2% Merit Increases!?!

[anonymous]

There are several posts here on Cafe Pharma discussing the culture at Bayer and whether or not one should consider working there. Let me be blunt: look elsewhere because the culture is terrible, and the compensation does not even meet yearly cost-of-living indexes. For example, the merit increase for this year is just 2%, and only 2.15% for exceptional performance! That is laughable, especially when you consider that the long-term incentive pays out at less than 50%, and the short-term incentive is also less than 100% year after year!

It's no wonder that talent constantly leaves and employees are disgruntled. We are expected to do the work of two or sometimes three jobs, all while the company continuously cuts positions and pays us poorly! They label the extra workload as rotations and short-term assignments, but it’s essentially a way to get us to do additional work for free.

Due to the company's current operational structure, there is little room for advancement. When someone leaves, their role is rarely filled, and employees are simply asked to take on the extra workload. This company is struggling, and those who stay do so only until they find something better, or because they are too complacent or lazy to look elsewhere.

 

[anonymous]

There are several posts here on Cafe Pharma discussing the culture at Bayer and whether or not one should consider working there. Let me be blunt: look elsewhere because the culture is terrible, and the compensation does not even meet yearly cost-of-living indexes. For example, the merit increase for this year is just 2%, and only 2.15% for exceptional performance! That is laughable, especially when you consider that the long-term incentive pays out at less than 50%, and the short-term incentive is also less than 100% year after year!

It's no wonder that talent constantly leaves and employees are disgruntled. We are expected to do the work of two or sometimes three jobs, all while the company continuously cuts positions and pays us poorly! They label the extra workload as rotations and short-term assignments, but it’s essentially a way to get us to do additional work for free.

Due to the company's current operational structure, there is little room for advancement. When someone leaves, their role is rarely filled, and employees are simply asked to take on the extra workload. This company is struggling, and those who stay do so only until they find something better, or because they are too complacent or lazy to look elsewhere.

This is SO WELL said and I completely agree with the commenter however I have so many talented colleagues who I have reached out to about opportunities at other companies that offer a SOLID merit increate 4-5% or more annually and paying 100% of the long and short term incentives as well as pay more in salary to do just 1 job not covering the many other they pile on us here yet they decide to stay here. Not sure why in such a toxic culture with limited growth with inadequate financial benefits, current employees are passing up thee better opportunities to stay here. I am not sure if they are just blinded by the reality or are they so complacent that the will continue to do the same thing over and over with no change yet complain about it. Its truly the safest culture i have ever been part of.

 

[anonymous]

This is SO WELL said and I completely agree with the commenter however I have so many talented colleagues who I have reached out to about opportunities at other companies that offer a SOLID merit increate 4-5% or more annually and paying 100% of the long and short term incentives as well as pay more in salary to do just 1 job not covering the many other they pile on us here yet they decide to stay here. Not sure why in such a toxic culture with limited growth with inadequate financial benefits, current employees are passing up thee better opportunities to stay here. I am not sure if they are just blinded by the reality or are they so complacent that the will continue to do the same thing over and over with no change yet complain about it. Its truly the safest culture i have ever been part of.

what I meant to say was this is the strangest culture I have ever been part of.Bayer does not have a good outlook.

 

[anonymous]

what I meant to say was this is the strangest culture I have ever been part of.Bayer does not have a good outlook.

It's almost amusing to observe just how disconnected our leadership seems from reality. Recently, they announced a meager 2% merit increase, which, in the context of rising costs and increasing workload, falls far short of what is needed to motivate employees. In an effort to mask this disappointing raise pool, management has resorted to forming various project teams, which, in truth, offer little more than busywork. The latest initiative, humorously dubbed "Good to Great," stands in stark contrast to the actual environment we find ourselves in—a culture that seems to be deteriorating from bad to worse.



These ineffective leaders, driven by the need to project an image of progress without enacting real change, create these superficial teams. They serve merely as a checklist item for leaders, allowing them to check off their (PMP’s) obligations while contributing nothing of genuine value to our work experience or organizational effectiveness. The underlying culture encourages employees to do just the minimum required because there's a pervasive lack of incentives to strive for more. This approach leads to an atmosphere where mediocrity is not only accepted but almost rewarded, resulting in disengaged staff and stagnant growth. Bayer is destined to be nothing more than mediocre company.

