Very bad company culture - Anonymous employee Merck Employee Review

1.0
May 15, 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Good name to have on your resume. If you are taking a job at Merck these days, you better have thick skin because you will be disrespected everyday. Be careful of who you talk to because speaking your mind can get you fired. There will be no good work life balance - try to hold the job for about 2 years and in the mean time, have a job at another company lined up and hope you aren't laid off or fired in the mean time. - It used to be a good company that promoted research but sadly, that has gone away - Good pay and benefits, both of which are constantly being cut down

Cons

- Research is being cut down and not much in the pipeline. Merck used to be known for investing in research but there is not much new research going on at the moment. These days, it is just combine this drug with another drug and make a new drug and make some money - Good employees are being let go to cut cost - The share price is all that matters to the people running the company, the CEO included - Employees are just numbers. People are being let go every month and the remaining people are expected to do the work of 3 or 4 other people without complaining. If you speak up, you either get fired or you get a bad review on your performance report - The environment currently promoted at Merck is for employees to stab each other in the back - the ones that are very good at this survive and get promoted

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Jun 3, 2026
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Pros

End of the year shutdown which includes paid time off

Cons

The con for me at the time was that I had to relocate which wasn’t possible

4.0
Jun 2, 2026
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Pros

Over my tenure, I had the opportunity to work alongside highly talented and mission-driven colleagues dedicated to improving patient outcomes. The organization provided exposure to cross-functional collaboration, leadership development opportunities, and meaningful work supporting healthcare providers, patients, and community stakeholders. I appreciated the company's commitment to innovation, professional growth, and serving patients through scientific advancement.

Cons

Like many large organizations, priorities and organizational structures evolved over time, which occasionally created uncertainty and changes in responsibilities. Decision-making processes could sometimes be complex due to the size of the organization, and navigating multiple layers of stakeholders occasionally impacted speed and execution.

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