Vistakon, Limerick

Roquentin

so is regeneron good or bad to work for?

Roquentin

Roquentin wrote: »

so is regeneron good or bad to work for?

No one knows! Barely anyone works there yet

crackcrack30

I worked in Vistakon for a few years, I knew very early on that it wasn't for me.
You are great when the line is running well but under severe pressure when underperforming. IMO a certain undertone of bullyboy tactics are enforced/accepted if not encouraged all the way to the top.


Beggars cant be choosers and families need to be fed and mortgages need to be paid but you earn every single penny of your pay, shift, bonuses, healthcare & shampoo .


If going in there work hard and grow a second skin don't accept too much sh#t & don't mind the long term clicks..... who had plenty of opportunity to leave during the boom years 2002 - 08


There are plenty of decent hard working individuals in there who I often think of and send good wishes to when passing by.....


To sum up i'ts not for everyone , I feel like I lost a few good years of my life in there as I did not enjoy or feel achievement from the repetitive work load, endless number crunching & revolving door bed to work shift cycle . .....glad to be out & never looked back.

shauna75

regeneron worker wrote: »

I hear everyone in Vistakon are looking for a job in regeneron I would advise as I am working there not to even come near the place , I should have never left my last job to go work for such bad managers , I have never seen a place run so bad , I was lured by the pay and to be honest the extra 20k that I am getting is not worth the daily abuse and harrisment from management in this place , If you value yourself and your family time stay a mile away from this place , dell where I worked was a king compaired to this crowded , I am currently looking to get out here and I am even looking at vistakon now so that should tell people about this so called great place to work regeneron.

Run so bad?? Regeneron is not up and running yet

I've worked in Vistakon and Dell, Vistakon is toxic, Dell was a complete holiday camp

Roquentin

yea dell was great.......never worked in vistakon but will stay clear of it though

FobleAsNuck

Roquentin wrote: »

yea dell was great.......never worked in vistakon but will stay clear of it though

because of some random opinion on a forum? :rolleyes:

FobleAsNuck

FobleAsNuck wrote: »

because of some random opinion on a forum? :rolleyes:

I know four or five people currently working there and many people that have worked there over the years including family members and they all have the same opinion as the people on this forum. Its hell. Thats good enough for me to avoid it like the plague anyway.

Roquentin

FobleAsNuck wrote: »

because of some random opinion on a forum? :rolleyes:

statistics is against you on that one, unless of course someone is using different aliases, which i doubt it

cerastes

I wonder what Vistakon is like to work for compared to some of the other large well known multinationals, I turned down a job there years ago,they seemed fairly eager, wonder now was it because of high turnover? I didnt take it as it was so far and Id have had to relocate which wasn't practical.
Funnily some of the replies are the same as something I was told years later by a former employee, "technical!" he laughed or scoffed, he did mention the coathanger fishing though .

shauna75

FobleAsNuck wrote: »

because of some random opinion on a forum? :rolleyes:

Opinions from ex employees, I was there for nearly 4 years, its a nasty place for the production staff, there was a forum a few years back from the employees themselves which was discussing the treatment of employees in there , the forum was shut down because the accusations of bullying in there got out of hand.

darbar

TLDR version : Worked in Vistakon didn't like it!


Have to say I agree with most of the posts here.I worked there a few summers ago,however I didn't experience any bullying there maybe I was lucky where I worked,although there was a smarmy little know it all who worked in the stores that was always condescending when I went in there.The guy suffered from a severe Napoleon complex and reminded me of Eric Cartman. You would swear the place wouldn't run without him! I got on well with the guys I worked with there are some obnoxious people there but you get them in all jobs not solely Vistakon.

It all depends on what section you work in whether the place is bearable or not.I worked in the shipping section of one of the busier lines and although life is easier for you if the line is up and running you're constantly on the move.Not that I minded that but the line is producing product so fast that I had to wait for someone to cover for me for breaks and usually there were 2 or 3 others working on the line. So I would have to wait for them to take their breaks before I could take mine.Sometimes I wouldn't get a break till 12:30 after starting at 7:30.You're seen as bottom of the barrel in the shipping section which is where most start out.If the line is going well the guys further up to line will be able to sit down and relax but you'll be always be kept going,if the line stops the problem will usually be in the shipping section which you'll have to try and fix.Some of the issues that can happen cause the line to stop producing product altogether then you're under immense pressure to get it fixed.

As others have said the work was boring and repetitive and the amount of quality checks and sign-offs you had to do per batch was overkill imo. You had 4 digital sign-offs if you got the order mixed up you got a notification that you had to call your supervisor to sign it off luckily it never happened to me but if you got 3-4 notifications in a short time span you would be called into HR supposedly.You also had production sheets to fill in and sign per batch that were checked if you didn't sign the sheet in the format that they wanted for example if you signed off 3/12/14 instead of 3/12/2014 another notification and you were holding up the product until you rectified the error yourself.

