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Defenestration posted:After reading about your job I find it shocking that any pharmaceuticals are actually researched and produced anywhere I work in the analysis end of pharma and after seeing how much of a poo poo show it is I actively avoid taking medicine. Although I think Sundae does have a knack for finding really lovely places. So today I learned that in our last audit the auditor saw someone use a walk up instrument and leave without logging out and locking the computer. They apparently complained that this doesn't keep any old person from walking up and running a sample in the QC directory. This particular instrument is shared by research and QC groups the QC data is stored on its own server and you need to be a QC user to read/write it. All the QC users logout before they walk away but just in case there is a one minute time out. This was explained to the auditor but they said they were going to issue a observation for it. Apparently in the next department meeting its going to get discussed to decide how to appease the auditors comments, most likely by adding more policies so that we have to remember to logout and lock the computer every time or get retrained. I wonder if the auditor noticed that the password and username for research is right on the top of the monitor in big black sharpie...
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Jan 15, 2014 23:40
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Sundae posted:Ladies and gentlemen... my workplace. Reason number 900 to never take medication! Also isn't this something you can report to the FDA? So today's helping of stupid, supervisor complained that my signature didn't look right.
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Jan 21, 2014 02:45
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Shear Modulus posted:Pretty sure this is something directly out of Catch-22. I will have to read this now, ideally at work so I can suggest it to the boss. And yes my supervisor is utterly nuts, the signature is a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of the stupid. other ones that stand out in recent memory include: *Demanding that all samples be treated as production even when they are development. we are the only group that has to get the results for development work signed off on the results form (there isn't even a space for it!). *When a particularly incompetent service tech hosed up the plumbing on an instrument, and we said he did it wrong boss said that we were the ones wrong and that the tech had gotten it right (dispute the vet having worked on it for 10+ years saying it was hosed up). The tech that came to unfuck it later (after it stopped being a magnet) said we were right, so we marched poo poo for brains down to hear how he was wrong. *Makes us rewrite reports until they are identical to the wording he uses, including on reports the customer said in the draft "we want it this way!" customer ended up screaming at the supervisors boss about it. *Said we have to review the system suitability standards same day, SOP says with in a week. There's more but after 2 years of this every day I cant remember every policy we now have and all temper tantrums hes had. I am ready to quit and work at BK just to have my sanity back.
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Jan 22, 2014 04:53
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HipGnosis posted:Sundae, it seems like your employer is one of those companies that probably should have failed by now. They probably get a fat royalty check every week for some wonder drug, once the patent dies they will go belly up.
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Jan 28, 2014 02:03
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Sundae posted:
Nice to know that this is standard practice across the GMP field. Every time we get a audit especially customer ones I sigh because I know that some new rule is going to be made. And customer auditors are usually brain dead so we get hit with what ever they think up on the spot.
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Feb 6, 2014 18:05
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*Double Post*
Shrieking Muppet fucked around with this message at 01:57 on Feb 7, 2014 |
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Feb 6, 2014 18:11
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So today HR informed us that our healthcare plan is being changed for the Coming year. Our premiums are going up 10% and were getting a $250 deductible. Apparently this was done because costs are going up and it wouldn't be fair to expect the company to pay for it in order to maintain profitability. Meanwhile the CEO and executives got a combined 30million in bonuses and we haven't gotten raises in 5 years. Guess it's time to get into high gear for job hunting!
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Feb 7, 2014 04:19
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Wait there are companies that give bonuses? I though they were mythical creatures spoken about by my older co workers much like dragons or unicorns. Also was looking around last night found out I could make more money apparently working as a wall painter for a museum. Wondering if I should apply.
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Feb 11, 2014 17:31
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The problem here is they ended to bonus system a few years back so other than a handful of departments most of us don't get poo poo (the r&d dept that continues to loose money however got bonuses last year). Since I am salaried there's no OT either so there's little incentive for people to apply them selves. Strangely the dept manager seemed surprised when no one took his suggestion that we stay later to finish things seriously.
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Feb 11, 2014 17:53
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Friend recently shared this one with me, She was given a stack of job postings and told to post on the company's recruitment page. Looking through it she notices her job was in the pile. Shes trying to decide if she is going to ask about it or 'misplace' it.
