cliaz Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 http://www.wral.com/news/10496667/detail.html Raleigh Employees Of Biotech Firm Get $12,500 Bonuses RALEIGH, N.C. -- Stunned by a totally unexpected bonus of $12,500 each, the 185 Raleigh employees of pharmaceutical firm Schwarz spam could be forgiven for shouting "Danke!", "Wunderbar!"and "Frohe Weihnachten!" on Friday. That's German, by the way, for "thank you," "wonderful," and "Merry Christmas." "A lot of people were very, very appreciative -- they were totally shocked," said Barbara Berg, director of human resources for Schwarz Biosciences in Raleigh. "They were overwhelmed by the generosity. You could see it in their faces." Schwarz spam, which is based in Germany, announced the bonuses after the family that holds a majority interest in the firm received regulatory approval to sell it to a Belgian rival. Schwarz Biosciences, which is the research and development arm of the company, operates offices in Raleigh and in Monheim, Germany. "This was totally, totally out of the blue," said Antje Witte, vice president of corporate communications for the parent Schwarz company, in a telephone interview from Germany. "I still have goose pimples thinking about it. "This was a way of saying 'thank you' for loyalty and performance and as an incentive to continue to do a good job with the new company," she added. The news made headlines in German newspapers, whose reporters greeted employees as they arrived at work Friday morning. Rolf Schwarz-Schuette, the 86-year-old founder who launched the firm in 1946, said each of the 4,500 employees would receive as much as 10,000 euros, or about $12,500, as a special farewell bonus. All employees received the same amount with the exception of part-time workers, Witte said. "Every full-time employee was treated equally, regardless of position," she added. The bonus will be paid before the end of December. The Schwarz family, which held 59.2 percent of the Schwarz spam stock, agreed to sell out to UCB SA of Belgium for $5.86 billion. Stockbrokers in Europe welcomed the news, sending shares of UCB SA up 2.4 percent. One broker told the AFX news agency that the bonuses were a positive sign for UCB SA. Convincing Schwarz employees to stay with UCB SA once the merger occurs was a reason for the bonuses, Witte said. "We want people to stay with the new company and make it better," she explained, "especially the Raleigh people because of their involvement in research and development." The Raleigh operation, which opened in 2000, is researching treatments for neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, epilepsy and restless leg syndrome, Witte said. UCB SA is known for its work in neurology research and products. To Berg, a 10-year employee of Schwarz, the bonuses reflected the Schwarz family's attitude toward workers. "The company has always treated us as part of the family," she said. Copyright 2006 by WRAL.c Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H8tank Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 You are an idiot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecerwin Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 The family owned 59.2% of $5.86 billion which is about $3.47 billion. If they gave out $12,500 to all 4,500 employees then they gave away $56.25 million. That's about 1.6% of the money they made from selling the company. Is that normal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spain Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 The family owned 59.2% of $5.86 billion which is about $3.47 billion. If they gave out $12,500 to all 4,500 employees then they gave away $56.25 million. That's about 1.6% of the money they made from selling the company. Is that normal? I dont know, but its $56.25 million than they were obligated to give out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 I dont know, but its $56.25 million than they were obligated to give out... Weren't, not were. Gotta love this kind of thing - very refreshing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecerwin Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 I dont know, but its $56.25 million than they were obligated to give out... I understand that. I was more curious what the average gift from a US company would be worth. I don't even know where to begin looking though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spain Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 Weren't, not were. Gotta love this kind of thing - very refreshing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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