Serious replies only please. This Belsomra oversight (at least in my region) is cumbersome, unnecessary, and downright harmful for selling the drug. Managers are stressed to the max and taking it out on the reps making everyone miserable when we should be upbeat and excited about a new product. I would like to get out with some compensation. Is Merck still willing to entertain a hand-raise from primary care, especially in 3 up territories? I know they accepted hand-raisers after the time limited expired to do so. I also know they gave additional people hand-raising ability after the new configurations in July. Is this still a viable option?
Yeah, put your had up I'll let you go! Or better yet, tell everyone you come in contact that you want out.
Merck will continue to cut. Handraising allows management to understand where they have opportunities to align those cuts with people who wish to leave vs identifying people who do not. Understand that when a position is eliminated it is indeed eliminated. The manager can not just put someone else in that role without a realignment. There are creative ways to do that. If your request is not accepted, you of course run the risk of being considered "not on the bus" and this could impact promotions or other opportunities etc. That said, if you don't see any promotions or other opportunities on the horizon this may be a moot point. Lastly, cuts often come by quarters, so since they just cut the next set of reductions probably wouldn't come around until May/June. Raising your hand allows for more open conversations with your manager and I would suspect they may give you an indication re whether you "may" be accepted and when they think the next round of reductions will come. Allows you to start thinking about when you will begin interviewing for other jobs. The level of communication will depend on the relationship with your manager. The "if" and "when" are all confidential and it would be more of an informal hint vs a real conversation as the latter sets the leader up for trouble. Good luck!
These so called hand raiser could/would open up secured positions for people that need these jobs. Most are on the cusp of being on the late end of their career and would get a great parachute from the company. I was totally screwed by one of these. Came over from SP== was paid a lot less than me and I of course got screwed. I was let go and he was kept. Cannot blame him too much but he promised me he was raising his hand and going. Did not do it. Still cannot blame him but hurt Merck picked him over me. It was all about money. I cost the company too much money in salary and pension. The bean counters cut me in a heartbeat. Along with a peer that was a Hall of Fame winner and had to go on his trip just after he got "separated". Shame on you. Shame Shame Shame. Life after Merck sucks. I had a great time and never wanted this to happen.
Number 4 is right on. it is very tough out here in the post Merck real world. Better scale back your lifestyle now while you still have money coming in. It won't be as painful when you are let go. Having Merck on your resume is usually a tag of "over paid" and "lazy".
More Layoffs 3/18/15 in certain areas. Not enough for WARN act to go into effect, Merck will do layoffs in bit and pieces from now on to keep cost down.
Another reason you might consider to raise your hand, and you can afford to, is due to your potential assignment if you survive the next job cut wave. You could have a horrible commute in your next territory and you will be stuck. At least if the hand raise is accepted you understand your severance payout and potential unemployment that might follow. If you are assigned a horrible commute you may not get the chance to obtain the package at that point. This has happened before and will happen again.
Yes, there are horrible commutes into ghettos, several bridges, etc. and one does not realize how much stress this initiates unless they have been in the position. I was, am not, happily living my life without the stress of "big pharm."
There are people who were cut with one year down and from no fault of their own. People losing retirement benefits by weeks. What does that say when they do this to older employees who can never recoup the loss? Total lack of conscience and beyond shameful.
Driving long distances in highly populated areas means someone screwed up placements. Reps should be all local, not an hour or more away from closest accounts!! ...after all, who the hell can get done what a local can do? Who the hell can get there when the weather if bad? Drive time of more than 30 minutes into a territory is pure stupidity. Waste of time and money on tolls, gas.
Maybe everyone can raise their hands. Buy another company and replace all the Merck employees. Merck would get more work done with 25 percent of its current head count. Better pipeline, marketing, production and sales. There would be no more "this is the way we always did it". That would make every bean counter happy. We cut people who don't make money or considered broken. That simple. Now everyone raise those hands. We will get a bunch of helmets for protection and ship you to camp in the small yellow buses.
Don't forget to count yourself. You might think that you are one of the best until you are cut just like everybody else.
We would need more bean counters. Finance people don't get cut. It's that crazy value thing. Get a MBA and you have a job for life. Sales, finance and marketing makes the real money. Engineers are a dime a dozen. Even if you do have an idea, we make the money off it. Search for jobs and add MBA and see all the hits. You would be shocked at all the engineers who come up with great things only to get them taken away because it was never registered and has no patent associated with it.
Thanks for the head's up. It's good to see someone just bring in FACTS and not more toxic, narcissistic posts about how their skills will NEVER be cut.