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Feb 18, 2014 00:30
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Tony Montana posted:Hang on, you don't get a CPI increase each year? 2% or something just to keep up with inflation? Allegedly some companies do this but no one at my company has seen a raise in 5 years unless it was attached to a promotion.
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Feb 18, 2014 17:07
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For awhile now we have had issues getting samples done on time, this seemed to be because we have more projects that need complex tests which tie up worker bee time. So a few months ago the department head announced that to solve the problem a new manager was hired, I am still perplexed as to how he was supposed to help since for his salary we could have hired another three or four worker bees to help with the busy workload. Apparently after observing the workflow in the department for a month, the new manager has determined that the problem with testing not getting done on time is due to the QC worker bees dropping what they are doing to run more important samples. So the new policy for now on all is that each type of testing will get done on one day a week. So for example Tuesday is now KF day, if I need a KF and it's not KF day I need to come back when it's KF day to get results. In the past I'd giggle at the QC bees misfortune but my group reports to manager as well and once he's done "improving" QC I think my group will be improved as well once this guy is done making the QC group want to kill them selves. *Edit* tried to unfuck it so its more readable. Shrieking Muppet fucked around with this message at 03:39 on Mar 12, 2014 |
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Mar 12, 2014 02:56
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So I finally got my performance evaluation, apparently coming in on weekends last summer to work on the mountain of work I had with no overtime counts as "meets expectations", gently caress this place so much.
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Mar 19, 2014 01:26
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Keetron posted:Hey, they were expecting you to come in and finish the mountain of work so you meet the expectations. If you did not come in, had a mountain of work there and then complained about so much there remained to be done and then wrap it up in the period before appraisal, you might have been better off. Remember that in the weekend there is nobody to see you work so how can they value and judge your work? Nobody gets a raise based on weekend work, working on the weekend to keep up with demand either means your boss cannot plan or you cannot handle the tasks. So little honor to gain there. And if it is normal because you do maintenance work or something, don't expect special treatment, it is just part of your job. Considering my boss was the one who had to review my notebook and sign off of the mountain of extra work we got I find it hard to believe he wasn't aware of me coming in to do it, especially since he said thank you every Monday for me doing this. My bosses planning ability nor my ability to keep up with tasks isn't the problem, it probably has more to do with working in a small specialist group that gets more and more work but no more personnel to help with the work load. Obviously my reward for all of this was my "thank you" and I am a terrible employee for thinking that I would get anything on my eval praising me for putting in extra effort.
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Mar 19, 2014 11:54
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Keetron posted:Yeah, that is the other option of course but it is clear there is no correlation between you actual performance and the performance appraisal given by the company you work for. This is seldom so, at least for those of us posting in this thread. I've been applying to other organizations since the year started but these things move at a glacial pace. Probably doesn't help the technique I work in demands PhDs nowadays and I don't have one.
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Mar 19, 2014 17:22
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So apparently my employer just announced the acquisition of a privately owned competitor. I wonder if I can find a way to send all the worker bees there a condolences email. Also was told by a coworker today that were supposed to get raises this year. Seeing as no one has gotten any raises in six years unless it was tied to a promotion I doubt It. bet him lunch that it will not happen this year, he said yes. Can't wait for my free food.
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Apr 7, 2014 17:26
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Taliesyn posted:I have to admit, I'm starting to get a little tired of my boss bitching at me for doing precisely what she told me to do. Dear god this is what drives me to drink, the last two weeks for me have been answering the question "well why on earth did you do that?" With "because you told me to design the experiment this way, even when I asked to do it in a better way.". And my boss has said "I said that?" Even when I have shown him god drat emails instructing me to do the experiment in the half-brained manner he tells me.
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Apr 10, 2014 01:26
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Sundae posted:Do you deal with red tape, bullshit, awful office bosses, and TPS-styled reports? If so, you belong here. As annoying as my employer is I can ask to use my time off at least. Also when your free of your relocation shackles let me know sounds like you might consider my employer an improvement.
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Apr 17, 2014 20:55
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So today we had a department meeting where we were all told that our building is not going to be closed and we should ignore rumors of this happening because we're making money! Of course the site they closed last month was making money so I doubt that really factors into who gets closed. Me and some coworkers are talking about starting a pool for when we close.
