Whats the culture at GSK like?

Can anyone clue me in as to what the culture at GSK is like for lab employees? Currently I am employed at another pharma company, and am looking to jump ship because the culture is just terrible.

After having lost several employees through layoffs, the work just keeps getting piled on and is out of control...a few years ago we all would be working on 2-3 projects max, and now it has basically increased to 6-8 projects and rumor has it they are looking to pile on the workload even more...50-55 hour workweeks are not uncommon just to keep up with the work, and most of us barely even have time to take a break and eat our lunch.

Are things better at GSK??

 

40 hours per week, nothing more.

 

Whatever you do don't work for BALDONI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Comforting to know if true....

Unofficially at my company the word is that the expectations are now 10-12 hour days, 6 or 7 days a week if needed...

My current boss is known to work in the lab until 10 or 11 at night several times a week...

The workload is just truly crazy.

Sounds like I should start looking to GSK for employment. Is the company itself stable? hows the pipeline?

 

depends on which division and which location you are talking part -

-many parts of the company are on life-support - being downsized - relocated - outsourced etc etc same as every other company

 

I'd say things are better at GSK. The official work week is 35 hours, and there's no expectations of long sustained hours beyond that. Work/life balance is an important thing to most of us here.

That said, GSK looks like it's on a long slow decline, at least in the US side. The big pharma business model doesn't seem sustainable over the long term. It's like this throughout the industry, GSK is not unique. So every 2 to 3 years, it seems we can expect layoffs and site closings as the company continues to contract.

 

lots of cheap food and goodbye parties