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

[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.

You're being kind.

 

[anonymous]

You're being kind.

Typical CEO. Greedy, egotistical, self-serving.

 

[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.

One of my coworkers told me about this post. We're pretty sure we know who wrote it. If we're right, it was written by someone who knew the behind-the-scene story. This is absolutely fantastic stuff. Frazier and his ilk should be ashamed.

 

[anonymous]

One of my coworkers told me about this post. We're pretty sure we know who wrote it. If we're right, it was written by someone who knew the behind-the-scene story. This is absolutely fantastic stuff. Frazier and his ilk should be ashamed.

Frazier and his ilk should be applauded. No one is owed nor guaranteed a perpetual job. Frazier owes allegiance to the stock holders. Employees come and go and some are not needed going forward. In all likely the vast majority of the antiquated sales force will be as useful as buggy makers.

 

[anonymous]

Frazier and his ilk should be applauded. No one is owed nor guaranteed a perpetual job. Frazier owes allegiance to the stock holders. Employees come and go and some are not needed going forward. In all likely the vast majority of the antiquated sales force will be as useful as buggy makers.

Fact of life is that ALL of the sales force has already passed over the tipping point of value. I invest in companies and I expect/demand great returns.

 

[anonymous]

This is the greatest CafePharma original post of all time. This guy nailed Merck to the wall, not that our culture could get much worse.

 

[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.

Best. Post. Ever.

 

[anonymous]

#truth

 

[anonymous]

#truth

The truth? You can't handle the truth!

I agree the company can cut any job for any reason no doubt. The important issue is how everything went down hill at Merck due to incompetent actions and misalignment of incentives for management that eventually lead to the downfall of Merck.

That my friends is the truth!

 

[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.

You all are making such sad yet true points— shows there were and are some decent people here, not at the decision level however. legal runs this company. A friend uses the word “liars” instead of lawyers. For these corporate in house and defense counsel—- liars is the appropriate word. To those liars—- what does it profit a man to gain the world but to lose his soul.
These evil doers enjoy the pain they cause....

 

[anonymous]

You all are making such sad yet true points— shows there were and are some decent people here, not at the decision level however. legal runs this company. A friend uses the word “liars” instead of lawyers. For these corporate in house and defense counsel—- liars is the appropriate word. To those liars—- what does it profit a man to gain the world but to lose his soul.
These evil doers enjoy the pain they cause....

I believe this to be true. Legal has inflicted as much pain on our now former employees as possible while minimizing legal exposure. There has been no consideration for the individual…only the individual's likelihood of suing Merck for illegal behavior. This really is a horrific organization.

 

[anonymous]

I believe this to be true. Legal has inflicted as much pain on our now former employees as possible while minimizing legal exposure. There has been no consideration for the individual…only the individual's likelihood of suing Merck for illegal behavior. This really is a horrific organization.

My heart pumps purple piss for you or your opinions.If you cant compete remove yourself from our company. Useless unproductive slouch

 

[anonymous]

My heart pumps purple piss for you or your opinions.If you cant compete remove yourself from our company. Useless unproductive slouch

Compete? We have a 12 year old diabetes drug, Dull-aira and a non-working shitty sleep drug in our bag. Might as well bring back Coppertone and Dr. Scholls to add to the novel breakthrough drugs we are promoting. Most of my cc counterparts are over 50 and spend more time taking vacation days than seeing customers. We drive around, wait in parking lots and grab a few sigs. Everyone is home by 4 and that is a stretch! We are simply going through the motions, don't ask, don't tell.

That is the truth! We all know our time is limited, our job is a farce!

 

[anonymous]

Compete? We have a 12 year old diabetes drug, Dull-aira and a non-working shitty sleep drug in our bag. Might as well bring back Coppertone and Dr. Scholls to add to the novel breakthrough drugs we are promoting. Most of my cc counterparts are over 50 and spend more time taking vacation days than seeing customers. We drive around, wait in parking lots and grab a few sigs. Everyone is home by 4 and that is a stretch! We are simply going through the motions, don't ask, don't tell.

That is the truth! We all know our time is limited, our job is a farce!

Don't sweat it! The job has been a complete farce since about 1994 and keeps going...

Newsflash! The manager's jobs are even bigger farces than yours...And they need their useful
idiots underneath them...

Pharma continues to be the best part-time job in America if you can handle the lies...

 

[anonymous]

Don't sweat it! The job has been a complete farce since about 1994 and keeps going...

Newsflash! The manager's jobs are even bigger farces than yours...And they need their useful
idiots underneath them...

Pharma continues to be the best part-time job in America if you can handle the lies...

You have part of the story correct we do need useful incompetent idiots and plenty of them. I have always enjoyed putting them through as much harassment that is humanly possible and then PPI them out of this very fine company!!

 

[anonymous]

This original post is arguably the best post ever. We should all remember what's happened here. Kenny and Adam have made tens of millions, while tens of thousands of (now former) Merck families have suffered terribly. Our so-called managers are horrible people. I believed that even before this outstanding post was written a few years ago.

 

[anonymous]

You can tell a lot about a company by how they recruit. I applied for a position online. I was contacted by an external recruiter. He did a phone screen. He must have hinted at how old I am five times in the fifteen minute phone screen. Pathetic and disgusting. Blatant age discrimination.
I emailed him about moving forward - of course, he was so unprofessional that he did not even bother to reply.

 

[anonymous]

Sooo glad this POS company is my past! Only the backstabbing scums are left.

 

[anonymous]

Here's a tip for applicants - RECORD the phone screen.
If there is blatant discrimination, you have a legal case. It is legal to record a phone call without permission of the caller in many states.

 

[anonymous]

Do people still work at Merck that are over 40? This was an entry level company for me. You get in, get trained, and move on to much higher paying Specialty/Biotech companies. Why would you ever stray here?