inspector

building inspector

welding inspector

construction project manager

laboratory technician

Bureau Veritas

The job itself is ok, albeit a little repetitive.  The benefits are ok and your coworkers are usually pretty decent.  The problem lies within the low base pay, wildly varying workload, and management that loves to harass and micromanage you in the lab so you can be reminded of the terrible job you’re doing and how you are not learning or working fast enough. Special projects are also assigned to you, often with little or imprecise instructions on what to do to carry them out. Then you will be blamed for not asking enough questions or just flat out not following instructions, of course of which were never given to you to begin with. Employees are targeted whenever they make a single mistake and then continuously micromanaged afterward, especially new ones. Deep investigation of the cause of a problem that occurred during sample preparation or logistics is vehemently discouraged by management, and favoritism politics are so abundant it is offensive to the senses.  You will be lured in by kind treatment at first then berated and haggled for both any mistake you ever make and blamed for the mistakes of others, even when the paperwork or electronic trail clearly states the origins of any problem. You will also be expected to work on the other side almost every day, under the guise of “improving your skillset”, when it is really just to compensate for overall understaffing and high turnover rate.  The turnover rate and understaffing can likely be traced back to the toxic, duplicitous management atmosphere and low pay for the work being done.

I have come home from work depressed and defeated nearly every day due to management finding reasons to tear me apart, in front of the other employees too, which is highly unprofessional.  And this management member got a promotion.  This person clearly does not have the right temperament for such a position and I do not see good things coming for the future.  There is also little room for growth, and despite their expansion plans, I do not see this changing based on reviews from other locations.

The biggest part about this job are that it can be very physical; you're not going to be sitting unless you are driving or flying most times, and it requires a lot of time away from home. Usually leave out first flight possible Monday morning and depending on the route you have, the project you're on, and the actual airports involved, you would usually come back on Thursday or Friday. That being said, I heard of plenty of people who had issues or missed a stop and had to go back that did not get in until Saturday, and a few rare occasions where someone would have to leave out on Sunday to meet the client on site first thing Monday morning. Holidays were usually planned in a way that allowed you to be home in time for the holiday, but as most adults know, stuff happens. And when you throw in airports and hotels, car rentals, with holidays or bad weather, lots of stuff happens. My family and friends knew that if I made "plans", that things were never set in stone until I actually arrived back home. It was just the nature of the job.  Compensation seemed fair at first, but I will say I greatly underestimated the amount of hours that wouldn't normally be a factor like planning where you're going to stay that week or trying to find the best airport to get where you need to be with the vehicle that you need to do the job, when you need to get it. Some weeks it was simple and I was done in 5 minutes, and some weeks it took two days of planning and I still had to call my +1 for alternate ideas. All that being said, I never felt like a number, I knew that I could call if I had a problem, and I knew that unless there was a problem that no one would micromanage me. I only left for health reasons. I know this is a little long but I definitely feel like a lot of new hires, myself included did not really fully understand what I was signing up for, despite the repeated heads up from all those that I spoke with in my hiring process. So while I did love it, some others didn't. You just need to REALLY be honest with yourself about what you're wanting to put in and what you're wanting out of it. This is not one of those jobs where you just want to do the bare minimum to pay your bills. 

Of the QA companies I have worked for this is by far the largest and most unorganized one. Little regard is given to employee hours or travel requirements often needing to drive 6-8 hours then work 8-12 hours with minuets notice, then travel to entire other states the following morning because they are understaffed for all the contracts they have. Often I would be told travel hundreds of miles to a site without basic information I would require such as address, site contact or even internal contract number given. 

If you were not the first inspector on a project you had to ask the fabricator for contact of previous inspector as no documentation  or contact information would be forwarded to you to verify what has been inspected or reviewed. Project management, scheduling, and administration were typically unavailable stating that they would get back to you which would never actually  happen. This often resulted in upset contractors due to holding up shipping or production for hours to days  because of improper transfer of documentation.  

