Raleigh Employees Of Biotech Firm Get $12,500 Bonuses

[deadparrot]

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Stunned by a totally unexpected bonus of $12,500 each, the 185 employees of pharmaceutical firm Schwarz Pharma in Raleigh 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 Pharma, 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.

http://www.wral.com/news/10496667/detail.html