Major Layoffs Hit Parsippany Pharmaceutical Company

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Layoffs are coming to Parsippany, with nearly 200 jobs set to be cut at a major health and consumer goods company, state records show.

Reckitt Benckiser, the pharmaceutical giant behind brands like Lysol, Mucinex, and Air Wick, is continuing a round of layoffs that began last fall, cutting a total of 190 positions from its Parsippany facility.

In a WARN notice filed with the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development, the company said it plans to lay off employees through the beginning of August this year.

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act is a federal law intended to safeguard employees, their families, and local communities by requiring certain employers to provide at least 60 days’ advance notice of significant layoffs or business closures.

The goal is to give affected workers time to prepare for the transition, whether that means seeking new employment, retraining, or making necessary personal and financial arrangements.

The WARN notice was filed in April.

Reckitt Benckiser, which merged with Mead Johnson Nutrition Company in 2017, operates its North American headquarters at 399 Interpace Parkway in Parsippany.

The U.K.-based drug company says the layoffs are part of a larger plan to reorganize and run more efficiently. Reckitt is shifting its focus toward its most successful consumer health and hygiene products — well-known brands like Mucinex, Lysol, Gaviscon, Strepsils, and Durex — and is restructuring its operations to better support that goal.