Don't bet on it. People making a lot less got walking papers last year.

Pretty sure you have to be making at least 100K and above to be a target for layoff here at QIAGEN. I am only in the lower 80K range below their German radars.

I hope you will not be back here in a couple of weeks complaining about how you were sacked by a ruthless german company called Qiagen that does not appreciate hardworking people like yourself...

From where I sit today at QIAGEN GTB there is very little stress and not a lot of accountability among my peers. Just a lot of talking heads in management blowing off a lot of hot air every now and again. Good place to work for the uninspired and those that tend to procrastinate. Good to get out of the house during the week and gab about current affairs and play on internet and save on heat and eletricity back home. I Love this place!

I am so glad I got out of there when I did. The stress really took a toll on my health. I just wonder how some manage to stay 10 ,15 years waiting to find another job is not a good move.

Digene merger was worst thing that happened to hardworking original Qiagen people. It was quick cash for some years to line the pockets of executive management who profited with the company at the expense of employees. The senior Digene management what a joke - no pipeline, lies lies lies about what they are "experts" in to replace Qiagen personnel. You can only hope what comes around goes around eventually. At some point they will have to answer for their immoral self-based actions.

Just left Germany where there were a few more lay offs. What is going on with Qiagen??

It's in the "spelling"...all caps. That's the give away.

short extra comment: I obviously talk about R&D at Digene...maybe marketing as well...they should have seen it coming.

I am not bitter.I am realistic.

Digene products /HPV business is colapsing due to lack of competitive products.If I could I would fire half of former Digene people.

I am with Qiagen for the past 9 years working in sales...not fired because I always reached my targets and tried to be a bit more proactive then just expecting the protection of a corporation.

It is sad when someone is sacked but it is not so often that someone fired first looks to himself.

It is true...Q is no longer that big happy family that used to be...but again..who still is?

In response to all of the comments...I was a "real" QIAGEN person (whatever that means), not Digene. And the comment made by the person about deserving to lose my job. Wow...you are very bitter...were you laid off as well? You don't even know who I am or what I did at QIAGEN so how could you make a blanket statement like that? No hard working person deserves to lose their job at any company in any industry. And for the record....the other people who were laid off were just as hard working. Thanks to the one person who is actually compassionate on this site. I have already been contacted by several companies - I won't be without work for long. P.S. Just heard that two people quit this week too!!

question : were you with Digene for 7 years or with Qiagen?

Because if you were with Digene you had it coming...sorry but it's true.

"I was one of those that was laid off after 7 years"

Good luck to you, I hope something works out for you soon.

You can always tell who the real QIAGEN people are/were...dead give away.

Not sure where you are getting your details but QIAGEN just had another layoff this month (Nov. 2012). And...there are more to come. I was one of those that was laid off after 7 years. It is unfortunate but they laid off people in Training, Marketing, Accounting and R & D. I am sure there will be more before the end of the year - leave it to QIAGEN to lay off people during the holidays.

Its so true....qiagen is screwed up....all the hard working people got laid off last xmas...

All quiet thus far on the Western Front, Thankfully no repeat layoffs as we suffered through this timeframe from last year any time soon or even on the distant horizon. Red sky at night; sailor's delight!•

"Wish in one hand, urinate in the other, and see which one fills up fastest." (Sioux Indian proverb)

To Dako Senior Mgmnt. Tick Tock.....Tick Tock....Tick Tock...Tick Tock..Tick Tock.Tick Tock......................................

The place is toxic mate, Best to move along quickly, NOTHING to see here in this dysfunctional company where it is ok to have meager ambitions, lazy, and no thought to better yourself. This one is gonna go belly up real soon so do not bother.

"I'm considering getting a marketing job at Qiagen. Any suggestions?"

Frontal lobotomy.

I'm considering getting a marketing job at Qiagen. Any suggestions?

Wow sounds good who do I see about getting a job there?

Yeah, I used to work at most ten hours per week in Qiagen. Still, I got job done quickly and perfectly. It's way too easy and laid-back. I can easily triple my workload but obviously Qiagen would not triple my salary. So I simply enjoyed my life there ......

Yeah it sounds good lolling around doing nothing but it sure makes the day drag on. Especially when they blocked Facebook and other good sites. Really how dare they interrupt my social life.

