It hasn’t been long since Pfizer slashed a 100 jobs at one of its manufacturing plants in Ireland. Now, the pharmaceutical major is looking at reducing headcount at a facility in Kent.
About 500 jobs are to be axed at Pfizer’s facility in the UK. The company’s Pharmaceutical Sciences Small Molecule (PSSM) division is facing job cuts as part of its companywide measures to cut costs. This is the site where Viagra was first discovered by the scientists of the firm.
Although the exact time of execution of the layoffs is yet to be known, the site itself will continue to function but with a smaller workforce.
Pfizer had pumped in about ten million pounds sterling for the plant’s technological advancement so that the COVID-19 drugs could be prepared at a fast pace.
At the site, many are employed in divisions other than PSSM, that is, medical and safety, regulatory, clinical development and operations. These roles are expected to continue, while changes will be made overall.
With this move, the pharmaceutical firm is inching closer to its goal of saving $3.5 billion in yearly expenses by the end of next year, that is, 2024.
The company is not sure whether or how much of its COVID vaccines will sell. This is another reason for downsizing.
Earlier this year, Pfizer India was in the news for implementing a paternity leave policy for its employees in an effort to promote diversity and inclusion within the organisation. This new paternity leave policy allows a leave of 12 weeks for both biological and adoptive fathers, which can be taken at any time within a period of two years after the birth or adoption of a child.
