Working at Merck & Co.
Merck & Co., Inc. (which does business under the name “Merck Sharp & Dohme” outside of the U.S. and Canada) is a pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey. According to Becker’s Hospital Review, Merck was the fourth-largest pharmaceutical company in the world in 2019 based on revenue, after Pfizer, Roche, and Novartis. Merck’s 2019 revenue places the company at 78 on the Fortune 500. As of December 31, 2019, Merck had approximately 71,000 employees.
If you are considering a job with Merck & Co., learn about the company’s background checks and COVID-19 policies.
Working for Merck & Co.
As with other pharmaceutical companies, Merck & Co. makes its revenue by developing and selling pharmaceutical medications. Some of the company’s most well-known and profitable drugs and products are Keytruda (a cancer immunotherapy medication), Clarinex (an antihistamine), NuvaRing (a contraceptive ring), and Singulair (an asthma medication).
Jobs with Merck include research and development (into which the business invests nearly $10 billion per year), clinical roles, manufacturing and quality assurance, marketing, medical affairs, engineering, regulatory affairs, IT, policy and communications, business support, and supply chain management.
Merck frequently receives awards for being an exceptional place to work. In the past several years, the company has been recognized for being a worthwhile employer for vets and military, working parents, multicultural women, military spouses, workers with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and more. Merck has been praised for its sustainability, diversity practices, and philanthropy, among other practices.
Background Checks to Work at Merck
All employees will need to complete background checks to work at Merck. The company uses a “Global Background Check program” to vet both new and rehired employees.
The background check incorporates
criminal history searches,
education verfication checks work history verifications,
drug screenings, and employment eligibility checks. Typically, this background check is a pre-employment contingency process—a new hire will be offered a position with Merck and will then need to complete the background check process to finalize the employment process. According to Merck, this process usually takes 7-10 days.
Merck and COVID-19
Merck has set up a thorough page on its website that outlines that company’s various levels of COVID-19 response. For employees, Merck says it has “taken extensive steps” to ensure that all worksites (including plants and labs) are operating as safely as possible. The company has also paused operations that require employees to interact face-to-face with doctors and other healthcare professionals. Merck requires employees to follow common COVID-19 protocols, including handwashing, social distancing, and symptom checks.
Merck also has broader COVID-19 response efforts in place, which are similar to those of other pharmaceutical companies. First, the company has pledged to continue manufacturing and ensuring the availability of crucial medications to patients, even as supply chains around the globe are affected by the pandemic. Second, the company is working on two R&D efforts to develop potential vaccines for COVID-19.