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May 15, 2014 21:41
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So my coworker was exposed to a rather nasty chemical vapors last week at work. He thought he was safe but apparently wasn't. He got out before it did some serious damage but filled out a close call accident report just to help prevent this. The PM and several other chemist have said "well we need to tell the customer that we can't do this because we obviously don't have the right safety equipment." My boss said in the Monday meeting "no we can't add signs saying this work area isn't equipped for vapors and also we have to figure out how to do this analysis because it will appear in production later on!". So apparently to my boss it's ok if I shred my lungs up just as long as the job gets done.
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May 20, 2014 12:32
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Riso posted:Your coworker needs to sue the rear end off the company. Not to sound like a corporate apologist but He was warned before hand and took extra precautions that he felt would keep him safe. It wasn't like someone withheld safety info and said "you'll be perfectly fine" Although I would be amused if he did sue the company I doubt that will happen. I'm more appalled by how our boss doesn't seem to care that one of his subordinates had a close call and his only concern is to finish the project that everyone who asked for it have said "it's not safe we will not do this"
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May 20, 2014 13:49
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Hand of the King posted:I'm at a large pharmaceutical company. Here are my reasons for wanting to leave a 1 week notice instead of a 2. Let me know if I'm just being a big baby or if these are valid: Well if you do the two week notice at least you get the satisfaction of knowing they will be wasting money shuffling you back and forth for two weeks.
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Jun 5, 2014 02:43
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My coworkers are so professional. So I waltzed into a lab to discover a PM and a lab tech in a shouting match because the tech can't sample a material without the specs that the PM hadn't provided yet. While they were screaming at each other a customer tour complete with section heads and directors walked into the lab, they of course kept screaming at each other oblivious to the very important customer tour.
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Jun 5, 2014 17:24
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So talking to a colleague in another group I was told about how management decided to rewrite a SOP that about half the department uses to validate methods. This was done by not consulting any of the people who validate methods and splitting the writing up among a VP and two directors. The resulting SOP is apparently so bad that the 30 people who are supposed to use it cannot understand it, many of them have phds and/or have been doing this sorta of work for 10+ years. When they asked the authors to clarify things they were also confused and told these 30 people were told to shut up and figure it out. Best part in the last month no methods got validated because no one knows how to do it now.
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Jun 10, 2014 23:37
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Sundae posted:Some brilliant rear end in a top hat in Logistics did a Six Sigma cost-reduction project and decided we could make do with 15% less printer paper. He failed to account for the fact that we've just switched away from our electronic SOP training system to an all-paper system. And the logistics guy will get a bonus for cutting costs! I just went around 3 different bathrooms trying to find one where the seat didn't have poo poo on it. I work in a laboratory where everyone here who uses the men's room has at least a college degree but at least 3 of the 6 toilets have poo poo on the seat! What the gently caress?
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Jul 17, 2014 20:09
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So at the department meeting they announced were hiring 30 new people! Of course this is only because other groups told the department head that they have to pick and choose which projects get done. My group has had to do this for two years and were probably not getting a single person because my boss refuses to admit to his boss there is a problem. Hurrah for having the difficulty of my job tied to my bosses ego!
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Jul 22, 2014 12:53
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Zero Gravitas posted:Can you remind us again why you havent left yet? I thought you said your mandatory term was up? So we have someone to look at and say thank god I'm not in his shoes.
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Jul 23, 2014 21:50
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Swink posted:I would read a blog of your posts. It'd be in the realm of GSElevator or wolf of Wall Street - a window into a world I barely understand, but can't look away from. Oh dear god please yes! A Sundae blog would be amazing. Was told today that that new department policy is if we don't have our time cards in on time we will be fired. Was sorely tempted to test this policy.
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Jul 28, 2014 17:08
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sbaldrick posted:I currently envy Sundae's job. Do you work retail?
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Jul 31, 2014 22:49
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mobby_6kl posted:Somebody put up a handwritten (with a highlighter!), passive-aggressive note on our pinter room door saying something like "Thanks for cleaning up here as well!". I didn't like that as it looked super unprofessional and probably completely ineffective, so I was going to tell our facility guy to just talk to the janitors about it and take down the sign. This was placed in every bathroom at my building last quarter, this includes the bathrooms that auditors and customer tours use. 
