Layoff now

What re-send came from RD? Any leadership changes?

 

And clinical, biostatistics, GRAAS etc. I don’t know if any R&D function that was not affected today. They are not giving out the number of layoffs most likely because it is well beyond 500 and is bad PR. Especially after Bob promised Trump that he is creating 1600 jobs in 2017.

 

Amgen has to report the number to the California WARN agency who publishes the number. Look for the updated WARN document on November 10th.

 

I know of at least one person in San Francisco and it sounds like GBS Operations group was all hit, in addition to the Statistical Programmers who work for a contracted company. Can't tell how big it is, but since we got a memo from SH, I expect that it's bigger than just a few dozen people. I really have never understood why they don't just tell people which departments were impacted. It would cause a lot less churn

Of the people I know, they will be here until end Dec, then be paid for two more months, plus package. I don't think Amgen has to notify WARN until Dec since they are paying for two months past then.

It's nice that they give decent packages, but really sad that this has become the norm.

 

I'm sorry :-( Really sucks.

 

At least 3 biostatisticians were hit. And I've heard a rumor that VP is also leaving..

 

I'm guessing Amgen will announce a number even larger than what happened today, because they aren't done yet. At least that would be consistent with other posters who said Nov 1 was the day and it sure looks like they were right. In 2014 the announced RIF totals included some people from 2015

 

Did DR and SH say R&D was reaching steaty-state after the layoff back in March?

 

There are no layoffs. Stop with these ridiculous and absurd rumors.

 

OK Bob. Whatever you say!

 

“you will hear more soon from your functional leadership about the changes specific to your teams.”
What does it mean? Second round for lower level people? Only senior people were let go yesterday?

 

I know of 2 ACs and 1 program coordinator affected. Other people in my group were SMs. Email from leadership seemed to imply all RIFs were notified yesterday, but I've also heard there would be one more wave.

 

Definitely not senior people only! I know personally of 3 people who were fairly junior at the company.

 

The email from the SVP of my function indicated RIFs were done and the US based ELT will outline the future plans for the organizations. Sounds like shuffling people around post RIF. If there is some second wave RIF it would be non US or non R&D. At least in the near future.

 

Yesterday was the US. I heard some friends or colleague who used to be in TO and now are either in SF or Boston where a few were let go. If my "informants" are right.. the next will be the Amgen employee outside the US.

On the issue junior/senior employees. I think that yesterday both were affected. As a matter of fact, if changes are driven by the rational of saving some money only, it is often cheaper to let go the juniors for the following reasons:

- severance packages are lower (less weeks per year to pay out, for instance)
- their stock options are not vested
- the retirement medical savings contributed by the company are not vested
- they are often too junior to assume responsibilities for day-to-day operations if the
plan is to cut group X or Y in half or one-third, say. And keeping the senior employees
guarantees that business will be done until the next hiring spree begins.

I am not saying that this is right, it just is the way most companies do things these days. We all know
that Amgen's issues are not really with costs, but sales. I have said it before, aside from minor differences,
pharmaceuticals all achieve about similar operating profits. Hence it is not about cost cutting but increasing
sales. Cost cutting can support the stock price briefly, but is of no benefit long-term in an industry with the
characteristics of big pharma. Is it by chance that some C-suite executives get bonuses based on, among
other things, the stock price? So once the moment is past, hiring will start again, but in the meantime the
few seniors will allow for business as usual. Unless, like it often happens, several of them at seeing their
groups dismantled, start to look for greener pastures, which probably do not exist anymore in this industry,
but we all need something to believe in, a good story.

I have worked for 4 companies about the same size of Amgen and pretty much, aside from a few small
differences, one would be really challenged to find a place where everyone is nice, all are happy, and some
people hop around campus at the rhythm of "happy happy, joy joy".

I seem to have survived this round, but going back to work this morning and knowing that some co-workers
whom I like will soon no longer be there, is not cause for happiness, quite the opposite.

Unfortunately, sales are dropping, company is weaker, and I saw that this morning one analyst downgraded us as well. Unfortunately, the most desolating thing of them all is that the company continues to be driven by
the same people which means that nothing has really changed. Sometimes it is the engine, sometimes it is the driver, sometimes it is both. You decide.

I do not even fault Bob Bradway. He inherited a company that has lost its way and where promotions have been handed out way too fast to people who had shown nothing besides talking a big game, looking good, or being friends or just former colleagues of someone high up the list. It probably happens even at the top levels since even there people leave looking for better pastures. Whether Mr Bradway does something to correct the issues will be his true legacy, because stocks go up and down all the time and in many cases even without regards to a company's true fundamentals, but creating a functional company will last a long time. Now, that does not mean that all employees are great either: some just do the least amount to work possible following the motto "Why do it today, when someone else could do it tomorrow!" but, and I could be wrong, I fault the top mgmt first for not looking into how badly promotions are doled out and make people not care anymore.

The last few days' weather resembles my mood for the last 2-3 weeks. It is always a sad day to see other
employees go. I might have survived (question now is until then, though), but I do not feel anything positive.

 

You have way too much time on your hands. People were posting informative stuff and you post this long emotional garbage and kill the thread.

 

they got rid of some R&D in SF, confirmed coworker

 

So how many were RIFFed?

 

Amazing how little info is public by now. Are we living in the USSR?

 

What was the final number and package?