occupational health technician

clinical specialist

quality engineer

regulatory affairs specialist

sales representative

Abbott

It has been 12 years since I worked for Abbott so things have most likely changed.

I have fond memories of Abbott Laboratories as it was my first real job out of college.  I worked for Abbott for almost 15 years beginning in the laboratory and eventually moving to the Legal Department.  I had a tremendous sense of pride working for a Fortune 100 company straight our of college as back in the early 90's the job market was not good for college grads.  Back then it seemed like the company was near impervious to the bad economy.  Stock was strong and I was making more money than my contemporaries.  I eventually left realizing that that myth of staying with the same company for so long is good for your resume and shows loyalty.  I was wrong.  Salary increases are better when you change jobs periodically.  For me, I was stuck in the corporate yearly pay raise cycle so my incremental salary increases were nominal over time.  The only thing that made it worth while was the 401k and the profit sharing program.  This was the only thing that separated Abbott from all of my other jobs during my career.  I saw lower middle class people move to the upper middle class riding the share price and growing with the company.  Secretaries and janitors would retire with considerable nest eggs.  It was amazing.  Almost an even trade:  you dedicate your life to Abbott and they will take care of you.  I have not seen anything like it since.  The price was heavy for some though.  Bright stars would realize that staying in the corporate machine would eventually kill any bigger dreams or aspirations.  These are the types that left to become doctors/lawyers/MBAs.  My opinion, it was a near even trade.  Stay with Abbott for 25-30 years and have enough stock to retire or leave Abbott to realize your own dream.  Don't get me wrong, this was still a big corporation so the socio-economic barrier separating the upper management from the peons was prevalent.  The big wigs always got theirs.

Typical day:  The Abbott I knew was your typical corporate environment.  Show up, do your job and all will be fine.  Anyone with above average work ethic would thrive.  If you didn't keep your end of the bargain, things would eventually go bad for you.  You would get fired or working conditions would be so bad for you that you had to quit.  If you didn't pull your weight, your career would be short.

What I learned:  I learned a lot of course.  This was a successful company so as a new college grad, I saw how it worked from the inside.  It was a great learning experience.  When I was in the lab, I had a front row seat of how big pharm really worked.  The romance of being a science major wore of pretty quick when you realize you are just making the same widget every day.  And when you added money into the equation you learned pretty quick it wasn't about the beauty of science, it was about making money.  They take green college grads and train them to work in the trenches.  Moving to the legal department was much the same.  I was trained by someone that did my job for many years.  I was a cog in big machine.

Management:  Typical corporate stuff here.  All of the Office Space cliché's aren't wrong.

Workplace Culture:  The culture was above average.  Everyone knew that they were lucky to be there so everyone worked hard.  Typical workload stress and morale issues.  Everything was fine in the end as long as your 401k kept growing exponentially and your profit sharing check at the end of the  year was juicy.

Hardest part of the job:  Personally the hardest part of the job for me during my lab days was all of the FDA/GMP regulation.  The science of making the products was difficult enough.  So to add all the tedious procedures made doing something simple into a something complex.  The hardest part of the job from my legal department days was dealing with incompetent or unapproachable upper management.  There were some real beauties working in the legal department.

The most enjoyable part of the Job:  The people.  I spent my entire young adult life at Abbott.  I arguably grew up there.  I met some amazing people and made some life long friendships.  Two of my work mates were in my wedding.  I was in the wedding for 3 other guys from Abbott and we are still in touch today.

Overall, Abbott is an AMAZING company to work for and has amazing pay/benefits. There is NO complaints in this department. They truly take care of you in a number of ways which most places don’t do anymore. You also get a EOY bonus and pay raise per year depending on performance. You’re even allowed to buy an additional week of PTO which I love. I never worry about not having enough PTO to go on vacation or worry about not having enough sick days. You will be handsomely compensated for your work here and I couldn’t be happier. 

The Work/Life balance is also ok but could be better as remote or hybrid schedules are HARD to ask for. I, for example, am only allowed one remote day. Anything more has to go through upper management for approval as working in the office is STRONGLY pushed on you. And why is that? Because that’s what “sets us apart”…whatever that means. I Can do the same job at home as I rarely even interact with people in person but this truly reflects the old school style of work in play at Abbott. If it weren’t for COVID, I am convinced we would still be using plug in phones and not know what Microsoft Teams is. 

