The New Reality of (what's left of) Merck Employees

[anonymous]

"Another moron"….huh?

Check it out, Dumbass.
http://www.legalinfo.com/content/bextra/bextra-recall.html

Typical Merck moron. Cant you read? S-J was only one of the reasons and not the most prevalent.
Anyway, who gives a rat’s ass, it’s history and done.
Merck sucks either way.

 

[anonymous]

Reading the posts about Merck's retirement musings led me to write this. It's time to acknowledge the reality…and Ken Frazieris not going to like what I have to say.

Over the last 12-13 years, Merck has actively minimized it's long-term costs by directly laying off tens of thousands of employees and also "encouraging" the departure of tens of thousands more. At the start of this mess, those in "protected groups" (an actual legal term) technically included employees over 40, but the white males had very little chance of successful age discrimination claims unless they were over 50 when they were pressured out. Hence, Merck was hesitant to target for removal those employees over fifty, in general, as those law suits would have made getting rid of those employees very expensive. Thus, we now have a much older sales force (average age is 51), with a smattering of contract reps and some very young reps that make very little and have virtually no impact on long-term costs (no pension for you!). So, those that were older back then are now retiring employees who are reaching that coveted goal, but it is indeed a shrinking group.

As a former senior manager, I can assure you that this is all true and accurate. Merck's demise began with the fall of Vioxx and was accelerated with the greatest series of R&D failures in pharmaceutical history. In short, Merck is where it is by its own accord. It's sad that more than half of the company's employees have been separated since then, with only a fraction having been replaced at a much smaller cost to the company, all because this company was so horribly managed.

As others have indicated, it is truly tragic that Merck's "leadership" has profited mightily since this all began.The billions of dollars (literally) paid to those executives who conceived and implemented the plan to sever the financial ---and often mental---health of our own fellow employees could have been used to soften the blow to those former employees and their families considerably. Instead, Merck's "leaders" have quietly enriched themselves while destroying countless lives with reckless abandon. It is truly shameful.

The anonymous nature of this forum affords me the opportunity to share this with you. Most of us with legal exposure to sharing information like this simply take their cash and drift away. I simply can't fail to acknowledge that thousands of very good people were made to look guilty as they were dismissed or, more often, pressured to quit by very underhanded means. It is a disgraceful organization.

 

[anonymous]

I believe this is the best CP post I've ever read.

Especially that part about Merck being "truly disgraceful". The author is the one who should have been CEO all along.

 

[anonymous]

I believe this is the best CP post I've ever read.

Especially that part about Merck being "truly disgraceful". The author is the one who should have been CEO all along.

Nailed it, huh?

 

[anonymous]

Reading the posts about Merck's retirement musings led me to write this. It's time to acknowledge the reality…and Ken Frazieris not going to like what I have to say.

Over the last 12-13 years, Merck has actively minimized it's long-term costs by directly laying off tens of thousands of employees and also "encouraging" the departure of tens of thousands more. At the start of this mess, those in "protected groups" (an actual legal term) technically included employees over 40, but the white males had very little chance of successful age discrimination claims unless they were over 50 when they were pressured out. Hence, Merck was hesitant to target for removal those employees over fifty, in general, as those law suits would have made getting rid of those employees very expensive. Thus, we now have a much older sales force (average age is 51), with a smattering of contract reps and some very young reps that make very little and have virtually no impact on long-term costs (no pension for you!). So, those that were older back then are now retiring employees who are reaching that coveted goal, but it is indeed a shrinking group.

As a former senior manager, I can assure you that this is all true and accurate. Merck's demise began with the fall of Vioxx and was accelerated with the greatest series of R&D failures in pharmaceutical history. In short, Merck is where it is by its own accord. It's sad that more than half of the company's employees have been separated since then, with only a fraction having been replaced at a much smaller cost to the company, all because this company was so horribly managed.

As others have indicated, it is truly tragic that Merck's "leadership" has profited mightily since this all began.The billions of dollars (literally) paid to those executives who conceived and implemented the plan to sever the financial ---and often mental---health of our own fellow employees could have been used to soften the blow to those former employees and their families considerably. Instead, Merck's "leaders" have quietly enriched themselves while destroying countless lives with reckless abandon. It is truly shameful.

The anonymous nature of this forum affords me the opportunity to share this with you. Most of us with legal exposure to sharing information like this simply take their cash and drift away. I simply can't fail to acknowledge that thousands of very good people were made to look guilty as they were dismissed or, more often, pressured to quit by very underhanded means. It is a disgraceful organization.

