Biotech firms EMD Serono and Exelixis cut remote R&D staff as they enforce office return policies

Biopharma workers at two biotech companies are losing jobs as employers shift away from remote work. The changes affect research and development staff who were previously allowed to work from home.

EMD Serono, the U.S. unit of Germany’s Merck KGaA, filed a WARN Act notice that will require its R&D employees in Billerica, Massachusetts to be in the office at least three days a week starting in early September. Seventy remote staff who live more than 50 miles away were given three choices: commute, relocate with company support, or resign with severance.

Exelixis, which laid off 130 people across the company last year, also targeted remote workers, cutting 33 of them. The firm plans to reopen many of the affected positions as on‑site roles.

These moves illustrate a growing trend in the biotech sector where companies are prioritizing in‑person collaboration over remote flexibility, putting job security at risk for employees who prefer or need to work remotely.