And this leads to my biggest gripe with Abbott which is they’re old school type of management and thinking. If you’re an older professional, you’ll probably fit right in. If you’re a young professional, take caution when applying. I can’t speak for every division, but for mine, it is VERY old school. To the point where it is getting to be too much for me. But again, not every division/department is like this. 

 There are a lot of things that can be done better and more efficiently but a lot of times it just doesn’t happen. A lot of the employees there are fairly old and have only one type of thinking when it comes to different processes (at least in my division and department). It makes for a very challenging experience for young professionals who are coming on board. My immediate manager is ok with change but it’s difficult to get approval going up the chain. It’s an inherit problem when working for a large company, so I do understand that. It’s just frustrating. It’s also a problem with the industry I’m in for my specific division, so it’s not entirely Abbotts fault. We can only progress as fast as our industry progresses. 

Instead of implementing new software and getting caught up with what other places are using, we’re still using old software and old methods that are very outdated and inefficient. There is little to no learning value for me right now as I’m just using software that is going to be outdated in a few years, and it is a detriment to my current progression as a professional. There isn’t enough young talent coming in to help rejuvenate existing workflows and part of me thinks it wouldn’t even matter if there was since nothing would even be changed. Maybe in a few years things will be different, but right now, it could definitely be better. 

But again, take this with a grain of salt. Just because my department is like this, doesn’t mean they ALL will be. Some departments seem better than others so when interviewing, be sure to ask many questions. Overall though, this is a very small problem in the grand scheme of things and it’s the least worrying problem to have. I’m treated very well and have full support from my immediate manager and supervisor. They listen to my problems and are actively helping me progress as a professional through continuing education which is great to see. I also have frequent meetings every month to speak with my manager and even if I didn’t, I knew he would gladly make time to talk to me if I needed to. My coworkers are also great and are very laid back which makes for a fantastic work experience. I’m never pressured to get work done super fast and even when I am, it’s done in a professional manner. The fact the only problem I have with Abbott is their old management style speaks volumes to how well they treat their employees and are constantly helping us become better professionals. If Abbott comes knocking, you better pick up since you do not want to miss an opportunity to work here. It is 100% a type of company that you stay till retirement. 

While working at Abbott Nutrition, I have realized that I desire a career where my work can not only have a direct effect on people’s lives, but can improve the quality of their lives as well.   

Currently, I am a Quality Coordinator for Abbott Nutrition within the Feeding Expert department where I have exceeded expectations in several categories for this department in 2012.  My job responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 
•	Displaying excellent verbal and written communication skills that enhance customer satisfaction with the highest level of customer service they receive.
•	Identifying and documenting all Level I, II, and III complaints on all Abbott Nutrition Pediatric formula products, completely and accurately in the RPIC database system for reporting to the Food and Drug Administration and Abbott Nutrition Quality Assurance.  
•	Exhibiting leadership within the department by serving as a role model through interaction with other departments, supporting management’s direction and daily work responsibilities.
•	Functioning as a proactive liaison and provide pertinent feedback to marketing groups, medical departments, field sales representatives, public affairs and quality assurance areas within Abbott Laboratories. 

My colleagues are extremely bright, energetic individuals and I feel priveleged to call many of them my friends.  We work well together and are always encouraging each other to go above and beyond in everything we do.

The most difficult part of this position is not being able to recommend certain products due to not being a registered healthcare professional.  This difficulty drives me to further my career and future endavors and supports the need to provide an unsurpassed level of service.

While in this position I have exhibited persistence with achieving goals and the diversity to assist my colleagues in the attainment of their goals within the department.  I have also displayed creativity in developing methods to broaden our services and shown great initiative in implementing methods to provide an unsurpassed level of service. 




A typical day as a Manufacturing Supervisor was a well‑balanced mix of leadership, coordination, and hands‑on problem‑solving. My mornings usually began with production floor walk‑throughs, checking in with operators, reviewing safety conditions, and confirming that machinery and materials were ready for the day’s targets. From there, I shifted into monitoring workflow, addressing bottlenecks, and collaborating with cross‑functional teams to keep production running smoothly. It was a role that demanded both precision and adaptability, and I genuinely enjoyed that rhythm.