Every time I hear anything from one of our "managers", I go back and re-read this post. It reminds me that the truth and the garbage that spews out of the mouths of our esteemed "leaders" are light-years apart.

 

[anonymous]

Every time I hear anything from one of our "managers", I go back and re-read this post. It reminds me that the truth and the garbage that spews out of the mouths of our esteemed "leaders" are light-years apart.

So true and thanks for resurrecting this post. Merck was great once and could be again but it will take sincere leadership. Good luck.

 

[anonymous]

So true and thanks for resurrecting this post. Merck was great once and could be again but it will take sincere leadership. Good luck.

Sincere leadership? Where would we find them? They don’t even belong in the same sentence.
It’s all about money and stockholders, and most “leadership” receive a lot of both. They don’t care about the company itself, only what it can provide for them.

 

[anonymous]

So true and thanks for resurrecting this post. Merck was great once and could be again but it will take sincere leadership. Good luck.

Sincere leadership? Where would we find them? They don’t even belong in the same sentence.
It’s all about money and stockholders, and most “leadership” receive a lot of both. They don’t care about the company itself, only what it can provide for them.

 

[anonymous]

Sincere leadership? Where would we find them? They don’t even belong in the same sentence.
It’s all about money and stockholders, and most “leadership” receive a lot of both. They don’t care about the company itself, only what it can provide for them.

Correct. Let's not forget that Ken Frazier has earned roughly $25 MILLION EVERY YEAR, while destroying the financial lives of tens of thousands of his employees. He is purely a piece of human debris and should be ashamed. Instead, he continues to "manage" this company into oblivion. Most of management and the entire Board of Directors should have been removed many years ago. They're all self-serving scum.

 

[anonymous]

Correct. Let's not forget that Ken Frazier has earned roughly $25 MILLION EVERY YEAR, while destroying the financial lives of tens of thousands of his employees. He is purely a piece of human debris and should be ashamed. Instead, he continues to "manage" this company into oblivion. Most of management and the entire Board of Directors should have been removed many years ago. They're all self-serving scum.

tru 'dat!

 

[anonymous]

Sincere leadership? Where would we find them? They don’t even belong in the same sentence.
It’s all about money and stockholders, and most “leadership” receive a lot of both. They don’t care about the company itself, only what it can provide for them.

It wasn't about the stockholders. This stock has been a horrible investment. It was all about the human scum in senior management; they've taken billions in pay when they should have been publicly flogged for destroying the lives of tens of thousands of former employees and their families!

 

[anonymous]

It wasn't about the stockholders. This stock has been a horrible investment. It was all about the human scum in senior management; they've taken billions in pay when they should have been publicly flogged for destroying the lives of tens of thousands of former employees and their families!

Agreed.

 

[anonymous]

Wow, do I wish I had joined a different company thirty years ago. This one turned out to be a complete bust. Who woulda thunk it?

 

[anonymous]

Apparently, the OP woulda thunk it. He's got Merck's number.

 

[anonymous]

Wow, do I wish I had joined a different company thirty years ago. This one turned out to be a complete bust. Who woulda thunk it?

Look at it this way where else could you do or accomplish absolutely zippo and still get a paycheck all those years!

 

[anonymous]

Look at it this way where else could you do or accomplish absolutely zippo and still get a paycheck all those years!

You do have a point there. For many years, it was a great place for horrible sales reps to fake an entire career. Those horrible reps are all that remain now.

 

[anonymous]

Look at it this way where else could you do or accomplish absolutely zippo and still get a paycheck all those years!

Of course, you’re one of the great ones. Don’t make me laugh, this gig has been a joke for the past 29 yrs. even if you are one who does what your told to do, metrics, messaging, etc., what do you really accomplish, and how much more do you really accomplish than the slacker?

 

[anonymous]

Reading the posts about Merck's retirement musings led me to write this. It's time to acknowledge the reality…and Ken Frazieris not going to like what I have to say.

Over the last 12-13 years, Merck has actively minimized it's long-term costs by directly laying off tens of thousands of employees and also "encouraging" the departure of tens of thousands more. At the start of this mess, those in "protected groups" (an actual legal term) technically included employees over 40, but the white males had very little chance of successful age discrimination claims unless they were over 50 when they were pressured out. Hence, Merck was hesitant to target for removal those employees over fifty, in general, as those law suits would have made getting rid of those employees very expensive. Thus, we now have a much older sales force (average age is 51), with a smattering of contract reps and some very young reps that make very little and have virtually no impact on long-term costs (no pension for you!). So, those that were older back then are now retiring employees who are reaching that coveted goal, but it is indeed a shrinking group.