Nah ..we will be just fine here in GTB! We remain comfortably NUMB with very little if anything related to real work being asked of/from us. We just stay below the radar and keep milking our reduced responsibilities and politely stay out of the way as we drink our free coffee/sodas and play around on the internet and bank our paychecks. Perfect job for the uninspired and lethargic and hope that my German colleagues just stay outa our way! Getting up to go to work is easy when there is no work to do when yan get there! And I went through college for this,kinda feeling guilty??

If you haven't updated your resume yet better get started time is running out for some of you.

Oh oh... I still know a few people there. Unfortunately some of them will not leave till they are shown the door and ed after working there for 10-15 years finding another job while unemployed will be near impossible. Sad too as they are good people just not motivated to see that the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming freight train. Working for any foreign owned company is a very risky job at best and Q is no exception.

For heaven's sake people - GET OUT!

The whisper number I heard was 15% global workforce reduction by end of Jan, most coming from R&D and some from Marketing/Sales.

You have that right Nexgen was a total screw-up. Like so many of the things coming out of r&d the last few years. Oh wait nothing productive from R&D in the past few years... More R&D is done in other departments that the actual R&D.

What I learned in the military as well as the corporate world is if you take care of people, they will (mostly) take care of you. Something lost on bean counters.

"The wholesale failure of the Nextgen may explain why PS did all that "house cleaning" of the incompetents last Fall and round bout Christmas"

And how do you explain that the 1st to go were the competents who warned that according to the laws of nature Nextgen will never work?

Do not sleep. X-mas is comming, but P.S. and his guys are thinking about there gifts for there own accounts.

Hope you have your resumes ready.

You are exactly correct. I believe Invitrogen/Life Tech is probably the best at extreme corporate raiding, dismantling,and cutting the trapped employees off at their knees. Brutsl

Why are people surprised by this trend?

Stay away, more tragic events to follow for this once mighty franchise that we fondly remember as Digene! The parent company is in the process of dismantling the place top to bottom and could care less about the employees they have tossed away to the garbage! Heartless uncaring german parent company.

"Last year during the BIG Christmas layoff several people who had just been hired (one there less than a month) were laid off. RISKY." Included in that group one poor guy who settled on a new home the day before and one lady 7 months pregnant Now yo can't tell me that the company did not know it was going to let that guy go when the credit checks were made on his application for a mortgage? That was downright cruel and borderline unethical. The pregnant lady again outright discrimination and downright unethical. Considering a job there... go forth at your own risk just make sure your financial butt is well covered and expect the short term employment there to put a serious black mark on your chances of getting another job.

Humm, when you "assume" you make an ass outa you and me :). Seriously though most all the folks thats were let go last year are in a far, far better point in their careers after leaving this toxic work environment. Even the lously (but pricy) cafeteria food was toxic LOL!

"Yes they royally screwed me and the rest of us right after Thanksgiving and then all the way through the Christmas holidays and for this I will hold ill will, vile and resentment for their heartless incompetent, smug money grabbing German Management. Hope what goes around comes around for these hostile fkrz. For all those left now in the floundering GTB facility - WAKE UP! you have been warned - GET OUT NOW before they ruin your upcoming Christmas too!Your New Year does not have to suk like mine did in 2012!"

One assumes that yiur predicament is now resolved and you are back into a decent worthwhile company?

It's not just last year, they have consistently laid off since the Maryland facility was opened, not through announced layoffs but through the most vile means of people "disappearing" on the false guise of "performance" or receiving "separation packages" which really speaks to the organizational culture and lack of ethics.

Yes they royally screwed me and the rest of us right after Thanksgiving and then all the way through the Christmas holidays and for this I will hold ill will, vile and resentment for their heartless incompetent, smug money grabbing German Management. Hope what goes around comes around for these hostile fkrz. For all those left now in the floundering GTB facility - WAKE UP! you have been warned - GET OUT NOW before they ruin your upcoming Christmas too!Your New Year does not have to suk like mine did in 2012!

Last year during the BIG Christmas layoff several people who had just been hired (one there less than a month) were laid off. RISKY.

Run away as fast as you can don't look back, evil people.

