A few weeks ago, Merck disclosed plans to trim another 12,000 to 13,000 jobs by the end of 2015 in order to save up to $1.5 billion. This is on top of previously announced cuts (see here) although efforts to reduce headcount are forcing managers to accelerate their plans. In a memo written the other day, Merck’s US Market president Mark Timney informs staffers that cutting expenses by eliminating vacant positions, by itself, just isn’t sufficient to meet targets. And so a handful of departments should brace for layoffs that will be decided by the end of next month. These include Marketing & Customer Solutions; Managed Markets & Policy; Strategy & Commercial Model Innovation; and the Neuropsychiatric and Women’s Healthcare specialty sales teams. These are located in Merck’s CIA-like headquarters in rural New Jersey.
