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

1.0
3 Jan 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
25 Feb 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good benefits (9% 401k match, company car, solid insurance). Huge company with many therapeutic areas you can choose from. I like my coworkers.

Cons

Employee stock purchase plan is nice in theory, but stock has treaded water for many years. A very big company with lots of big pharma metrics to meet. Pay is maybe slightly below industry average.

5.0
31 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The company has an excellent, very collegial atmosphere. Employees are supported well and there is excellent support for most processes from numerous line functions.

Cons

Some processes as well as the governance structure can be a bit confusing. More so than other large pharma companies. But even with this. There are almost always enough people who know how to get things done.

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