank you for saying what hundreds of people are afraid of saying.

 

[anonymous]

Thank you for saying what hundreds of people are afraid of saying.

For those that are fortunate to grab your pension now, take the LUMP SUM. DO not trust them that it will be there for annuity payments.

 

[anonymous]

For those that are fortunate to grab your pension now, take the LUMP SUM. DO not trust them that it will be there for annuity payments.

This isn’t Merck where their pension is properly funded and they cut payroll when into makes business sense. This is AZ where our pension is underfunded and they refuse to cut payroll when it makes business sense.

A Merck buyout would be a blessing at this point!

 

[anonymous]

This isn’t Merck where their pension is properly funded and they cut payroll when into makes business sense. This is AZ where our pension is underfunded and they refuse to cut payroll when it makes business sense.

A Merck buyout would be a blessing at this point!

No way! AZ Pride all the way!!

 

[anonymous]

This isn’t Merck where their pension is properly funded and they cut payroll when into makes business sense. This is AZ where our pension is underfunded and they refuse to cut payroll when it makes business sense.

A Merck buyout would be a blessing at this point!

Who in their right mind would buy this train wreck now? The sales force is pathetic with morale at a point so low it will never recover. Frenchie has burned thru the cash with failed purchases and stock buy backs to keep the share price up so he can cash in his options for a gain. The pension and health care funds have been raided to manipulate the quarterly financials.

 

[anonymous]

Who in their right mind would buy this train wreck now? The sales force is pathetic with morale at a point so low it will never recover. Frenchie has burned thru the cash with failed purchases and stock buy backs to keep the share price up so he can cash in his options for a gain. The pension and health care funds have been raided to manipulate the quarterly financials.

Merck will strip Astra of all assets with little to no value. This includes most of the human assets.

 

[anonymous]

This has been going on for years and not just within AZ. But AZ has been steadily eliminating employees who qualify for the legacy Zeneca defined pension. And they have cut the health care benefits of all retired employees by instilling a lifetime $25K maximum payout for all RX and Health Care charges. That can be one hospital visit or one chronic disease that requires expensive medicines. That is not the health care plan that was promised to all of those who retired from this company. Those of us that have remained loyal and stayed are now getting stabbed in the back. What a great company we work for.

The 25 k cap has always been there. In the old days people retired in their 60s, and at 65 medicare takes over. I retired early and in that time they have flogged off most of the meds I was expecting to get for free.

Plus next year I go to medicare. Medicare is first billing point. As for 25K cap, I don't think that applies until after medicare. I can tell you I am way above the 25 k at this moment. Nothing has changed.

 

[anonymous]

The 25 k cap has always been there. In the old days people retired in their 60s, and at 65 medicare takes over. I retired early and in that time they have flogged off most of the meds I was expecting to get for free.

Plus next year I go to medicare. Medicare is first billing point. As for 25K cap, I don't think that applies until after medicare. I can tell you I am way above the 25 k at this moment. Nothing has changed.

If you are over your $25K max then you will start getting bills for non payment. It takes a while for the Docs to catch up with the non payments. AZ will cut you off without notification leaving you without gap insurance. It happened to us and we are still receiving bills from more than 18 months ago. When you call Aetna they will tell you that you met your AZ max and there is nothing they can do. They were amazed that AZ didn't notify us.

 

[anonymous]

AZ health care is a joke. If you are sticking around and hoping for a package so you can get retirement healthcare, don't bother. Once you turn 65 (or 66) and start getting social security your retirement coverage through AETNA is a complete joke. They don't pay for anything. I dumped the AETNA plan for 2018 and got my own health care through a local insurer. This, of course, assumes that you will last long enough with this $hit hole company to get to retirement age. Take the package (if you can get it which may be doubtful) and run like hell. To make matters worse you can't believe a think the representatives tell you over the phone with respect to your coverage. They have no idea what they are doing. You are a low priority.

