Xiidra / Oph enough is enough!!!

[anonymous]

This is exactly what has been on my mind. From the day the Shire reps found out about the Novartis acquisition to the day they were let go, it was about 3 months. So, that’s what I’m planning for. Hopefully the severance is as good as they say and we’ll be taken care of through Christmas!

All depends what they negotiated. The reason shire people got such good packages was because they negotiated it as part of the deal. The problem for people that got retained was that we fell under the new novartis packages. If they give us our tenure and the old Novartis packages well be good. If they decide to bring everyone over and then fold us under Bausch for 6 months and then do layoffs we are screwed. They pay a lot less, have less money, and have all their leadership in place. Watch for directors and managers interviewing for their jobs first and layoffs will follow. They arent putting two reps in one territory all calling on Dry Eye docs.

 

[anonymous]

All depends what they negotiated. The reason shire people got such good packages was because they negotiated it as part of the deal. The problem for people that got retained was that we fell under the new novartis packages. If they give us our tenure and the old Novartis packages well be good. If they decide to bring everyone over and then fold us under Bausch for 6 months and then do layoffs we are screwed. They pay a lot less, have less money, and have all their leadership in place. Watch for directors and managers interviewing for their jobs first and layoffs will follow. They arent putting two reps in one territory all calling on Dry Eye docs.

This is spot on. For the reps that have been through many of these sell offs/acquisitions dont believe you have a job, use your gut and judgement and start looking. Also, how messed up is it that we can't apply for anything here at Novartis for 12 months!?!? They royally screwed us. nivartis took a loss with xiidra and they structured the deal so they won't have to pay severance and it falls on B & Ls lap to pay. They will not have us calling on the same docs promoting dry eye therapies. It will come down to geography, politics, who they like, kool aid drinkers, etc.

 

[anonymous]

I’ve worked for both Novartis and B+L. If you have a high salary you can kiss that goodbye. Maybe they'll offer you a job with lower pay or maybe they'll just let you go. B+L has decent benefits but nowhere near Novartis' level. Med D coverage will fade away as they won't put all that $ toward rebates. No way managers will be kept except a few chosen ones. No way they'll retain all reps for long. B+L business model is to lay of periodically to trim the fat. Lastly, it's usually a clown show so buckle up. Right now everyone is telling us exactly what we want to hear. Surely you know better by now than to believe them.

 

[anonymous]

All depends what they negotiated. The reason shire people got such good packages was because they negotiated it as part of the deal. The problem for people that got retained was that we fell under the new novartis packages. If they give us our tenure and the old Novartis packages well be good. If they decide to bring everyone over and then fold us under Bausch for 6 months and then do layoffs we are screwed. They pay a lot less, have less money, and have all their leadership in place. Watch for directors and managers interviewing for their jobs first and layoffs will follow. They arent putting two reps in one territory all calling on Dry Eye docs.

I guess we won’t be making $70k this trimester in bonus.

My god how stupid was she to even suggest that to people.

I don’t know how she ever got to be a RD. Just shows how poor senior leadership decisions are.

How do you go from 12 to 5? Get rid of terrible RDs, such as NM!

 

[anonymous]

Novartis benefits and severance are some of the best in the business. Here’s the problem-I can almost guarantee nothing was negotiated to take care of its people with the sale of Xiidra.
Shire ensured its people were taken care of. Novartis doesn’t give a shit. I promise you, they unloaded on B&L and basically gave everyone a giant middle finger.

 

[anonymous]

I hate to say this but I think they might actually keep us as dry eye reps.

Why would they keep us from going back to Novartis for a year otherwise? Because they don’t want to acquire us and then we immediately go back to our original company…?!

 

[anonymous]

You have a year. That is Brent’s MO.

 

[anonymous]

I hate to say this but I think they might actually keep us as dry eye reps.

Why would they keep us from going back to Novartis for a year otherwise? Because they don’t want to acquire us and then we immediately go back to our original company…?!

Because they need time to close the sale and they dont want dead space and reps taking a 4 month vacation. They need sales coming in because they just spent 1.75 billion.

 

[anonymous]

I hate to say this but I think they might actually keep us as dry eye reps.

Why would they keep us from going back to Novartis for a year otherwise? Because they don’t want to acquire us and then we immediately go back to our original company…?!

