open but anonymous letter to Zoetis leadership

Dear Leadership Team,

Zoetis has been a wonderful place to work. For three years several thousand of us have worked incredibly hard to stand up this company from scratch. We left the tumultuous life of Pfizer with the promise of a more stable future. A future that would hold promise, the possibility of promotion and, perhaps MOST importantly, a change in culture: one which was sorely needed for those of us who had been with Pfizer for quite some time.

And Zoetis was good! It was really, really good. While we got tired of hearing "Run it like you own it" (a corporate slogan only made positive by comparison to Pfizer's "Own It"...in which the "N" stood for "no jerks" of all things), the company did feel like we were involved. It felt as though an individual's actions mattered. It felt as if we were actually "in the loop"...and perhaps most importantly, it felt as though everyone in the company from sales reps to executives were connected. It felt like you "got" us, and we had the opportunity to get you. In short, and to use a corporate buzzword that may help to get the point across to you all, it felt as though there was actual synergy. For those of us who'd spent years as nameless, faceless people at Pfizer, that feeling was amazing, and more important than any of you can possibly know.

Fast forward a couple of years and the introduction of Pershing Square into our lives. The concept of a sale of our newly minted company or, at the least, extensive layoffs was introduced. "Run it like you own it" became a thing of the past. Not only do we not feel it any longer but, gratefully, the leadership team has also stopped cramming it down our throats. Whatever "synergy" had existed has vanished in a poof of misinformation and secrecy. We all knew layoffs were coming at some point (we were clearly overstaffed in some places) but we had come to trust those folks at the top of the org chart. We went under the assumption information would be shared in a timely manner (were, in fact, told so during a town hall). Were told that the employees were truly what mattered. At this point I would like to call bologna on the lot of you. You want to know when I lost any and all confidence in you (and mind you, I stuck in there a lot longer than some), and when I ceased believing ANYTHING any of you say? The day Valeant tendered an offer to us. It was all anyone was talking about - whether a good offer or not, it was the gab of the office....and did our esteemed leadership team comfort us, or at least give us the news? Nope. Not one peep was uttered from the CEO or his team (who I'm sure were locked in a conference room someplace) to the rest of us grunts. Not. One. Word. I guess those of us in the peasantry caste at Zoetis just didn’t rank highly enough to bother with such paltry issues as a potential buy out. Belief was probably "ignore it, and it'll go away"...well got news for you, it hasn't - NOBODY has forgotten that day, or the fact that you all couldn't even be bothered to address it with your employees. Too busy planning ice cream parties I guess.

Let me ask you a question, my dear leadership team. Why do you think our headquarters is empty on Fridays? For that matter, why do you think it's even more empty than normal the rest of the week? Sure, layoffs have claimed a piece of the population, but it's not that I assure you. It's that we are working in an utterly and completely miserable and horrifying environment. The leadership team has not felt a need to share information with anyone in a good long while (the most recent town hall being a great example of misdirection and filling time with words that meant nothing), and quite frankly, have COMPLETELY lost touch with what the employees think, feel, or want. Want a great example? How about the fact that, amidst horrifying layoffs, SOMEONE up top actually DID throw the aforementioned ice cream party for the masses. Nothing screams "happiness" quite like sucking an ice cream pop and watching another colleague carry a box out of the building, I guess. A brazen employee at the last town hall more or less POINTED at our CEO and said “YOU ARE OUT OF TOUCH”….and you know what? She’s right...but it's not just the CEO. It's all of you. Probably most of your direct reports too.

We're closing out some sites. Other sites being kept open but being utterly ravaged by layoffs. Sites being told their layoffs are done, only to be told three weeks later "oops, just kidding, here's another list". And still no information of any value whatsoever has been communicated out. Vendor relationships are being ruined, customers being lost, quality of life of employees destroyed...and the loudest sound any of us has heard is that generated by rumors (other than SAP, SAP, SAP, SAP of course...which seems to be all anyone has cared about in two years). You’ve taken a terrible situation and, out of the bowels of misery…managed to make it worse. Truly an impressive feat.

Let me give you folks a quick tip, as one of the aforementioned low people on the totem. You have a lot of people who think there's a conspiracy going on. The belief is firm with many that at least a couple of you are "in bed" with PS. That you, in short, are playing for the "wrong team" if you will. What's scary...is that's the BEST case scenario - at least then you'd be doing it for financial gain or something. Personally I’m not a conspiracy theorist.

