I’ve been MIA again, largely due to the hours I’ve been keeping at the office. My first time out as PM, I was handed an upgrade of a vendor software package. While it seemed like it wouldn’t be too difficult initally, I somehow spent over 100 hours in 10 straight days at the office leading up to Thanksgiving. We’re almost there, though, since I now only have to have a few loose ends tidied up, including the budget. I’ve learned on that point that meeting budgets feels a lot like trying to make a square peg fit in a round hole, but that’s all part of the fun.
The layoff watch is in high gear, with speculation likely to pick up in a huge way coming up this week. Any announcement will likely come on Merck’s “Analyst Day” December 15, when we host the investment community and explain our plans to boost the company’s stock in the upcoming year. Rumors abound, with cuts anywhere from 5% – 25% expected, including wholesale shuttering of our bulk chemical manufacturing, among other thoughts.
Nothing like happy thoughts before the holiday.