The reason they are doing this is because often when you announce a merger/acquisition many reps will quit and most won't work for the remaining months they have until the close of the deal. They want us all working until the bitter end so sales and whatever they have negotiated with B&L remain status quo. If even 10-20% of the reps/management left before that deal closes, that could effect the sale potentially. Right now they are telling us what they think we want to hear which is that we will all have a seamless transition to B&L and be given jobs with similar salaries and benefits. Well guess what?? That is the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard!! I can't even believe they think we're stupid enough to buy that.

In my 20 years in this industry I've been through many mergers & acquisitions. They are never seamless and they are never without some kind of realignment or layoff. Prepare for the worse, hope for the best, whatever that may be. But just know that what Novartis is telling you now is simply to protect the company. They DO NOT care about us!! This all comes down to what is best for the company's pockets. Enjoy your summer and do the bare minimum to check the boxes. You are disposable and at the mercy of these heartless, greedy fucks.

 

[anonymous]

Does anyone remember when Shire told us Novartis bought Xiidra & was taking all of us? Then we got rushed to scum bag, New Jersey and trained, and within 45 days Novartis laid off almost 60% of the entire division that we were now a part of.? just cause we’re all going to Bausch doesn’t mean we’re staying there after they potentially realign and throw us out on our asses like Novartis did 4 years ago
Especially if we have good salaries . They pay shit I hear over there

YEP I was hired and fired right after training. B/L is a brutal company with very high expectations. One of the toughest interviews I ever had a few years ago. NO I didn't get the job.

 

[anonymous]

Has anyone decided not to go to the regional meetings based on the news of B&L buying xiidra? I'm seriously considering not going. For what?? To be fake as hell and pretend this is the most exciting opportunity?! I don't think I can stomach sitting through this meeting and listening to the bs that Tad and his minions will spew. "you guys matter. what you do everyday matters. we need you more than ever to get xiidra into patients hands" I just can't take the lies anymore. I have no confidence that we will have jobs for very long with B&L. I was here when Shire folks came over and then poof 50% of them were gonna after being dragged to training in NJ and promised they would have jobs. I think a better use of time for 3 days would be updating my resume, networking and interviewing rather than driving to NJ and listening to the fucktard managers lies. So tell me if you're not planning to go. I need to know I'm not the only one who is going to skip this meeting. I already feel a sore throat and headache coming on ;-)

 

[anonymous]

Has anyone decided not to go to the regional meetings based on the news of B&L buying xiidra? I'm seriously considering not going. For what?? To be fake as hell and pretend this is the most exciting opportunity?! I don't think I can stomach sitting through this meeting and listening to the bs that Tad and his minions will spew. "you guys matter. what you do everyday matters. we need you more than ever to get xiidra into patients hands" I just can't take the lies anymore. I have no confidence that we will have jobs for very long with B&L. I was here when Shire folks came over and then poof 50% of them were gonna after being dragged to training in NJ and promised they would have jobs. I think a better use of time for 3 days would be updating my resume, networking and interviewing rather than driving to NJ and listening to the fucktard managers lies. So tell me if you're not planning to go. I need to know I'm not the only one who is going to skip this meeting. I already feel a sore throat and headache coming on ;-)

Brent Saunders purpose in life is to drive up share price and sell. He's done it everywhere he's been. I would t be comfortable even if I was retained. i would be constantly worried about another sell off.

 

[anonymous]

What is the best plan. Start looking or wait to see what is going to happen.

 

[anonymous]

What is the best plan. Start looking or wait to see what is going to happen.

I was casually looking before this announcement because I knew the writing was on the wall, but now I'm turning it up to 100% and in a full blown job search. My days will be spent interviewing and networking, not making stupid ass calls for Xiidra for a company that doesn't even have the decency to offer me a severance. I was hoping to hang on for the severance with Novartis, but since there isn't one, why would I accept the fate the ass wipes here have decided for me? It's a lateral move which is dumb. If my future is unknown, I'd rather make the decisions about where I go and what salary I'm willing to accept.

 

[anonymous]

I was casually looking before this announcement because I knew the writing was on the wall, but now I'm turning it up to 100% and in a full blown job search. My days will be spent interviewing and networking, not making stupid ass calls for Xiidra for a company that doesn't even have the decency to offer me a severance. I was hoping to hang on for the severance with Novartis, but since there isn't one, why would I accept the fate the ass wipes here have decided for me? It's a lateral move which is dumb. If my future is unknown, I'd rather make the decisions about where I go and what salary I'm willing to accept.