Having spoken to multiple other current and former BV inspectors about the above mentioned problems all of them stated that they experienced  similar situations frequently with BV and that the only time those issues would go away is when you have a long term contract at a single location where you didn't have to deal with  scheduling and project management.

Overall I would not recommend the position to anyone as you are treated as just a warm body that can be onsite for BV to charge the customer for. The benefits are mediocre, the hours are unstable, you don't know when they will call you to tell you to travel 6 hours after working 10 as they need someone at a different site asap as they didn't schedule properly, and if you have questions or concerns about anything I hope you can figure it out yourself without all the information you need as you aren't going to get it from  any of the upper management at BV. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
There seems to be a need for improved employee loyalty and support within the company. Many employees are required to work extended hours while traveling between states, which can lead to burnout. Additionally, enhancing the training program could significantly benefit staff development and job satisfaction. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Balancing long driving hours with the demands of preparing, completing, and delivering projects can be quite challenging, especially when managing tasks across up to 27 locations in a week. Finding effective strategies to streamline this process could greatly enhance productivity and ensure successful project outcomes.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
There is a significant need for enhanced communication and collaboration among project managers to improve overall effectiveness. Currently, the independent nature of our work often results in a feeling of isolation, partly due to a lack of visibility into one another's progress and departmental activities. To mitigate this issue, it is recommended that we establish regular meetings and training sessions aimed at promoting unity and fostering a shared understanding across teams. Additionally, it is crucial to strengthen supervision and support during project delivery, especially considering the observable delays in oversight following the completion of tasks by contractors. By implementing these strategies, we can improve project outcomes and develop a more cohesive team environment.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
The job is often very busy, yet at times there's nothing to do. When asked about this, the response is that it's part of the job, and there's a lack of support or concern from the company.

I was a temp at BV and I did not feel valued.  I was working every day until 6 or even 7, which is two hours after the building closes.  This was a problem because vital people would leave at 5pm when reports weren't completed which would cause a constant backup of reports.  There were also times when there was no work to be done whatsoever, which was disconcerting.  Either I was very busy or not busy at all, there was no in between.  Even when there were no reports to be done I still had to try to find work to do.
  I could not take part in any of the discounts or outings that the permanent employees were a part of.  The permanent employees get paid more, have more benefits, and take part in social team building exercises that exclude the temps.  Holiday parties also exclude temporary employees.  After being there for over a year I was let go without anyone at work telling me that it was my last day.  They called me at 7:30pm on Friday night and told me that my employment period had ended.  People constantly disappeared or switched positions within the building.  It was not exactly easy to focus on my work; the openness of the room was a constant rattle.  Lab samples being moved back and forth constantly making loud noise along with everyone clacking on their keyboards and yapping on their phones.  That's not even mentioning all the side conversations and quiet whispers that try to squeeze through the torrent of sound.  Even when I had headphones in, with all the people constantly walking around at times it was very hard for me to pay attention to the work I had to do. It was not private at all, I was out in the open with everyone and the walls that lie between you and your neighbor are not tall enough for you to not see or hear them.  The open concept is not particularly comforting.  I did not get any sick time or vacation time.  I did not receive a raise.

Average day of work usually consist of processing samples and loading them into the oven that doesn't work 90 percent of the time. An average also consist of micro management and seeing who can kiss the boss butt to get there way. I learned that Elko lab like to cut corners on everything including safety. Once they know safety comes to elko they make it look like it fixed so they don't spend money on repairs. I have learned and had experience in this profession so there wasn't much learning unless management wants to change things last minute. As for management let's just say what I think if your management they should be getting out behind listing to religious music and help with production but they don't. the Elko management a joke and needs remapping. They need some with experience not lie or suck up to get a management position. The lab has had 4 managers since I've worked there the only one worth of anything is Reno Managing it by phone.  I also believe that management there should keep there religious views at home. There a time and place for it and it's not at work period.  The work place culture has it's good and bad. The good part they're some techs that actually work there butts off and reliable. The bad is they hire young people with no experience or little experience at all. They also screw over the people who actually work their butts when I've worked there no raises what's so ever. As for the hardest part wondering if sample's where going to come in since Elko has more labs being built with better technology then elkos lab. The enjoyable working is having like minded people to work with. 

