Abbott reviews

• Direct manager periodically harassed me about my salary during private meetings in his office. He told me that my salary was too high for my position, questioned why the company chose to pay me such a salary and openly complained that I was one of his top paid employees. My manager also said that I should learn to appreciate my current salary when I asked how I could earn a greater merit increase during an annual performance assessment. I perceived this behavior as a form of jealousy. • Company does NOT follow its own standard disciplinary procedures outlined in Corporate Human Resources policies. Counseling services, performance improvement plans and probation are swiftly bypassed when it is convenient for management. • Company does NOT follow its own standard employee problem solving procedures outlined in Corporate Human Resources policies. Conflict resolution between employees either directly or with management as an arbitrator is discouraged so that Employee Relations can get involved and escalate the severity of the situation. • Company denied me a severance package upon terminating my job • Company refused to bridge my pension upon terminating my job just weeks prior to vesting. • Company assigned its own employee as the independent, third-party reviewer for my job termination appeal. This employee's relationship with my direct manager led him to immediately dismiss my appeal. • Company retaliated against me by appealing my unemployment benefits eligibility with the Workforce Commission. However, after company could not prove allegations and even failed to appear for its own appeal hearing, the WC affirmed my unemployment benefits eligibility. • Company refused to negotiate a settlement with my attorney once again citing allegations it could not prove. It threatened to publicly smear my name and counter-sue me for attorney's fees should I ever file a lawsuit.

Relocation to other countries receive a one-time relocation bonus to cover 2-3 months of settling down. Salaries are readjusted to the local currency, so one might actually lose salary depending on exchange rates. Abbott has been playing corporate chess, buying and selling large companies creating a snowball effect of day to day operations. As a consequence, employees have ridiculous hours (50-60+ /week at least 2/3 of the time) due to major transformations, lack of proper processes and not enough staff. On top of this, lots of outsourcing happened in the last 3 years. More than 2/3 of local back-office and 1/3 commercial employees were fired (displaced is the jargon used) and replaced with cheaper workers in India & Philipines. Due to this, morale is low and although older employees are approachable and helpful they are also tired and demotivated or just simply passive. This situation will continue in 2017 as Abbott just bought ST Jude, a very large healthcare company with large presence in Australia and many countries. Career path is not clear and one can stay in the same job on the same salary for many years with no more than CPI readjustments. (allowances are not CPI readjusted). Senior management plays communication by the Corporate book which is very USA oriented and not culturally adequate for Australia. Most employees don't believe on what upper management says.