Actually you make a really great point that I hadn't really thought of. Why make a lateral move to B&L with no negating power? They basically have you by the balls (for lack of a better term~sorry) so you take what they give. Or...plot twist, you find your own new job where you can negotiate salary, sign on bonus etc. You get to interview a new manager and decide if you want the job or not. When you think of it that way why would anyone even consider moving to B&L? If you're forced to make a change, might as well be for more money where you're in control of your destiny! Time to update my resume

 

[anonymous]

Has anyone decided not to go to the regional meetings based on the news of B&L buying xiidra? I'm seriously considering not going. For what?? To be fake as hell and pretend this is the most exciting opportunity?! I don't think I can stomach sitting through this meeting and listening to the bs that Tad and his minions will spew. "you guys matter. what you do everyday matters. we need you more than ever to get xiidra into patients hands" I just can't take the lies anymore. I have no confidence that we will have jobs for very long with B&L. I was here when Shire folks came over and then poof 50% of them were gonna after being dragged to training in NJ and promised they would have jobs. I think a better use of time for 3 days would be updating my resume, networking and interviewing rather than driving to NJ and listening to the fucktard managers lies. So tell me if you're not planning to go. I need to know I'm not the only one who is going to skip this meeting. I already feel a sore throat and headache coming on ;-)

I’m right there w/ ya. Why have these stupid meeting? To blow extra money like they did with Ken for ASCRS? Publicly stunt. Anyone could see that from miles away. How about instead of paying for that kind of crap and actually get on managed care plans without a PA would have been way more beneficial and we wouldn’t be in the mess that we’re in. But, no that would have been way to easy. This leadership sucks because us reps have tried saying this for years but, they don’t wanna hear it. And if you do they dance around it. Leadership start taking responsibility for what you didn’t want to hear and do us all a favor either be transparent about this deal or quit now. Active listening is not your forte. And should we have to go to these stupid meetings to role play and do breakaway selling when you cant even do it with a normal conversation? Bunch of BS. Cowards. Actually give is some answers this week during optional call ins with answers. If they can’t then why go to their meetings? This is our future. Think about us just for ONCE!

 

[anonymous]

BL has some of the lowest salaries in the industry. If you have a high salary you’re gone.

 

[anonymous]

I just emailed my manager and told her I'm not going to the regional meeting because I don't feel comfortable. Listen, a lot of reps are angry and disgruntled right now. Probably not the best time to force people to go to a useless meeting they never wanted to go to to begin with. This is the perfect setting for a shit storm. Let's put a bunch of angry, frustrated employees together in a shitty hotel for 3 days after we told them we really don't know what the future holds for their livelihood. People will be talking, gossiping, drinking. Tempers will flare. Heated conversations. Have they never heard of people going postal!!

 

[anonymous]

I just emailed my manager and told her I'm not going to the regional meeting because I don't feel comfortable. Listen, a lot of reps are angry and disgruntled right now. Probably not the best time to force people to go to a useless meeting they never wanted to go to to begin with. This is the perfect setting for a shit storm. Let's put a bunch of angry, frustrated employees together in a shitty hotel for 3 days after we told them we really don't know what the future holds for their livelihood. People will be talking, gossiping, drinking. Tempers will flare. Heated conversations. Have they never heard of people going postal!!

What they did to us at Shire/Novartis was to fill our heads with BS. They told us we were going to have jobs and they bought US and xiidra. We were the experts and they needed us. We had a few months hiatus where they were finalizing the deal and then book conf call, layoffs, and the beginning of the end.

 

[anonymous]

I just emailed my manager and told her I'm not going to the regional meeting because I don't feel comfortable. Listen, a lot of reps are angry and disgruntled right now. Probably not the best time to force people to go to a useless meeting they never wanted to go to to begin with. This is the perfect setting for a shit storm. Let's put a bunch of angry, frustrated employees together in a shitty hotel for 3 days after we told them we really don't know what the future holds for their livelihood. People will be talking, gossiping, drinking. Tempers will flare. Heated conversations. Have they never heard of people going postal!!

I’m more excited about the meeting now that I read your message. I may go a day early to get plenty of rest so I don’t miss anything.