Thread regarding Medtronic Inc. layoffs

I am a longtime biomedical engineer and expert on AI whose job was outsourced to India. I am very close to a PhD in AI. I have a plan to "pivot" back to the clinical realm. I've been binge-watching old "ER" episodes and am fired up. I took anatomy lab over the summer to reinvigorate my anatomy knowledge as I prepare to defend my PhD on medical imaging.

So, what's my point? As a longtime expert in the medical device industry with a multi-disciplinary background, I feel bad for the summer interns who get invited to return or get hired as new junior level employees. I know in 10+ years the "tentacles" of RIF could come for their jobs. I see a lot of posts on LinkedIn and feel like some are unaware of the fragility of the long-term career prospects at Medtronic. It's like walking on an ice layer over a frozen lake as winter thaws. Something's going to give at some point - most likely when they are in their late 20s or 30s or older - perhaps even while on maternity leave.

If I were an intern at Medtronic, I would work the summers but pivot to allied health and get an associate's in something like clinical lab tech, surgical tech, rad tech, etc. Then that clinical background could be useful in R&D for a medical device company. If the layoff happens (which is likely) 5 or more years down the line, the clinical license is a good "safety net". I knew an expert biomedical engineer who had a dual degree in nursing and electrical engineering who managed to survive every major recession employed the last 28 years. I don't think the interns should trust the HR pattern of RIF. So, I just put it here so maybe they'll see it.

@zf Looks like all the sub-reddit mods here think 6 people is a massive

@xa Not MASSIVE LAYOFF The September 25 notice DEED lists Medtronic, Inc. as of September 25, 2026. The State Rapid Response email says it covers about six permanent layoffs at 3800 Annapolis Lane, Plymouth, MN 55447. Separations start on or about November 24, 2026, and can run over a 14-day window. The stated reason is a restructuring of certain operations at that facility. Roles named are assembler, manufacturing chemical operator, and ship/receive/stores clerk. No union and no bumping rights.

@xa

This will juice up MDT stock for the upper management and then they will sell and leave the company.

@rp On mn.gov, the WARN Act notices has a Medtronic notice from 9/25/2026 that states layoffs will occur on or around 11/24/2026 +/- 14 days. You can look up WARN Act notices for different states and see if companies in those states have given a notice for layoffs. It's a tough time for everyone, except for upper management making the big bucks and not being laid off.

@rp correct,meaningless anonymous rumor. My sources say Merdtronic is closing all Minnesota locations by January

@px sources?

My source says big layoffs in November and/or December. it’s the United Health model. Happy holidays.

IMO and guess only, All OUs will go thru a couple rounds of musical chairs before the year ends. IDK . MDT will do as MDT does yearly.

My development plan from here on out is 95% fishing and 5% napping.

@e5
In defense of leaders below senior directors are not the decisions makers. IMO their are made at the senior C-suite level with impute from HR and YES Legal. Then Shait just rolls down hill to the boots in the trenches and middle management. The days of saving a "Favorite or relative" are long gone. None is safe any more. IMO middle management is just as scared as anyone else. MDT will always find a cheaper way to pay someone to get the job done outside the USA.
Suxs ....

@br Agreed. Further, the poker-face wearing managers are embarrassing. They preach the mission and don’t forget the obligatory DEI activities we are forced to participate in so they can get those brownie points come MIP review. What’s fascinating is the managers are willing slaves, obeying leadership in any form so they can hope to be rewarded at end of year with salary bump, MIP, and maybe that promotion.

GM sold his house on Lake Minnetonka

This may be just the beginning. Maybe Medtronic will turn into a sales and marketing company and all engineering, quality and manufacturing will be terminated. With the remainder being sourced out of India. Perhaps just leaving regulatory affairs, and operations? That is unless they BK trying to restructure the company first.

MDT continues to circle the draining living on long past successes and good will. This is a slow decline with several points to take a better path and make a better future for employees and patients. I have yet to see that path taken once in my time here. I frequently see the disingenuous lip service given too employees and patients about CARING about and WORKING for them. The leadership is blinded by greed and/or incompetent to realize any this.

Corporate greed and pushing people past their limit just to hit quarterly goals will be the reasons Medtronic will fall.

Shareholders > Patients

It’s almost as if the VPs are deliberately trying to torpedo the company, but that gives them too much credit, it’s just greed and incompetence. I have seen some horrendously bad decisions, excessive risk taking, and cost cutting regardless of the ramifications.

In the last few years I’ve watched them RIF brain trusts, highly trained and effective engineers, SMEs, and people who’ve dedicated their lives to MDT. Yet, we’ve made a pretty nice profit all along, but I guess it’s not enough. These RIFs cause gaps in talent, capabilities and capacities and destroys morale. Things decay, don’t get followed up on, fall through the cracks, regulatory deadlines are missed and the workplace’s culture descends into toxicity and survival mode where no one will speak up out of fear of losing their jobs. Of course this takes time to develop, but it is what I’m seeing now and will snowball. How far can it go? Don’t know, but I’d like to think we’re not working for another Enron.

From my point of view, every new R&D project is run out of India, and in many cases with disastrous results. Also, seeing roles and responsibilities pushed to other departments that can’t handle them. Then when they ask for support from someone capable of providing it, an extreme silo culture makes it impossible to get that support. No department cares about the company’s success or reputation, only their own budgets and bonuses.

Meanwhile, MDT is paying out $3.6B in dividends a year and a stock price of $89. Just think how much the stock would go up by cutting even more resources, selling off other divisions, increasing the dividend, leveraging more licensing and OEMs, outsourcing as many jobs to India, Columbia, China and DR as possible. I would think a lot, but this strategy apparently isn’t working so far, just look at the stock price. Which I expect to take a huge hit with this Minimed spin off.

Even if GM can make the numbers, and get the price to $130, shortly there after the stock price will implode as issues pile up, projects fail, talent quits, accounts are lost, and the reputation is irreparably damaged. I see a future of no competent bio medical professionals wanting to have a career with MDT.

My advice, sell your stock, and if you still work for the company, start looking for another job. This is my plan. I’m tired of worrying if I’m the next RIF, or I’m the one that has to explain a mishandled quality issue to a federal regulator or the ongoing stress of fixing problems caused by bad business decisions. That, and my pay has not kept up with inflation. I have no reason to stay.

We have seen this movie before; seems to be in a bee-ending replay loop.
It’s a constant brain & talent drain caused by poor decisions, creative financial ‘engineering’ and leadership team that thinks they are smarter than the market.