Thread regarding Medtronic Inc. layoffs

PACS - 3 total: 1 director (22 years), 1 program manager (8 years), 1 clinical research specialist (8 years). There was an impromptu meeting, our "leader" read HR jargon from a script about best interest of company yada yada yada...named the director directly, said two others were impacted but did not name them.

These were high-performing workers. The director had an extensive network with customers/physicians who implant and do research with our devices. The program manager led multiple global post-market robotics studies to gather real-world evidence. The clinical research specialist built and automated reports, tools, processes that improved efficiency for PACS. Sad to see them go.

@qg Your manager and others have already been monitoring the drives and folders of people selected for the RIF. During my first RIF at MDT, my job involved moving files between test and dev environments by approved USB with the required permissions and legal/IT exemptions. The day before, I was copying content from dev to test, as usual and my manager spent 30 minutes lying to me about how it was a new process whereby she was alerted to files and wanted justification for it. She’d approved the original exemption to USB policy in the first place. She stopped short of asking me to show her the USB and destination, not that she’d have known what the bash meant anyway. MDT is concerned about itself like a tobacco company in the 90’s, not so much about you or patients. In some geographies, India and South America, it’s still common for new employees to show off work from their prior job.
Medtronic isn’t worth it.

@fx I work in Legal. You are right that the EU rifs lag the US ones almost always because of Works Councils. But that's the only reason... they are no less scrutinized.

At the end of the day, they gain a few months, but they lose longer term because it erodes their cost base and ultimately can't justify the HC or the same job levelling..

@cq This is straight out bad advice. I work in Legal.

If you take off with work you did at Medtronic as a "sample" and you're busted, you'd better believe they will retain your severance payment and chase you down if it's important IP.

Believe me or not, but I've been on several calls where ex-employees are warned of their breach of contract and required to delete the content in our presence on the call, or send back the whole, untouched USB they used to save it. And yes, MDT has the forensics capabilities to know if you messed with the files after you were given notice.

There is no world where your employment agreement does not contain similar intellectual property provisions.

@OP layoffs in Galway Medtronic site

You can only email files from your MDT email address to your personal email address, or use MDT's OneDrive for large files and share it with yourself and notify your manager that you are sharing and they have to review and approve. No other drives, cloud services, USB sticks, etc. methods of file transfer are allowed.

You can also just delete personal files you no longer need.

@gr thanks for the info. What ended up happening to your co-worker (severance, blacklist, etc)? Do you know what kind of documents they were. I was freaking out thinking about tools I might use vs saying goodbye to friends…not the smartest move :(

Some large impacts in US/LATAM Facilities Management. No idea what they are doing restructuring wise to make it work but they’ve laid off at least one facilities manager and two regional directors as well as at least two who oversaw other areas (not locations).

Global IT will have some impacts but much of it as ‘early retirement’. Those are still coming forward.

@gx that’s the point gq was making….that it’s “interesting a Latina woman was RIFd” as in ‘surprising’

RIFs in Enterprise Risk & Facilities, a number of folks

@gq so she should be immune to RIFs because she’s Latina?

If you were part of the RIF and you’re wondering about dropbox or emailing documents to yourself, I was part of RIF in 2023 and my colleague emailed and moved some things to a dropbox and had to get on a call with HR, legal and the VP of the department and delete all of the files. They pay attention to that stuff which was surprising.

Only person I know from Aortic Ops RIFed is a Latina woman. Interesting.

Memphis Spine and Biologics was impacted

Two days after the RIF while second round still in process, there are cupcakes and balloons in HR office, so tone deaf! "Let them eat cake"

@fk in my experience EU layoffs tend to lag US ones by 3-6 months thanks to their employee protection laws

I was impacted today in the Surgical OU Clinical group. The lay-offs seem pretty targeted and not a broad RIF action with in CMAH - more re-organization. The end of a very successful 17 year career across multiple OU/BUs. Grateful for the time and more importantly the fantastic individuals I had the opportunity to work with and learn so much.

NV OU UCI site: 4 confirmed FTE impacted so far. 2 in R&D 2 in OU Ops. Few contractors let go. Whole R&D organization to be reorganized with released products and NPD under the same team.

Just heard we lost one in ACM (Lafayette).

@fb it’s really hard to get rid of people in Munich from what I know, and talking to north haven it seems like mostly operations people have been let go, I don’t think in robotics COE but I know that site was significantly impacted

@fa Sorry to hear. Thought with those affected.

Any impacts to Surgical Robotics in North Haven or Munich?

Layoffs in Boston (robotics) today. Not sure how many people but have heard of some people on visas as well as some more senior people. Ugh, this place su-ks and morale was already so low

@f1 it is really hard to enforce a non compete in MA. Most non compete language is not enforceable here due to our labor laws. Unless you work in sales or are really high up I don’t think Medtronic bothers going after you

@f1 depends on your exact employment contract, but the standard for non-sales employees is quite broad. if you have an offer from a competing company within two years of MDT employment, it needs to be delivered to MDT general counsel and they can decide if they'd like to enforce the non-compete. if they do, MDT has to pay the salary in the offer until the non-compete expires so long as you show them you're still looking for work (minus any other salary you earn, w/o benefits). essentially turbo-charged unemployment, so they don't want to enforce it, but it can deter competing companies from providing an offer.

@f1 It is uncommon for Medtronic to enforce non-compete agreements, at least in my sphere (product development). Maybe if it was a very direct competitor, then they might. Just make sure you keep Medtronic posted about any potentially questionable positions before you accept. If they enforce the non-compete, they will continue to pay you for up to a year until you find another job.

Is anyone at the all-hands in Santa Rosa? How’s it going?

anyone knows how MDT handles non compete agreement? (I'm in MA)

@er sorry to hear about legal and compliance rifs. Just know there are greener pastures out there.

@ey In a 3-person department.

1 person impacted so far in ENT Quality at Menlo Park

@ev CRMA = Clinical Research, Medical Science and Regulatory Affairs

@et CMRA?

CMRA today

Cuts in Legal and Compliance today

@dz Global Communications & Corporate Marketing

What is GCCM?

@cq I meant to say it is reasonable to WANT to take samples home. But it could be hard to find a sample that would be appropriate depending on your work.

@cj Don't panic about it. Be honest if they ask. Delete it when they ask. It is reasonable to take examples home for work like ours. And companies, or contract houses do ask for samples. Maybe your sample isn't something they care about.

@bq what do you think the odds are they find you, are you blacklisted from the company and will they touch your severance? Emailed a couple docs to myself when I was at thinking straight.

@bz it’s in Santa Rosa