What I believe I learned most in this position was how to lead effectively in a fast‑paced, high‑stakes environment. I strengthened my skills in team leadership, lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement. The job taught me how to make data‑driven decisions, manage diverse teams, and maintain quality standards even under tight deadlines. I also gained a deeper appreciation for structured problem‑solving and the importance of clear communication on the production floor.

Management provided consistent support and clarity. Expectations were well‑defined, and leaders encouraged open dialogue about challenges and opportunities. I appreciated that they valued input from supervisors and trusted us to make operational decisions. Their willingness to provide feedback and resources made it easier to grow and succeed in the role.

The workplace culture was one of collaboration, accountability, and respect. People took pride in their work, and there was a strong emphasis on safety, teamwork, and continuous learning. The environment encouraged professional development and celebrated operational wins, whether it was hitting a production milestone or implementing a successful process improvement. It felt like a place where everyone contributed to the bigger picture.

The hardest part of the job was balancing production demands with unexpected issues—equipment downtime, supply delays, or staffing challenges. These moments required quick thinking, calm leadership, and the ability to re‑prioritize without losing momentum. While challenging, they ultimately strengthened my ability to manage pressure and lead teams through uncertainty.

The most enjoyable part of the job was seeing the team succeed together. Watching operators grow, implementing improvements that made their work easier, and hitting production goals as a unified group was incredibly rewarding. There was a real sense of accomplishment in knowing that our efforts directly contributed to quality products and satisfied customers.

I hired into Abbott Nutrition Columbus plant in June 2022 as an Electrician.  The first 2 weeks were in a classroom doing orientation which was very informative.  It’s rare for a company to invest as much time, money and effort into new hires as what Abbott does.  I was impressed with that.  Got a free pair of boots the first week and t-shirts to wear under the uniform.  Learned a lot about the company and the process at Columbus plant.

I spent week 3 with other maintenance and electrician new hires going thru maintenance training.  The guys doing the maintenance training were great.  Week 3 with the maintenance trainers was a good experience for me.  

Week 4 I was placed on on the floor.  I hired in for the 2-2-3 12 hrs night shift but initially you are on day shift mon-Friday 8 hr days until they feel you are ready to go to your shift I guess.  Once I was on the floor is when I started to regret taking this job.  I hired in as an Electrician.  I found out there were a couple mechanics(who are paid less) who wanted the electrician job.  Instead of making a few mechanics electricians they hired me and 2 other guys.  I believe this was the main reason behind the toxic atmosphere.  These guys were already there and wanted the promotion to Electrician but instead the company hired us new guys and they had to stay as mechanics.    I felt unwelcome by probably 80% of the maintenance guys mechanics and electricians.  Some wouldn’t speak to me.  Myself and other new guys were called names and when we asked for help we’re blown off or told to go figure it out.  I was on the floor 3 weeks before I got any tools.  When I got the tools they were nice but was given no toolbox to put them in.  Our supervisor(called FLL or front line lead) told us we needed to be taking breakdown calls.  The one crew had a good couple guys and we would go on breakdown calls with them.  The other crew would hide from us and made it obvious they didn’t want us following them on calls.   I spent a lot of time on my laptop familiarizing with the plant plc programs and trying to get comfortable with going online to troubleshoot.  There were no machines I saw that had electrical prints in the cabinet and there was no access to prints on the laptop.   I asked for a radio multiple times but was told they needed to order one.  So no tools, no radio, no toolbox, little help from other maintenance people.  I found out in the last few years they had hired and lost 7 Electricians.  I was soon to become number 8.  I stuck with it about 2 months and went back to my old job.  We were set up for failure. 

If you are considering applying for Electrician at the Abbott Columbus plant be warned!  I would stay away

 

Day to day is repetitive and unfulfilling. Unless something breaks or something new happens, its the same old same old. I had to have an extensive resume and apply many many times to get my job here, and its severely underwhelming for the experience they require.

Management is the worst I've had in all my years in the workforce. There is a clearly defined line in the sand between salary and non-salary people. It is us against them, and they feed you a crock about how they "appreciate" you as a team, and then turn around and make every individual feel unimportant and unacknowledged unless you're a favorite. Policies seem to only apply to hourly or "non-exempt" employees. If you're salaried you can basically do as you please. Biggest example is holidays and the hypocrisy surrounding them. They act like they care about the individual but if you meet with them one-on-one, they talk around answers, or give you promises they can't keep or just don't bother pursuing.