The other scenario is that, quite frankly, you don't care, or even worse still, are simply incompetent as leaders. We were told there was a “strategy” in place to deal with things like Pershing Square…and yet the only thing we’ve seen so far is them demand we cut costs (a.k.a. reduce headcount) and our leaders respond by asking “how many?” Thus a new slogan was coined…”Run it like Pershing Square owns it”.

The real shame is that Zoetis has been a good company…and had the potential to be a really great company. Yes, “had” is the word there…because if you think anyone from those who were let go to those who are still here, will EVER trust in this LT again, you are dreaming.

You want to know why the office is empty? Because we can't stand to look at you.


Yours,
An employee who is reportedly NOT being laid off, but wishes to be

 

I'd love to support this, but you're crazy. If you thought Zoetis would be anything different from Pfizer, you clearly haven't been around corporate America for too long.

Same shit, different color logo - that's all.

 

Also, there is no tastier ice cream than that paid for with the blood of the "severed".

 

I take it the ice cream must've been "Rocky Road " !!! I don't think I could enjoy it if I was a Zoetiser. Sales and mergers always seem to result in slaughter of the team it's supposed to "help".

 

Damn I am dumb, I bugged out months ago when I saw this coming after Pershing Square stepped in. If I was smarter I would have stayed, taken the severance package and then started the next stage of my career. Being impatient/have some foresight but not enough cost me a bunch of $$$.

 

trust me, you were the smart one. Not worth hanging around this place for ANY amount of money

 

I agree with most of the above and not that this diminishes the poor timing of the ice cream social, but KP did pay for it out of her own pocket.

 

Yeah, pretty damn small consolation when you consider the income at that level.

Not that I begrudge them - they clearly deserve every penny - but man...talk about sending a TERRIBLE message.

 

Another perspective in response to the letter to Zoetis leadership

The author of the anonymous letter has raised several points – some valid, others out of context.

You seem to state that PS has taken control of Zoetis – isn’t this a consequence of the capitalism that we love and embrace on a daily basis? Activist investors drive for profit and there is very little any leadership can do to ignore them as is the case also with Mondelez, Qualcomm, Juniper, Amgen, EMC.

To me, your comment about not seeing colleagues in the office on Fridays makes no sense at all. The flexible Fridays is a grand benefit to all colleagues, particularly those who have family responsibilities as well. Colleagues work hard on weekdays and work hard at home on Fridays. If someone is really unhappy with the workplace, here is the opportunity to make it better or find another that is perfect. Really? Read the Amazon story in today’s NY Times.

Read the article about the Amazon workplace culture in NY Times today - the workplace is changing because we believe in providing the best products and best service for consumers and it challenges us all to bring our best. In this game, some of us will get hit - mucho gracias capitalism. I believe that we can all do better to take care of the people who work with us on a daily basis – we don’t have to look to the leadership to do that.

Regarding the ice-cream break that KP provided us all in Florham Park, I know for sure that she spent her money to provide us a sweet break amidst the pall of colleagues being laid off. I think it was a good gesture of lifting the saddened spirit and nothing more. In fact, I know KP to be a good leader who actually cares about people (I am not on her leadership team). I don’t think any good comes out of BMW (b…, moaning, whining) about things you cannot change – why not make the workplace as much fun as possible for those of us who still believe in the company?

To all the grand colleagues at Zoetis who make work exciting, cheers and thank you. For some of us who are being let go, best wishes and more.
# I am a regular Zoetis colleagues, not part of any leadership team.

 

To the last poster, you are INCREDIBLY misguided and misinformed. Lets just look at a couple of points, shall we?

"You seem to state that PS has taken control of Zoetis – isn’t this a consequence of the capitalism that we love and embrace on a daily basis?" - this is true, however with a leadership team still preaching that WE run it, WE own it, and that WE have a strategy to maintain that? C'mon, just be honest - PS owns it, period, end of story, and we're doing whatever they tell us to do. That's ok and not a crime, but at least be HONEST about it to your people. When they got the first seat on the board it was already game over - now they have two. It doesn't take a genius to see where this is going.