Are you taking about BCI Miami?it sounds familiar

For heaven's sake GET OUT OF THERE before these clowns walk you out the fron door with your Banker's box! It appears the only ones with ANY job security are the night rent a cop guards!

I concur, taking a job at Qiagen at this time is very risky. Their performance as far as employee relations is poor at best. Job security is vague and management a joke. My group the Chief does not talk to the poor smucks who do the work, only communicates with managers anyone else the door is closed. The Managers seldom enter the work area yet are ready to accuse people of stupidity even when no human error involved. Just not a very pleasant place too much stress.

Unfortunately I cannot help you with this question as I no longer work there. I was brutally layed off last Christmas but it was a blessing in disguise. The place is poorly run and managed incompetently from the parent company overseas in Germany. Stay away as I would not be surprised when more layoffs occur soon as they want to vacate their GTB facility ASAP and consequently these poor folks now working there must be let go. Sad state of affairs I left behind with this reoccurring drama of poor management and continual reduction of work force but I am now in a much better stable place over at MedImmune

I hear more layoffs at QIAGEN QIAGEN are coming in 2 weeks. Is this true? I am note sure if I should apply for a job there.

Most interesting article from USNews. I can see more than one red flag flying at Q:

Want to safety-proof your job? Learn the following 12 signs to stabilize your career, and discover when it's time to escape a sinking ship:
Financial
1. The bills aren't paid on time. If you work with a creative agency, freelancers, outside IT, event management, or in another similar service, and your provider is telling you that their bills aren't being paid on time, your ears should perk up. Don't let the accounting department blame it on a temporary cash flow problem; ask what's really going on.
2. You don't get paid. Even companies in trouble will do everything in their power to pay employees first and every other bill second, so if you're not getting paid or your check arrives late, know that your company's financial situation is pretty dire.
3. No raises. Businesses need to invest in talent. Not only do stingy raises bring down morale, but it guarantees the loss of top performers as well. Happy employees are such a significant part of a sustainable business that if you hear the news that there are no salary increases for the year, run for the hills.
People
4. Leadership changes. When your CEO or president is pushed out of the company, and new leadership comes in, it's time to activate your backup plan. Regardless of whether you do phenomenal work, new leadership often means a new vision and direction--one that may not include your position or even your department.
5. High turnover. Do people keep quitting? It's often a sign of poor management, salary, and benefit practices. Constant turnover affects the entire organization too; new employees act as roadblocks until they receive the required training they need to get up to speed.
6. A hiring freeze. Some companies will tell you about a hiring freeze, but many others simply won't fill a position when an employee quits. The explanation may be that the old position is redundant or no longer relevant to the organization's current goals, but more likely, the company needs to save cash.
Culture
7. Reorganization and restructuring. Do you suddenly have a new boss? Did your colleague switch departments? A new organizational structure may not make sense to you, but it probably helps the spreadsheets balance. It's also a sign that the company is floundering to find its footing and focus.
8. Closed doors. If more and more meetings start to happen behind closed doors, take it as a sign that something is up. While being secretive can mean a big product launch, it can also mean that there are tough issues that need to be discussed. In general, a quiet office is a dead office.
9. Employee morale. When complaints start to outnumber celebrations, you have a problem. Look out for signs that employees start leaving early and coming in late first, then listen for the complaints. A toxic environment where all your colleagues are unhappy is not a fun or productive place to work.
Work
10. Unclear direction, goals, or mission. If you're not sure what you should be working on from one week to the next, and asking for clarification gets you nowhere, take it as a sign that the company ship is sinking. Employees need clear, organizational leadership to execute on.
11. Delayed implementation. Got great ideas but can't push them through? When you aren't allowed to execute on even low-cost strategies, it's often a frustrating sign that you won't be able to contribute any sort of meaningful work any time soon. Watch out, your company is probably coming to a standstill.
12. Frenzied, stop-and-go pace. One week you're knee-deep into new objectives and tasks, and the next week your plate is empty. What's going on? A stop-and-go pace will make it impossible to build upon success or failure, so try to find some consistency or find a new job.
Rebecca Thorman's goal is to help you find meaningful work, enjoy the heck out of it, and earn more money. Her blog Kontrary offers career, business, and life advice that works. She writes from Washington, D.C.