Most despised company in Boston biotech - Anonymous employee Sanofi Employee Review

1.0
Jan 3, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits were very good. One hundred fifty (150) percent match on 401(k), but you have to stay 2 years. Easy commute to Framingham - right off the Mass Pike.

Cons

Glassdoor is asking me, "What are some of the challenges of working here?" I don't know where to start. I've been gone over a year and have met many former Genzyme employees and they all say the same thing,,,they hated the place. Completely overworked, no Human Resources Department, broken systems (takes three hours for a 20 minute task), grossly inexperienced management, employee training of very poor quality (read poorly written procedures and take exams with incorrect answers), unrealistic goals and objectives based on resources available, etc. Forget employee development and retention. A totally bad attitude permeated the place. I learned quickly that "failure is not an option." Mike Dukakis said that the "fish rots from the head down" and it sure does at Genzyme. Vendors commonly do not get paid for three months or more. Projects get modified by Genzyme management but then they won't extend the schedule, so 16-18 hour days become common. I recently heard that some Allston departments are working seven days a week, 12 hours a day. For what? Is the objective that critical? Must be, because metrics were universally important. Genzyme's culture is probably something like a car dealership. Employees are considered non-returning customers, so who cares how they are treated. One thing - Genzyme is probably very good for an entry-level or hourly employee. You do your job (or learn your job), then check out after 40 hours or pull down some overtime. Finally, I wonder if some of these "good" reviews are shills...put up here by Genzyme management to (artificially) promote the "Genzyme image."

Explore other reviews about Sanofi

5.0
Jun 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

work life balance, benefits, flexibility

Cons

less competitive salary, less promotion

3.0
Jul 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Extensive and active employee resource groups, strong leadership development opportunities, clear company mission, gig opportunities that support career development, strong employee support through the ombuds office and compliance help line, and stable company portfolio.

Cons

No work-life balance considerations with hybrid work model, contradictions in company mission compared to policies (i.e., target to reduce carbon emissions with employee commuting to office as one of the top 5 causes but yet still requiring employees to commute to office 3 days a week), some office sites are not conducive to in office productivity (not enough privacy or space), compensation package is not competitive for MA pharmaceutical companies, long-term incentives have almost no value once they are vested, health care benefits require employees to jump through hoops to maximize discounts or qualify for coverage of certain medications, and accountability for department leadership to follow the corporate leadership pillars is inconsistent across departments.

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