Middle Management

JNJ is a machine, hiding behind the Credo. Anybody who rocks the boat and tries to make a difference gets spit out. They hire in twenty something's who scratch and claw for 15 years because of the pension and work to get to director and Sr Director. Once you are there, the VP level is unattainable for 99%. Then the focus becomes getting to 55.

I'm sure if JNJ does an audit of the Level/tenure/rating/output of the 48-53 crowd they'd see an opportunity for a purge. We all see it. And the 48-53 crowd knows it. They're hanging on to 55, then if they get there, how can JNJ expect productivity to increase?

 

Your an ass. There are plenty of hardworking people in that age bracket.

 

Name one that a) isn't holding on for 55 or b) thinking they are going to be the next VP?

If you're not a VP by 45, it isn't going to happen.

 

The reason for holding onto 55 is not from being lazy or not doing anything. Wait until you fall into the age bracket you are complaining about. It's nice to know every day when you come into work that some a## whole thinks you should be canned for no other reason then your age. 55 is important because if you are canned once you are 55 you have the option to retire with your benefits and then looking for another position.

 

Validation of the OP. So the goal IS just to get to 55, NOT to continue to produce but to quit, suck off the JNJ teet and then go someplace else?

And what is an a## whole?

 

It's not validation.

 

Yes, there are many people who may be around the age of 55, but the truth of the matter is, that unless you NEVER speak your mind, and let's face it, at around this age, people may speak their mind due to the fact that they are tired of seeing the same BS day in and day out are going to be centered out to get the boot. The ones that don't speak their mind have a better chance of surviving this toxic environment.

JNJ is agist. They may change their ways now because they may be getting to the point where they will start getting sued. If you have always had a high performance rating and get the boot, and ask them why they will not tell you.

I brought my package to a lawyer and I also kept a diary of all the insults and inappropriate comments and generally bad things my director said to me. I documented EVERYTHING. My lawyer told me I had a case against JNJ. He also told me that JNJ has very deep pockets and would fight this to the bitter end, which I could not afford to do.

My lawyer advised me to take the package and put JNJ behind me.

If you speak up to a director with a huge ego or doesn't like you ad you around this age you are TOAST my friends. Believe it. It is not right, but this is how JNJ operates.

I just hope that this particular director gets it back in SPADES.

 

Yes, there are many people who may be around the age of 55, but the truth of the matter is, that unless you NEVER speak your mind, and let's face it, at around this age, people may speak their mind due to the fact that they are tired of seeing the same BS day in and day out are going to be centered out to get the boot. The ones that don't speak their mind have a better chance of surviving this toxic environment.

JNJ is agist. They may change their ways now because they may be getting to the point where they will start getting sued. If you have always had a high performance rating and get the boot, and ask them why they will not tell you.

I brought my package to a lawyer and I also kept a diary of all the insults and inappropriate comments and generally bad things my director said to me. I documented EVERYTHING. My lawyer told me I had a case against JNJ. He also told me that JNJ has very deep pockets and would fight this to the bitter end, which I could not afford to do.

My lawyer advised me to take the package and put JNJ behind me.

If you speak up to a director with a huge ego or doesn't like you ad you around this age you are TOAST my friends. Believe it. It is not right, but this is how JNJ operates.

I just hope that this particular director gets it back in SPADES.

 

Nah, they'll get promoted. J&J is all about it's image and it will go balls to the wall to protect it. I'm surprised CP hasn't been sued.

 

a). That "crowd' built everything that you seem to feel entitled to.
b). The benefits associated with retirement have been earned through both productivity and
loyalty--to the present day, which, at your age, you have no concept of.
b). At what age would YOU feel it acceptable to be looking forward to retirement? p.s. nobody
gives a flip about your approval.

 

Waaaaaay too defensive. Agree with all your points but I think the your questions are irrelevant to the OP?

The current middle managers HAVE worked hard and as twenty and thirty-something's, did bust ass, but it seems like there is an abundance of this bracket that has peaked and is now just hanging on. They always seem to be looking for the next job and not focusing on the current job (hard to hit a moving target) or only trying to hang on to 55 and the magic benefits age. Too many of these people are retired in place.

Be real. How many of your peers fit the description above? And, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and consider you the hardest working middle manager in JNJ.

 

Waaaaay too judgmental and stereotypical. If you want to play games, I can call you on both competency and capability looking around at specific age ranges. However, I would never presume to paint with the broad brush that you do. Good luck with your co-workers.

 

You're both right. There are incompetent and incapable performers at every level and age group, AND it seems like a lot of the middle managers in the 45+ age range who've been around for awhile seem to be really hanging on now, especially since the stock has finally taken off. Even after all the cuts of the past 10 years, JNJ is still bloated.

 

I agree. They will need to keep cutting for a while globally due to the lack of US sales( FT. Washington).

There is definitely ageism at JNJ. Even if you are an excellent employee, you can be laid off no reasons given, just a package. And in my experience they didn't mention age at all although I suspected this. I just started receiving a pension check which would have been much larger if I had stayed on for a while longer. When I asked why I was being made redundant they said they couldn't tell me , but it was not performance related. I went to a lawyer and I had a case. But I do not have the money to go up against JNJ.

CREDO...hahaha maybe they could recycle the forms ( if they print them from the e-survey) and start a new product line...you know like Cottonelle? That is what the CREDO should be used for.

 

It does not matter if you are 55 here or anywhere to get healthcare because we now have gov't exchanges so retiree coverage (or for anyone who leaves at 55 after locking that in) will be put into an exchange. J&J will drop coverage it is just a matter of time.....than thank all of the dems who voted their president in.

 

There is a drive in place to consolidate middle management at the staff (internal) level. Too many non-revenue producing roles. The Corporate/Strategic/Support roles will begin to see a slow but sure move to reduce the Directors and Sr Directors and over the next few months. Most of these folks came from OpCos and can't find their way back to the line/revenue producing roles and job justification is getting more and more difficult.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head.

 

It won't be a big move, but more steady attrition. Many of the roles in Strat Mktg, Corporate, Payer, HR, etc are being moved into Centers of Excellence and roles that are non-revenue generating/special-project type jobs will be cut back significantly. The people in these jobs were shipped out of OpCos and are not likely to make it back. If you read Gorsky's announcement last week, you can see how the stage is being set.

 

JnJ operating companies have for far too long supported layers of management that are both ineffective and redundant and these have been the least often looked at at the end of each quarter where decisions are made as to cuts in order to deliver on a number. Marketing, managed care, field training, and operations are all non revenue producing roles paying large salaries based upon tenure and the people in those roles at JnJ have gotten very comfortable and complacent. If Gorsky is smart, and I think he is......he will have his minions start to scrutinize these op company positions much more closely and off load the dead weight. If he does his due diligence based upon operating companies and performance he will clearly see cutting field sales positions will get an ROI immediately at year end but not solve JnJ's problems of redundancy in terms of middle management not producing. Let field management leverage and manage non performers out as needed but as an investor start to off load some of this dead weight.

 

I know where we can find a good chunk of the funds to pay for these fines!

$6.2bb at $350,000 a head for a middle manager gets us 17,700 Middle managers. About 15% of our total workforce. Lets just whack about 5% of them and we've covered the Risperdal mess.

That was easy!