As a former senior manager, I can assure you that this is all true and accurate. Merck's demise began with the fall of Vioxx and was accelerated with the greatest series of R&D failures in pharmaceutical history. In short, Merck is where it is by its own accord. It's sad that more than half of the company's employees have been separated since then, with only a fraction having been replaced at a much smaller cost to the company, all because this company was so horribly managed.

As others have indicated, it is truly tragic that Merck's "leadership" has profited mightily since this all began.The billions of dollars (literally) paid to those executives who conceived and implemented the plan to sever the financial ---and often mental---health of our own fellow employees could have been used to soften the blow to those former employees and their families considerably. Instead, Merck's "leaders" have quietly enriched themselves while destroying countless lives with reckless abandon. It is truly shameful.

The anonymous nature of this forum affords me the opportunity to share this with you. Most of us with legal exposure to sharing information like this simply take their cash and drift away. I simply can't fail to acknowledge that thousands of very good people were made to look guilty as they were dismissed or, more often, pressured to quit by very underhanded means. It is a disgraceful organization.

Oh, this post must have REALLY pissed off Merck "management". Nicely written.

 

[anonymous]

Young workers should consider working at smaller companies early in their careers because you can get pidgeonholed in same role for years working at a large place at Merck. Management only looks out for career opportunities for only 5%, the few they've deemed top talent. Be careful though if you are getting older. The lack of growth over the past decade has made the culture less than desirable. Ambitious workers look for ways to sabotage and trash superiors because they are in their way for promotion. It's ugly.

Reading the posts about Merck's retirement musings led me to write this. It's time to acknowledge the reality…and Ken Frazieris not going to like what I have to say.

Over the last 12-13 years, Merck has actively minimized it's long-term costs by directly laying off tens of thousands of employees and also "encouraging" the departure of tens of thousands more. At the start of this mess, those in "protected groups" (an actual legal term) technically included employees over 40, but the white males had very little chance of successful age discrimination claims unless they were over 50 when they were pressured out. Hence, Merck was hesitant to target for removal those employees over fifty, in general, as those law suits would have made getting rid of those employees very expensive. Thus, we now have a much older sales force (average age is 51), with a smattering of contract reps and some very young reps that make very little and have virtually no impact on long-term costs (no pension for you!). So, those that were older back then are now retiring employees who are reaching that coveted goal, but it is indeed a shrinking group.

As a former senior manager, I can assure you that this is all true and accurate. Merck's demise began with the fall of Vioxx and was accelerated with the greatest series of R&D failures in pharmaceutical history. In short, Merck is where it is by its own accord. It's sad that more than half of the company's employees have been separated since then, with only a fraction having been replaced at a much smaller cost to the company, all because this company was so horribly managed.

As others have indicated, it is truly tragic that Merck's "leadership" has profited mightily since this all began.The billions of dollars (literally) paid to those executives who conceived and implemented the plan to sever the financial ---and often mental---health of our own fellow employees could have been used to soften the blow to those former employees and their families considerably. Instead, Merck's "leaders" have quietly enriched themselves while destroying countless lives with reckless abandon. It is truly shameful.

The anonymous nature of this forum affords me the opportunity to share this with you. Most of us with legal exposure to sharing information like this simply take their cash and drift away. I simply can't fail to acknowledge that thousands of very good people were made to look guilty as they were dismissed or, more often, pressured to quit by very underhanded means. It is a disgraceful organization.

 

[anonymous]

Young workers should consider working at smaller companies early in their careers because you can get pidgeonholed in same role for years working at a large place at Merck. Management only looks out for career opportunities for only 5%, the few they've deemed top talent. Be careful though if you are getting older. The lack of growth over the past decade has made the culture less than desirable. Ambitious workers look for ways to sabotage and trash superiors because they are in their way for promotion. It's ugly.

Talent? in what, ass kissing? Yeah, there’s only so much space on an ass to kiss. It’s becoming a crowded space. That’s why we’re in the shape we’re in; no talennt, ass kissing incompetent jerks kiss the asses of the other ass kissing jerks above them. It becomes an inbred culture.
Biologically, not a good thing, and in business, really not a good thing.