Best Day

Quitting merck was the best decision I ever made. I worked here for over 15 years, won every award, turned down rotations, and did great as a rep. Met some of my best friends here. And up until about 2007 this was the best place to work.

The last few years this place became a vile, awful place to work. Good people were ruined and driven out. The job became a game and merck encouraged lying.

I went to school, during the day, and yes that was wrong. But I got my out and took it.

And my first day leaving merck was like a re-birth, I have never felt so alive and well. Getting checked out was like a cleansing.

I am better off now emotionally, financially and all around have a smile that won't quit. I got so trapped into the fake BS of merck that I didn't realize how wonderful the real world is.

They rely on you feeling trapped, with no place to go. Create your own out, start a business, go to school. You will never forget how happy you are once you leave this sick place in the dust.

You will find something. Work for a company that values you, treats you well, and has a team ethic. I didn't realize what a screwed up sick place merck was until I got a real job.

I am posting this because I want you to know that life is great after merck. Just leave merck and the industry behind- its DYING- especially the sales part. You will never regret getting out.

 

Well, left Merck - saw the writing on the wall for me and was surprised by how "unfriendly" everyone was with my leaving. Work for a different company and even if someone gets PIP'd out or is asked to take a package or just plain resigns, everyone sends letters/emails, bosses write nice notes. Merck is toxic. But I do not think where I am is really any better as far as the B.S. and fabrication of the job itself. The people seem much nicer. I would love to get out of the industry as I know it's killing me. I feel horrible health-wise but my husband cannot work and the income is all on me. I'm old and tired. Just wish I knew when I was forty how f-ked up my career was going to get by staying in pharma rather than become a nurse or PA. Anyone who is in this job and has even the slightest chance to do something else should.

 

Love the post. Yeah you know you work for a class act company when they MF you after you leave and even try and screw you out of money they have to pay. Guess they are just jealous that we had an out!

 

Congrats on getting out! Its like the mafia, seriously. I was a CTL and just had enough one day. So I quit- on the spot. My DCO was trying to get me to set up two reps- good people and great reps. He wanted them out and wanted me to do the dirty work. Sorry thats when I had enough. Well I thought after quitting that would be it. Oh but wait. My DCO rejected all my final expenses and tried to say I owed amex 19,000! Well one call to amex and the that was resolved.

But then the sickness continued, they said I owed them for vacation that I had taken due to it not being accrued yet. And tried to say I owed money for company car mileage.

Long story short, I got everything they owed me and they got fined by the state dept of labor. What a disgusting place so glad I don't work there anymore!!

 

Happy for those that got out, or is getting out. We are all better off I'm glad I got my leave. I couldn't stay, it was horrible.

 

Loved reading this, I felt awful at the time but finished my MSN while working at Merck oncology, much of my clinical time was during the day. Now I couldn't be happier! It was the worst place I ever worked the last few years. I encourage you all life is so much better just find an exit plan!!

 

Dont quit, I am still going to school and haven't worked a full day in months. My CTL thinks I am great. Keep the checks coming honey. Easy money honey.

 

I must be the last idiot. Honest to god so jealous of all you. Smarter than me I guess. Nowhere to go just hoping this inventive thing aint too bad.

 

I still can't get over how underhanded, cutthroat, and plain dishonest Merck got. To this day it still blows my mind that Merck would become such a smarmy pit. Be well, huh.

 

Isn't it funny how so many of those in charge of the field have ZERO class and professionalism? Your post speaks of what we in the sales force suffer from on an hourly basis. Maybe you should have stayed because there were so few good CTLs out there. The regionals at every pharma company are out of control. I am pretty sure their jobs are all but worthless and they are like dictators who really feel empowered to say, do, "rule" and kill off anyone they want. They do not care about the company, the products, the people or any employment law or fairness. They only care about fucking people over and getting a big fat check. It is a sickness. You have described it perfectly. I wish I could get out and do something different, anything different even for half the money would be a blessing. I feel like I am a prisoner who has lost all power because of my age and this shit American job situation (there are none). This job and my shit life choices have beat me down to nothing.

 

I feel your pain sistah...the pharma industry destroyed my body (bad back from the driving) and destroyed my soul too...(the constant lying and fabricating required to play the game.)

Get the heck out as soon as you can...(it operates like a Ponzi scheme in a way.)

FU MERCK!

 

they pulled the same crap on me...told me they overpaid me...I paid them back because if I didn't I felt they would take it out of my pension some day if I ever collect on what they own me...

truly an evil company...

 

yes...it boggles my mind too...after VIOXX you would think they would have cleaned up their act and bent over backwards to be ethical...

instead they got meaner than a junkyard dog, and more evil than ENRON.

 

You just have to get up the nerve, find another career and get out. This place is not the Merck of even five years ago. Disgusting awful place to work.

 

Not so easy when you are over fifty and live in the middle of nowhere. We are not in a position to move. Unemployment here is horrible and there are probably only a couple of jobs a year that would even pay 50k with 1000 of applicants. I probably need to start my own business of some type.

 

I have to agree wholeheartedly with this thread! My life is so wonderful since I have left. Started a career outside of Pharma that has real meaning!

Working at Merck for so long I did not realize who sick it was how we were treated. Good employers encourage their employees and don't beat them down and don't look at them with contempt and distrust.

It's tough jumping off into the unknown but in the end you will look back and laugh at what you put up with at Merck!

 

FU Merck

 

Ditto to the post by the OP.

Sipping a fresh cup of coffee while reading the post as a Merck retiree. No more sleeping pill. No more SSRI. No more Xanax. No more, "help me understand this and that" shit. I am sure my former manager, living in an expensive house now under water in an exclusive neighborhood, is now coaching another rep this morning how to "sell". I am getting ready for a doctor appointment, then plan to try out a new recipe, and hot the gym later tonight. I have less income from the lump+401K. But surprisingly how little you need to live a decent life. Just returned from a road trip and life is good. FU Merck for PIP me out but thank you in helping me in making the decision to retire.

 

Need to chime in here to. Peeps on here seem to think they will never make money again if they leave the Merck slavery program. I make more money out of Pharma and work with normal people again. You don't realize how unqualified and sadistic the management team is here until you move on.

Good luck all!

 

great post...they truly are sadistic...I could not believe it when I worked there....

Talk about a hostile work environment...

Wish I had not wasted so many years there...

Talk to other people about Merck and they usually can't believe the stories they hear...

Most companies outside of pharma do not harass employees like Merck/pharma....

btw, FU MERCK!