Lateral demotion within the company

[The Doom & Gloom]

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Currently working for a big pharmaceutical company, and there is a rumor going around that people will be laid off. Our company is currently on a hiring freeze, and i was advised to make a lateral move to a different department, which no one wishes to do so. I was called by the manager- who basically implied that I should take the offer bc i will lose my job. He said i should take it, stay there until we have a business need for more pharmacist. Is this the kiss of death? Am i gonna be terminated? God i hate this right now

 

[nafcillin]

Take it! He’s helping you out by telling you that your job will be gone. I wouldn’t take it personally although it sucks

 

[nafcillin]

A lateral move means it’s equal. I don’t think you can have a lateral demotion

 

[The Doom & Gloom]

A lateral move means it’s equal. I don’t think you can have a lateral demotion

Yes,... although it certainly feels like i am demoted. He said i will be back to the team IF we have a business need for it. Nothing is certain at this time, but i guess i have no choice but to take it.

 

[BMBiology]

The company doesn't want to let you go and pay for unemployment.

If you are sure they will laid you off, then you should take it. Would the benefits be the same?

There's a chance they would still let you go after accepting the new position but maybe with less unemployment benefits if your new position pays a lot less.

 

[The Doom & Gloom]

The company doesn't want to let you go and pay for unemployment.

If you are sure they will laid you off, then you should take it. Would the benefits be the same?

There's a chance they would still let you go after accepting the new position but maybe with less unemployment benefits if your new position pays a lot less.

No it will be same pay, same benefit. Just no job security.

 

[Older pharmacist]

How old are you? I’m guessing over 40.....

 

[The Doom & Gloom]

How old are you? I’m guessing over 40.....

No. I am in my 20’s.

 

[Thoughtfulsinner]

Why not take the unemployment?

 

[The Doom & Gloom]

Why not take the unemployment?

Unemployment doesnt pay much since I was not employed for that long.

 

[Jbrl]

Yes,... although it certainly feels like i am demoted. He said i will be back to the team IF we have a business need for it. Nothing is certain at this time, but i guess i have no choice but to take it.

Don't take it personally. You're just a victim of what people call "cost rationalization." It's not a demotion and it happens frequently in pharma anyway.

I imagine you've omitted the functional area you're in and the one you'd be transferring to for confidentiality, but that's an important consideration. Worst case, though, you take the job and you look for others in the meantime while you're employed.

 

[gwarm01]

No it will be same pay, same benefit. Just no job security.

Same pay and same benefits? Sounds like they are doing you a favor by giving you this opportunity instead of a pink slip. That also suggests they value you as an employee and want to keep you around. Consider this an opportunity to diversify your skill set.

 

[JustFillIt]

The company doesn't want to let you go and pay for unemployment.

If you are sure they will laid you off, then you should take it. Would the benefits be the same?

There's a chance they would still let you go after accepting the new position but maybe with less unemployment benefits if your new position pays a lot less.

No.... just no.... this makes about as much sense as a rectally administered strawberry popsicle.

The guy may be just trying to do you a solid... who knows - you would know better than any of us.

Here is my advice - figure out what your options are, work toward creating a couple new options to put on the table, then settle on something and commit. Time to saddle up and start a new adventure. Go get em’ Cowboy.

 

[lord999]

Same pay and same benefits? Sounds like they are doing you a favor by giving you this opportunity instead of a pink slip. That also suggests they value you as an employee and want to keep you around. Consider this an opportunity to diversify your skill set.

Not necessarily the former but definitely the latter. Imagine if they made you tech supervisor and scheduler. It's a demotion if it's a skill mismatch.

Doom, you might as well treat this as a directed reassignment and analyze the job. I would also start sending my resume if I wanted to stick to that function. It's unusual to be employed more than five years at any company.

@Jbrl , remember that conversation we had about job stability in this field? I still have that viewpoint as there's too much money for companies to have learned their lesson about talent retention.

 

[JustFillIt]

Not necessarily the former but definitely the latter. Imagine if they made you tech supervisor and scheduler. It's a demotion if it's a skill mismatch.

Doom, you might as well treat this as a directed reassignment and analyze the job. I would also start sending my resume if I wanted to stick to that function. It's unusual to be employed more than five years at any company.

@Jbrl , remember that conversation we had about job stability in this field? I still have that viewpoint as there's too much money for companies to have learned their lesson about talent retention.

I am curious about what your opinion is on talant retention. Do you have a link to that thread?

 

[Argentium]

It really depends on your current function, the function you are moving into, and your reputation within the company.

In the worst case scenario, you're being demoted and they don't think you can make the cut in your current department so they're moving you into a less important one (a responsibility demotion, but not a pay/benefits/title demotion). Unless this looks glaringly bad on your resume (worse than a resume gap), I would take the new position and look for a new position outside of the company

In the best case scenario, there are structural changes* coming that your leadership have no control over and they need to "park" you somewhere until the dust settles and they bring you back into the fold. I've seen both the best and worse case scenario play out and if your network is strong enough, they can take care of you in the new regime.

*you can probably thank @Jbrl for this #mbb 😉

 

[Jbrl]

@Jbrl , remember that conversation we had about job stability in this field? I still have that viewpoint as there's too much money for companies to have learned their lesson about talent retention.

Yeah. Still, I feel more confident about the overall career security of someone in the biopharma hubs than I do for those in other areas (except for those in niche hospital specialties). Retail pharmacy in particular is getting hit hard; it’s trickling down to pharmacists and compounding the oversupply situation.

I am curious about what your opinion is on talant retention. Do you have a link to that thread?

Hospital Pharmacists- If you were offered a position in Industry, would you take it?

I know the retail landscape is changing, but hospital pharmacy (at least for those of us already in) is relatively normal for now. If you were offered an industry job, would you take it? this question is strongly factoring job stability. Which would you choose? or would you stay put.

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