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Aug 6, 2014 23:20
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So yesterday I was handed a sample to work on that is fairly involved and will basically cost someone in my group half a day. Since my team is about 2.5 people with enough work for 4 we usually ask if requests really need to be done within three days or if they can wait a bit longer. I Also notice the person who submitted the sample forgot some paper work I need to start the sample. No problem, I ask the requester for the paper work, they say its not their job to find paperwork, its the project chemists job. I speak to the project chemist, they say its the requesters' job to find the paper work i need to start the sample, I then asked about when they need it by and got a 30 minute rant about how they don't need it by the due date they put on the request but they need it before the end of the month, however they don't know when they will needed it. Go to boss ad tell him about this adventure, he says "It's not your job to find paper work, but just go and find it anyways so we can have the sample done in three days." Apparently its my job to do things that are not my job
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Aug 13, 2014 12:49
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seacat posted:Holy cow is this actually par for the course in pharma or is your company just that bad? I mean my company does beverages and some OTC medications and that would never be acceptable. I pretty much try not to take medicine anymore after working in pharma for a few years. Last week, talking to one of my coworkers at the water cooler, they told me about how we had a compound that was listed as a potential high risk respiratory hazard. We of course charge more for working with these things. the customer wasn't thrilled about this extra cost and so the compound was reevaluated and reclassified as a low risk respiratory hazard, Of course no one knows who or how this compound was "reevaluated".
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Aug 18, 2014 12:46
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majestic12 posted:Uhhhhhh are they somehow not required to provide MSDS for everything you come into contact with? not really, many of the things we work with didn't exist as little as a few years ago. the MSDS is really only required when shipping things. Even then most of them have nothing useful in them.
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Aug 18, 2014 17:14
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visceril posted:I would refuse to take a job if they did dumb poo poo like use LotusNotes or pay a ton of money for some homebrew ERP that works with nothing and nobody knows how to use I've never used lotusnotes but after hearing nothing but tales of woe about it i will have to ask that question in an interview if i ever can get one.
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Aug 19, 2014 01:04
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Apparently my company tried surveys just before I arrived, the results were so poor that they haven't done them since. In a one-on-one meeting with my boss things morning after I said I had completed the objectives on my evaluation for the year my boss said "no your not, I want you to work on this abandoned project from your first year and I'm expanding a existing goal further.". I might have to ask in the next meeting what the loving point of establishing the goals for the year when they are only going to be changed?
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Aug 26, 2014 17:30
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Kyrosiris posted:I hope you know that your posts make me want to never take (legal) drugs ever again. I work pharma and have sworn off taking manufactured drugs because of how hosed up it is.
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Aug 29, 2014 22:07
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rolleyes posted:As someone who works with many of them as clients, the universal law of pharma is the bigger the company, the bigger the hilarity. For me it's seeing how incompetent the teams at manufacturing sites have been and how clueless many of my own coworker are. All this is overseen by managers who's only goal is to appease customers and their own supervisors by any means necessary. The two that come to mind are Cost was going to be too high because it's toxic. Our reevaluation, done by someone who's schooling is in business says it's not toxic. r&d group didn't want to give specs for a reaction, instead the powers that be said ok run the test then send the results to R&D and they and the customer will decide.
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Aug 30, 2014 15:18
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So last week management announced the yearly "great job" award that they give to employees that go above and beyond the call of duty. This year it went to a lady in HR, last year it went to some guys in IT, the year before that someone in fiance. I work for a pharmaceutical company that in at least the last 3 years hasn't given a single award to a scientist.
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Sep 20, 2014 16:17
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Sundae posted:In the eyes of your overlords, you are an expense, not a revenue generator. I wish I was kidding. Now I know by corporate logic this somehow makes sense to the c level people but not a single person who has gotten these awards has made the company money. The only thing I have noticed Is that all of the winners of this award work in the HR/Finance/paper shuffle building where the c level people live.
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Sep 20, 2014 18:05
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Xandu posted:Someone got fired and no one (except the managers) seems to know why. Is it common for companies to be secretive about it? Creates kind of a weird atmosphere. The only time a firing was really advertised at my job was when someone was let for for altering data, and the announcement was mostly to say "don't alter data unless you want to get fired"
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Oct 27, 2014 17:13
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