Comments on: Schering: Cafe Pharma Is A Men’s Room Wall

By: Glad2BOut

Glad2BOut — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:34:31 +0000

Perfectly put Notso. I too dedicated well over a decade of my career there. In the beginning, I was proud of my affiliation with S/P. Ultimately, that pride was replaced by disgust and embarrassment as a result of questionable ethics and behavior related to Schering’s executive management team.

I also concur with your comments about filtering out the filthy language in CP, and we agree that such a forum is necessary because it facilitates workers to respond to and challenge the hypocrisy that Schering Plough’s senior management communicates to the corporation, the stockholders, and to the public.

By: Notso

Notso — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:48:57 +0000

As a multi decade SP employee, SP management embarrasses me and I am no longer proud of my work here. Graft, corruption and downright shameless greed of the top 10 - Hassan, Bertolini, Cox, Sabatino, Becherer, and the rest whose regular SEC required earnings filings infuriate me when we are in the middle of a supposed PTP or Performance Transformation Plan should be ashamed. You bet we are upset. We all look at Cafe Pharma. Those of us who are grown ups can sift through the posts and figure out a trend or a legitimate tip. (I wish the bathroom wall posters would be more professional. I skip past them like getting rid of a hot potato. I also wish Sarah Palmer would filter out certain words and require a higher level of communication.) There are worthwhile posts on the site as it is our only way to speak candidly about a company who has done what it wants with impunity for so long, they have no regard for the law or for consequences. (They just say they do.)

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:32:39 +0000

Here’s the answer. they need to focus on getting honest, ethical indivduals to run their companies instead of the dregs that run them now. If employees respected the executives and the job they were doing, then you wouldn’t see all the criticism on Cafepharma. However, when companies like SP lay people off and then turn around and give their top executives huge raises and large amounts of money, then the employees have every right to be upset. In the case of SP, it seems that the executives have betrayed the employees and their employees no longer trust them. In addition, they have no respect for the greedy bastards!

By: pharma professional

pharma professional — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:26:53 +0000

I see pharma companies in a bind. They are tightly regulated, and a comment by any employee who is deemed to “represent” them can get them into major trouble. (Remember the “homemade bread” sales pieces that sales reps used to make and the trouble that created.) So, perhaps more than other industries, they need to have tight controls on what people say. But, of course, employees are valuable for their opinions and insights. Getting the balance right is tricky and I don’t know the answer.

By: Pharma Doc

Pharma Doc — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:15:54 +0000

Pharma employees need to be able to speak up. They can’t speak up within the company or they will be fired! I’ve seen it happen several times. If an honest, ethical employee speaks up for what’s right, it’s off with his head! These powerful companies that refuse to play by the rules and think they are above the law need to be taken to task for their actions. I really hope that the judge sees right through their bull and allows discovery.

By: Sarah Palmer

Sarah Palmer — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 13:58:09 +0000

As to the claims that Cafepharma is nothing but a bathroom wall: if there were no value or truth to some of the posts on the cafepharma boards, we would not have had the success that we have had. There are plenty of places on the internet for bathroom wall talk. Cafepharma clearly offers something more.

Employees in the pharmaceutical industry need a safe place to discuss issues that are important to them. Cafepharma provides that place.

By: Sarah Palmer

Sarah Palmer — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 13:46:37 +0000

Jeffrey,

Funny you should say that. At approximately 12:30 ET this morning, someone made the following posts on cafepharma:

One, with the unregistered name Chief Beaker:

“There still are great companies out there, just a little harder to find now. The proof is at Beaker.”

And a second, with the unregistered name CEO of Beaker.com:

“In the past few months, the three major job boards have fallen apart. Traffic, postings & revenue are all off as employers & job seekers question the value of the generalist job board model. Unemployment is at an high water mark for the past few decades, yet the users have chosen other ways of pursuing the next likely option in their career.

So, if the online recruiting industry is firing blanks with all their ‘new’ technologies, what’s the answer?”

Strange, huh?

By: Jeffrey Clark, CEO of Beaker.com, The Online Community for Life Sciences Professionals

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 06:04:53 +0000

Thanks for the clarifying point, Maryilyn. You sparked a passionate debate for sure.

Former SP, I agree that Kenilworth HQ is a concrete jungle that could use a makeover. Was just there on a rainy day last month & it’s not the cheeriest place on the planet.

Doc, I am not a frequenter of CP. Prefer to spend my time on the more ‘educated’ platforms that cater to this industry.

And, Dingle, thanks for the plug. I won’t use Pharmalot for such a purpose. I’ve got too much respect for Ed & the platform to troll around advertising Beaker.

By: Marilyn Mann

Marilyn Mann — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:12:39 +0000

“The offensiveness of Cafe Pharma is not irrelevant.” I meant irrelevant to defendants’ motion to strike.

By: Doc

Doc — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 12:44:56 +0000

Jeffrey Clark,
Here’s a novel idea for you - if you don’t like venues like CafePharma, then don’t go there.

I have worked for more than one big pharma company, try approaching anyone above you with legitimate concerns on any number of issues. You are black-balled within these companies if you do so.

It is perfectly natural for frustrated employees to go over board on some posts. Such is life.

“This industry is too big, too specialized, too educated and too important” - are you kidding me!? Do you really think that education dissuades people from crude talk and behavior? Anyone is capable of these things, to think otherwise might be wishful, but naive.
The truth still remains that these same types of crude language and think - are expressed in many big pharma exec suites and by their legal counsel.