LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — A major pharmaceutical company in Lexington County has announced furloughs for a portion of its workforce.
Nephron Pharmaceuticals hasn't said how many employees will face the cost-saving measure but did say the furloughs could last 90 days - though that timeframe could change.
“Nephron is a company that regards each employee as a member of its family and is grateful for the contributions they make," the company said in a provided statement. "As a result of business need, management has made the difficult decision to temporarily furlough a number of employees."
Nephron, which employs roughly 4,000 people, stressed that these furloughs were not terminations and added that the employees would remain eligible for benefits subject to the plans they have with the company.
A spokesperson from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW) said that it is currently waiting for Nephron to file a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice that specifies additional details about the closure.
While South Carolina's SCWorks.org website states that notices are typically required at least 60 days before any type of significant "layoff" for companies of 100 people or more, there are circumstances where they can be filed later if the company cites unforeseeable circumstances.
With limited information available and the letter not yet filed, it's unclear what category the Nephron furlough falls under.
However, the company has faced headwinds following recent recalls impacting its products. The latest of those struggles came in an announcement from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs which issued an internal recall of all products made by the company. This was preceded by scrutiny from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding possible bacterial contamination of equipment and cross-contamination of drugs.
In the summer of 2022, Nephron announced a voluntary recall of 20 products - several thousand doses - including pre-filled syringes of various drugs. A month later, in July, that recall was expanded to additional products.
In its statement, Nephron made no mention of the reasoning for its furlough decision aside from a "business need."
The company did say that it plans to keep its impacted employees informed of the latest information throughout the furlough process.