Pay and raises are unfair and is the current topic of grief amongst everyone. New or old, experienced or not, it doesn't matter and there is no clear system or fair way they review you and increase your pay. People are job hunting and talking of leaving en masse, at this time. It all comes down to favorites. This place feels like its about to riot due to the recent raise/reviews.

It's like pulling teeth around here to try and advance or try to get your foot in the next door you wanna move to. Unless upper management likes you and you're someone's favorite or scapegoat, you won't get a chance to advance or get a fair raise.

The hardest part of the job is the double standards for everyone, and trying not to roll your eyes when they add another over manufactured and arbitrary rule or system in place to "improve the process," which is another crock the salaried staff feeds us just to put their ideas in place just to secure their jobs.

Don't get me wrong, most of your time is spent around good coworkers and there are a few supervisors who care, but those few who do stick their necks out for us get shut down and can't really do much to help us.

The majority of the supervisors here are only out for themselves and the production managers should not be in charge of people as they make it almost blatantly clear that they only see us a nuisance until they need something from us. They don't realize THEY rely on US 

All in all, good pay and good coworkers if you can stomach the rest of the bull. Personally, if I could make what I make now, I'd go back to working the fields. At least there's a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.

To Whom This May Concern,
 
Per our conversation that we had last week on Tuesday where you stated that if I am unhappy about the way that Alere does things than I can just leave. And that I can forget about getting the day after Christmas off for Kwanzaa. It seems as though Ledgent and Alere want to replace me. Being denied a religious/cultural holiday off is against the law.
 
At the meeting that we all had together on Tuesday, November 26, 2013, the HR Director at Alere asked me to stay with Alere and work with the company through the transition to March 1, 2013. The Revenue Cycle Director also stated, “I will not fire you. You will fire yourself.”
 
I work very hard and do not take my breaks as I am anxious about leaving my desk or anything that I do. I get accounts paid, that if you work in the medical field, you know that is a huge accomplishment to have those companies pay claims. I can’t sleep at night and barely eat anymore because of the stress. My doctor noted by heart beat at 100BPM. He asked me why my heart was racing and I told him about work, being micromanaged and worried about getting days off of work. At the lunch last week on Wednesday, while talking with other team members, they were astonished by what I have to do stating that they do not get that type of treatment. As I am being honed in on it proves my previous concern that I voiced to you about being harassed. Being singled out, having things only apply to you and not everyone else is harassment.
 
It seems as though anything anyone says I cannot trust as they appear to renege on their word. All of a sudden since December 6, 2013 The Director and my direct supervisor are no longer talking to me and making it difficult to do my work. This has also created a hostile work environment.
 
Let it be known that I have never been treated in this manner where I am reduced to feel like a child. My enthusiasm to come to work as wan as I feel I cannot not trust the word of my managers or my agency to be people of their word.
 
With all of this being said, this situation if affecting my health and my sleep. I should not have to work this way or be nervous, stressed and anxious on whether or not I will still have a job or get the day after Christmas off. I will be filing for compensation for the loss of pay I will experience as I was told in September 2013 that this is a long-term temp to permanent position. And even later being offered employment by the HR director until March 1, 2013.