"To me, your comment about not seeing colleagues in the office on Fridays makes no sense at all. The flexible Fridays is a grand benefit to all colleagues..." - this right here is half the damn problem. We do not have "flexible Fridays" in FP. We have the ability to work extra hours M-TH and leave at noon on Friday. Leaving at noon, believe it or not, is not the same as not coming in at all - and that's what has aggravated our esteemed CEO - the fact that his big beautiful building is COMPLETELY empty on Fridays...and while you may work when you're "working from home", I assure you, many folks no longer are. Emails and calls get ignored until Monday a VAST majority of the time. So just remember, your "work from home" Friday was a benefit YOU decided you had, not one that was given by the company - and while I have no issue with it (and participate of it whenever possible, ESPECIALLY in the last few months), clearly the LT do. MOST people understood that they had to come in but could leave early...of late, that is no longer the case. Hell, today is Monday and the place is empty.

"Read the article about the Amazon workplace culture in NY Times today..." - which has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the culture of lies and deceit that has become standard at Zoetis.

"I know for sure that she spent her money to provide us a sweet break amidst the pall of colleagues being laid off. I think it was a good gesture of lifting the saddened spirit and nothing more." - I agree, she was trying to lift spirits. It is a testament to just how out of touch she is that she didn't see licking an ice cream while watching people leave the building for the last time might not be the best way to improve morale. Sometimes doing something is even worse than doing nothing. This was one of those times.

"For some of us who are being let go, best wishes and more. " - and to you as well. While I'm sure it's miserable to find out that you're being let go I can't help but think you're far better off than those of us who have no hope whatsoever of drawing a package.

 

Well said! It's been painful but the nature of our current capitalism structure devours all in its path.

 

Has anyone else noticed that it's August? Lots of people take vacation in August. That is probably why no one is in the office on a Monday. Or a Friday. Or a Wednesday. Or a.... you get it.

 

Thank you Ms Peck

Glad to see you have time to monitor Cafe Pharma!

 

You sound angry - may be you have a right to be so.

Your comments about 'Run' it like you own it is so naive (your are not, your comments are) - do you really believe that public companies and capital markets are so simply managed? By their CEOs and their leadership teams? Please wake up and get some education. Study capitalism and what it brings - you embrace all the good without having to acknowledge the downside? That is a blind version of reality.

The leadership is lying, you contend...really? I have yet to hear what they are lying about. Can you please explain and give a few examples please?

I really don't understand your frustration - why not just leave the company? Why are you working at a place where you seem frustrated? Find a perfect company and I will follow you.

 

Amen to that! If you can take so much time and effort to write a lengthy letter about Zoetis and how UNHAPPY you are, then why not put this energy into finding another job opportunity at a dream company?! Maybe you can start one of your own that has no flaws and is free from investor involvement. I'll be the first to apply.

Capitalism is about greed, right? And you are not far from it, because your hope is to receive a package. Do you see any similarities there?

 

Lying by omission (or by silence) is still lying none the less.

I'm not going to get into the evils of capitalism, as they are plain to see for sure....however because the OP is pointing at the LT does not mean he doesn't see that there are other powers at work. Those "other powers" answer to the public, to the shareholders etc and so on. It is the LT's role to keep their people motivated, keep morale OUT of the shitter for those of us still here, and to share information as it is possible...or at least to address TO their people things that their people have already found out. Not addressing a potential buyout as the OP mentioned? I consider that pretty freakin cowardly myself.

As for why not leave? Because I'm going to milk decent pay for all it's worth. The bills still get paid. I'm still padding my resume'. I'm just not happy.

As for desiring receipt of a package, do you REALLY think the OP is the only one? Please. Having put a few years into this pit of hell I'd like to walk away with something to show for my troubles - and rest assured I AM looking for the "dream job" and actively interviewing. Should I land something I'll be out of here, package or no. And i'm not the only one. If finding a decent job were as simple as writing a letter I'm quite certain that the OP would have done so. The responses to that letter around HQ are quite clear enough to realize that more folks agree with it than do not.

 

If you are really unhappy, give it up - you have one life. Find your "dream job" (I don't think there are any unless you work for yourself) and tell us where that job is or the company that is perfect. I have been in several and Zoetis is much much better than most. I am not saying that we cannot do better.

We all blame the leadership when things are not perfect - ask yourself, 'what have I done or not done today to keep up the morale' of the people around me? I find that often I expect my manager or the leader to do that.

Cheers!!!

 

Not addressing a potential buy out??? what rock do you live under? Do you really think this should be public information? go back to high school...