I actually admire the guys who are able to stick it out and do that after 3 months I was happy and relieved to be going back to college.If you're taken on there full time you could move up the line in a few months which would mean you'd only have to grin and bare until then.However most of the people with CPL will be working in the shipping dept which after a few weeks and when you switch to nights is soul destroying.I dunno what it would be like or how you'd be after 11 months.The money is decent for what it is and I don't think think there would be many other places in Limerick that you could earn the same as a general operative but I never want to work there again.

Most of the guys I worked with didn't like the place but it pays the mortgage.I remember getting work emails sent to everyone there saying such and such a place is getting upgraded or we are producing x% more product than last year. The email would finish off saying make no mistake if we didn't have this upgrade or we don't keep producing products at the same rate jobs will be lost which is a bit of a downer.I can only imagine the emails you'd get if production was down.

It shows just how employers can pick and choose now a few years ago you'd be able to get in there with a Leaving Cert.Now they'll only consider you if you have an apprenticeship or a Level 7 as Vistakon boast a 90%+ work force with third level education.

francozola

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/business-news/jobs-boost-for-limerick-as-it-firm-to-create-100-new-positions-1-6448444

Does anybody know where these positions are advertised?
I have checked the website but I can't see any matching roles

vkid

francozola wrote: »

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/business-news/jobs-boost-for-limerick-as-it-firm-to-create-100-new-positions-1-6448444

Does anybody know where these positions are advertised?
I have checked the website but I can't see any matching roles

http://www.irishjobs.ie/Recruiters/Johnson-Johnson-Ireland-5755.aspx

Seem to be a few here. Only announced so will take a while. Looking for skilled software people it seems

niallo27

niallo27 wrote: »

I retract my statements.

Bad day at the office?

niallo27

Snotaul Goodman wrote: »

Bad day at the office?

Alright Shay.

ShatterProof

Is there a job going there????

phill106

ShatterProof wrote: »

Is there a job going there????

Usually is

http://jobs.jnj.com/search/?q=limerick&utm_source=CSSearchWidget&startrow=1

Red Silurian

ShatterProof wrote: »

Is there a job going there????

They usually advertise for positions that they never fill

They waste 2 days on aptitude tests and interviews and then don't give you the job for some made up bs reason!

Of you apply be aware of that!

Roquentin

what are the chances of getting into these factories (vistakon, stryker etc) i applied for both but didnt get in

Roquentin

Roquentin wrote: »

what are the chances of getting into these factories (vistakon, stryker etc) i applied for both but didnt get in

Stryker are in the process of reducing their workforce so zero chance there.

Vistakon seem to always be hiring

Roquentin

Snotaul Goodman wrote: »

Stryker are in the process of reducing their workforce so zero chance there.

Vistakon seem to always be hiring

thanks

will apply again. the contract is only 11 months which is brutal but id take it at this stage

edit: there isnt a chance of being kept on after the 11 expires (on the line minimum wage that is)?

limericklad87

If they keep you for 11 months , they will then cut you loose for 6 months and then possibly rehire you for another 11

Ging Ging

limericklad87 wrote: »

If they keep you for 11 months , they will then cut you loose for 6 months and then possibly rehire you for another 11

Thats if you are employed to work there by CPL. It has been known for them to hire people directly as full time employees.

freddie1970

Used to work in that place vistakon...it's funny but I was giving out to myself about my present job until I came across this forum..Now I delighted for what I have..Vistakon is a hell hole I'd imagine a spell in mountjoy couldn't be much worse..12 hours of standing in the one position prodding a machine with a clothes hanger great.....and getting dogs abuse for the pleasure ...there was a real under current of nastiness in it and I mean really nasty ...was a learning experience but something I hope never to see again..

Copper_pipe

Might chance em for a summer job...

fryup

freddie1970 wrote: »

..12 hours of standing in the one position prodding a machine with a clothes hanger great...

clothes hanger

freddie1970 wrote: »

there was a real under current of nastiness in it and I mean really nasty ...was a learning experience but something I hope never to see again..

bullying?? management/supervisors or generally?

limericklad87

fryup wrote: »

clothes hanger

the manufacturing lines are in closed sterile units. sometimes the product would jam in the lines and hence the ' clothes hanger' would be used to reach in

fryup

fryup wrote: »

clothes hanger

For unclogging stuff

http://www.vineroulette.com/v/There's-a-clog-in-the-torso-chute-Leroy-Get-your-ass-in-gear-h0ppOKbFAzJ

Ging Ging

Snotaul Goodman wrote: »

For unclogging stuff

http://www.vineroulette.com/v/There%27s-a-clog-in-the-torso-chute-Leroy-Get-your-ass-in-gear-h0ppOKbFAzJ

Ha, that is hilariously accurate!:D

Brennans Row

Vistakon plans to create 200 more jobs in Limerick (Limerick Leader)

Limerick could be in line for another major boost with Johnson & Johnson understood to be planning to add 200 jobs to its ranks at the Vistakon facility in the National Technology Park.