 

[anonymous]

If you are over your $25K max then you will start getting bills for non payment. It takes a while for the Docs to catch up with the non payments. AZ will cut you off without notification leaving you without gap insurance. It happened to us and we are still receiving bills from more than 18 months ago. When you call Aetna they will tell you that you met your AZ max and there is nothing they can do. They were amazed that AZ didn't notify us.

You have to go on aetna navigator and see how much you have spent the amount they bill for AZ drugs will freak you out

 

[anonymous]

You have to go on aetna navigator and see how much you have spent the amount they bill for AZ drugs will freak you out

Don’t support AZ products when a generic is available!

 

[anonymous]

AZ health care is a joke. If you are sticking around and hoping for a package so you can get retirement healthcare, don't bother. Once you turn 65 (or 66) and start getting social security your retirement coverage through AETNA is a complete joke. They don't pay for anything. I dumped the AETNA plan for 2018 and got my own health care through a local insurer. This, of course, assumes that you will last long enough with this $hit hole company to get to retirement age. Take the package (if you can get it which may be doubtful) and run like hell. To make matters worse you can't believe a think the representatives tell you over the phone with respect to your coverage. They have no idea what they are doing. You are a low priority.

Here is what you can expect from AZ health care. The brochure clearly states that preventative care such as colonoscopy and pap smears are covered 100%. Our Aetna claim paid only 50% and the hospital billed us for the difference, several hundred dollars. It took 14 months and dozens of phone calls with Aetna, AZ benefits {a complete joke} and the hospital to get this resolved. Aetna was told by AZ benefits to include this against our $25K max so it took another 6 months to get that removed. Only after we had an attorney send a threatening letter did the billing get resolved. I am guessing most people would not have known and would have paid it. AZ either via incompetence or intentional will fuck you over. Do not trust anything they send you or say to you.

 

[anonymous]

AZ health care is a joke. If you are sticking around and hoping for a package so you can get retirement healthcare, don't bother. Once you turn 65 (or 66) and start getting social security your retirement coverage through AETNA is a complete joke. They don't pay for anything. I dumped the AETNA plan for 2018 and got my own health care through a local insurer. This, of course, assumes that you will last long enough with this $hit hole company to get to retirement age. Take the package (if you can get it which may be doubtful) and run like hell. To make matters worse you can't believe a think the representatives tell you over the phone with respect to your coverage. They have no idea what they are doing. You are a low priority.

Thanks for your input. I'm 63 retired on AZ medical. When I turn 65 and get medicare A & B, don't I get the $25K allowance after Part B, pays their part?
Could you explain it further?
Thanks.

 

[anonymous]

Here is what you can expect from AZ health care. The brochure clearly states that preventative care such as colonoscopy and pap smears are covered 100%. Our Aetna claim paid only 50% and the hospital billed us for the difference, several hundred dollars. It took 14 months and dozens of phone calls with Aetna, AZ benefits {a complete joke} and the hospital to get this resolved. Aetna was told by AZ benefits to include this against our $25K max so it took another 6 months to get that removed. Only after we had an attorney send a threatening letter did the billing get resolved. I am guessing most people would not have known and would have paid it. AZ either via incompetence or intentional will fuck you over. Do not trust anything they send you or say to you.

The nearly same thing happened to me. I was billed $4600 for a hospital procedure and Aetna paid $1200 and denied the rest because AZ said I had reached my $25,000 maximum. Nobody warned me that I was that close to the maximum. I learned that you have to monitor this regularly and purchase you own gap insurance before AZ cancels you. What a fucking joke. They really do not care about people, only money.

 

[anonymous]

Thanks for your input. I'm 63 retired on AZ medical. When I turn 65 and get medicare A & B, don't I get the $25K allowance after Part B, pays their part?
Could you explain it further?
Thanks.

$25,000 is nothing and won't even get you through one ER visit plus any maintenance meds which they charge you full retail for. I kid you not. They apply the full retail which nobody ever pays to your $25K max.
If you are eligible of lump sum, take it. When you go on Medicare do not rely on AZ insurance. Go out and find your own insurance and save yourself the heartaches.