Avantages
good pay, very flexible working arrangements. Remote work I enjoyed working from home. All of my contacts were in other sites and because Merck didn't want to pay for travel they wanted everything to be done via WebEx. I got moved from an office to a cubical the size of a phone booth. I gave up my office because no one I worked with was there, contractors were offsite as well as the customers (Asia, Europe, and other Merck Sites). Loved that part of the job.
Inconvénients
very process heavy. Company trying to streamline but still clings to heavy process and approvals from multiple levels. No raises beyond cost of living. No in-place promotions. New positions are "hidden" and candidates are favored. I was laid off in an effort to consolidate jobs. I'm not bitter, but as a company, Merck is confused and trying really hard to be all the buzz words; lean, efficient, innovative, blah, blah blah. The goals are so vague and full of CIO speak it's hard to see the real reason you should be doing something. They talk the game but know nothing. Management is too busy covering their own butts.