 

[anonymous]

This is SO WELL said and I completely agree with the commenter however I have so many talented colleagues who I have reached out to about opportunities at other companies that offer a SOLID merit increate 4-5% or more annually and paying 100% of the long and short term incentives as well as pay more in salary to do just 1 job not covering the many other they pile on us here yet they decide to stay here. Not sure why in such a toxic culture with limited growth with inadequate financial benefits, current employees are passing up thee better opportunities to stay here. I am not sure if they are just blinded by the reality or are they so complacent that the will continue to do the same thing over and over with no change yet complain about it. Its truly the safest culture i have ever been part of.

The reason is you have to prove yourself in any new company. People at Bayer have been too Bayerized ways of working and cannot really work elsewhere. LIFE ways (pre DSO) is a joke and people were simply relaxing and counting on competency of vendors than performing. "Talented" at Bayer is suck up and perception, they know it and hence will not take a job outside. Really talented ones are already out.

 

[anonymous]

The reason is you have to prove yourself in any new company. People at Bayer have been too Bayerized ways of working and cannot really work elsewhere. LIFE ways (pre DSO) is a joke and people were simply relaxing and counting on competency of vendors than performing. "Talented" at Bayer is suck up and perception, they know it and hence will not take a job outside. Really talented ones are already out.

That’s not true. I know several talented ones who have been sought out and refuse to try something new. I am shocked that the lack of merit, STI and LTI that they would CHOOSE to not consider other options. Why? Makes no sense to me. But perhaps they’re not as smart as we thought

 

[anonymous]

That’s not true. I know several talented ones who have been sought out and refuse to try something new. I am shocked that the lack of merit, STI and LTI that they would CHOOSE to not consider other options. Why? Makes no sense to me. But perhaps they’re not as smart as we thought

Your observations resonate deeply with me, particularly the notion that these so-called talented professionals seem to be so ingrained in the corporate culture at Bayer that they cannot envision a future elsewhere; too scared I guess. I struggle to accept that the talented individuals you mention are being completely transparent about their feelings regarding this situation. From my perspective, anyone with real potential tends to leave Bayer, and I strongly believe that the vast majority find themselves in a more fulfilling situation post-departure. Bayer often appears as a bastion of the status quo—marked by incompetence and favoritism, all of which can be traced back to ineffective leadership at both senior and executive levels.

 

[anonymous]

Your observations resonate deeply with me, particularly the notion that these so-called talented professionals seem to be so ingrained in the corporate culture at Bayer that they cannot envision a future elsewhere; too scared I guess. I struggle to accept that the talented individuals you mention are being completely transparent about their feelings regarding this situation. From my perspective, anyone with real potential tends to leave Bayer, and I strongly believe that the vast majority find themselves in a more fulfilling situation post-departure. Bayer often appears as a bastion of the status quo—marked by incompetence and favoritism, all of which can be traced back to ineffective leadership at both senior and executive levels.

Everything that has been discussed in this thread is absolutely accurate! Now, when we consider the meager 2% raises being offered, it begs the question: why would any competent individual choose to stay in a job where their efforts are undervalued? Poor leadership, a toxic organizational culture, subpar products, and ineffective product marketing and management all contribute to a cycle of poor performance and unsatisfactory salary increases. These factors create an environment where employees feel disengaged and unappreciated, leading many to seek opportunities elsewhere. It's clear that without significant changes, talented professionals will continue to look for positions that recognize and reward their contributions appropriately!

 

[anonymous]

As my terrible AGM informs me of my shitty raise and then says she got a bad raise too and I should to be thankful I have a job as lots of people would love my role speaks everything to Bayer’s terrible culture, leadership, and continued failings! Speaking with several, this must be the corporate line leadership said to share, “My raise is just as bad and be thankful you have a job!” is such poor leadership and why we have a terrible culture!

 

[anonymous]

That’s not true. I know several talented ones who have been sought out and refuse to try something new. I am shocked that the lack of merit, STI and LTI that they would CHOOSE to not consider other options. Why? Makes no sense to me. But perhaps they’re not as smart as we thought

That's illusion. So called "talented". Look at M&A - can they ever acquire anything correctly that is profitable? Bayer is a ghost town in summer and entire Dec month till mid Jan. You cannot get anything done 2 months in summer. Agreed everyone needs a vacation, but here employees are just enjoying vacation with very little work. Bayer employees are not talented and they know it. They continue with being here as no other company will keep them at this salary doing little.

 

[anonymous]

2% is never great but during inflation like this, it feels like a yearly pay cut. Gotta turn this around soon or it’s hard to stay

 

[anonymous]

Low estimates of 2024 inflation are 2.9%. So exceptional performers got a real merit increase of negative 0.75%

This is the stuff we need to figure out how to improve or the people who will stay will just be the ones with no other options