I can't speak about the laboratory sites outside of Santa Rosa, CA because I did not work at them. My review is about the Santa Rosa site called Redwood Toxicology. I was a temporary employee so I got paid more than the company employees. I don't recommend working at the Santa Rosa site because they are understaffed and because of that they overwork you. I would always work 12+ hours. The most I have worked was 15 hours. Every shift is bad but the first and second shift is run a lot smoother. Graveyard shift is the worst because we aren't just understaffed with laboratory technicians, we are understaffed in every department especially the data entry department which is the most important department because we can't start our work until they are done with theirs. I would come in at 10pm and I won't start until 3:00am because I have to wait for the data entry department. In the morning shift, we were told to only do 3 batches, but I was doing 5 or 6 in the graveyard shift and management knows about this, but they do not care. Lister the manager is the worst because if you tell her about the issues that you are having, she acts like she doesn't care. I went to go talk to her about the problems on the graveyard shift, everyone warned me about her, but I did not believe them until I told her the problems we were having during the night, and she just told me that my work was easy, so I just quit. I can't believe she said our work is easy, but yet she does not want to show up during the weekend to help us out because she knows how chaotic the lab is. We have such a high turnover rate at my site because people only last a few months. The company now hires people who aren't even qualified to do the job, which lead to hiring people who mess up a lot, and if they mess up that batch gets transferred to someone else. I don't mind helping people, but the people they are hiring aren't even willing to learn. I just saw that the graveyard shift supervisor position is open, so I guess he quit, and I feel bad for him because he was nice and truly helped us out, but his hands were tied because of lister the manager. I only recommend this place for the experience, but don't apply directly from the company because they pay 14 the hour. get hired through a temp agency because they are paying 18 the hour, they paid lower before, but people keep on quitting, so they had to up the salary so people could stay.

I have been with this company for many years and though you get interesting and sometimes enjoyable work to do, career growth is limited in general. Grade promotion came with a job change to another division. There are people who have been in the same role and same grade level for a decade or more. Basically, little to no emphasis on career growth or people development. Management are generally good at managing the work but not really with people skills/development. The career growth path is not clear for many positions. Those who progress up typically have connections or play the political game very well or hop from division to division. Very few progress on meritocracy.  Those who are frustrated with no growth after many years either bury it in silence just to have a constant. predictable paycheck or leave. 
Co-workers are fairly competent. Minorities in leadership positions are very rare so the facade of a diverse workforce only extends to the lower grade workers and even the representation at that level looks relatively low for a company headquartered in the general Chicago area. 
There is a lot of demand on one's time and the stress can be immense. However, it is possible to learn a lot if you push the boundaries of your day-to-day role. The hardest thing now is the environment - the general feeling of instability.  Lay-offs are becoming the order of the day and the degrading job security, compared to prior years, is resulting in a tense somewhat fearful atmosphere. The former impression that it is a company that values its people is fading also given how people are being let go.
It is a company with a good and long history which has done things in a specific way for many years and thus any change is not easily embraced. Questioning the status quo could be career limiting. If one is a shaker, you have to tread carefully. Very hierarchical environment and politically charged. Management is generally not accessible though of course variations may exist from from individual to individual. Job culture is very risk averse and conservative.
Overall a company with a successful history, with some really good people trying to do their jobs well to keep it successful for the future.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The good thing working 4x10s and paid weekly.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
This is my experience working at Abbott.  Management team in manufacturing is rough.   Some are very unprofessional, using threats and taking advantage on their subordinates ( example they’ll hang a promotion in front of someone who deserves one but never giving it to them). Most supervisors and leads are “yes man” to higher management.   They don’t support their own employees, challenge or create growth in their employees,  and most love to micromanage wasting time and energy.  The company tends to just put an inexperienced supervisor and lead in a department they’ve never worked in With no experience in that department instead of promoting those who have worked in that department. Some start to use their authority instead of understanding and getting to know their employees.  When they do change management it means there’s going to be lay offs.  There’s not a lot of human compassion, you’re just a number.  Your skill set and work don’t get recognized unless you snoop and brown nose to management.   Some supervisor in manufacturing only care about what the manufacturing procedures says.  To them its law instead of working with their team to improve work it.  I give the company credit for planning fun events for their employees but a lot of that feels like them showing their employees a shiny object to distract them.  Lastly a lot of employees don’t know how to read or sometimes understand English meaning they are taken advantage of their positions. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Depending on what department you work in, there are clean rooms, no sit rooms, offices, and warehouse.  Very diversified people in the company.  Very high school feeling with forming clicks and groups.  

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
High anxiety knowing the new supervisor is micromanaging everything, not willing to listen to experienced employees,  checking in and keep tabs on my department.  Meets are very negative, I dread what ridiculous changes they will do.  Otherwise you come in, do your job and go home.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Occupational health technician 41 salaries reported	$24.46 per hour
Clinical specialist 41 salaries reported	$102,427 per year
Quality engineer 2 salaries reported	$82,500 per year
Regulatory affairs specialist 3 salaries reported	$97,800 per year
Sales representative 20 salaries reported	$94,358 per year

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