The workplace environment at Bureau Veritas has witnessed challenges impacting employee morale and productivity. Notably, concerns arise regarding the lack of employee-centric management practices, particularly from direct managers who may not demonstrate a strong commitment to the well-being of their team members. There is a perception of cost-conscious management, evident in the reluctance to offer overtime even when the company may require it urgently. Additionally, instances have been observed where the direct manager refrains from advocating for their team when confronted with issues from other departments.

Furthermore, the work culture appears to discourage employees from speaking up for themselves, creating an environment where such behavior is frowned upon. The Human Resources department, unfortunately, seems to be perceived as more aligned with supporting management rather than addressing the concerns of individual employees. This imbalance raises questions about the effectiveness of HR in providing comprehensive support to the workforce.

In the context of quality, concerns have been raised regarding the absence of a robust commitment to quality standards within Bureau Veritas. Addressing these aspects could significantly contribute to fostering a more positive and employee-centric work environment.

After the company brought in an international team to reconstruct the business model to a more international way of thinking, the moral of the employees has unfortunately taken a sour turn. We, as in my Sample Control team, are required to open all packages from UPS, FedEx, and DHL, also all freight trucks that arrive. We then must organize all product, and for the rest of the day log the vendor information into our companies database. Throughout the day we also deal with all out going mail via UPS, FedEx and various trucking companies. We are required to handle issues within our department and outside of our department because of the fact that we are the first step of the process and see all 300 packages that come in on a daily basis.

The team I work for, are some of the hardest working individuals within the work place. We are required to have all task done before days end. This requires us to work 10-12 hour days.

What I will take out of this company, is the knowledge that I have obtain on how to multitask on a continuous basis. The information may be overwhelming due to the change, but it keeps you sharp all work day long.

The most enjoyable part of the job is, and I'm sure this gets said a lot, but the coworkers you engage with on a daily basis. These people are here to come together and work as proficiently as they can. Though it gets overwhelming, the team work aspect can not be overlooked, and the bonds that you can make are special.

Please note that this review is only for the specific location where I worked. My coworkers were great people, and we worked well together as a team. We definitely had fun while being professional at the same time. HUGE problem with management... they will not hire from within. I have a B.S. degree, and started from the ground-up in the routine lab. I learned how to perform all the tests as well as performing machine maintenance, and continuously expressed interest in taking on new responsibilities for a promotion, but management always insisted on turning towards an agency whenever an upper-position opened up in the lab. EVEN WORSE is that I was PROMISED a promotion to a specific position around Christmas time, which I then relayed that message to my friends and family... and it was extremely embarrassing to go back and tell all of my people that the "plans had changed." Management will tell you what you want to hear just to keep you around. If you're fine with staying tied down to one position while rarely even getting an annual cost-of-living raise, then this is the job for you. Once they see you do well in a certain position, they will not want to move you. I am glad to be done with this place and all the empty promises, and I can say I wasted a lot of time and effort at this facility. Once again, coworkers were awesome (we're in this struggle together).

Pays $4 lower than average lab tech job in Johnson county Kansas. They are not honest or upfront about pay or raises. They company fails to take care of its employees as it advertises and is so proud of. I was a Lab Tech and expected to preform tasks far beyond my pay grade. They paid me lower than what was advertised and then said I would be up for a raise in 6 months- after 6 months when asked about receiving a raise I was told the company has decided not to give raises. They are not straight forward or honest about the schedule or what hours you are expected to work. They act very nice and like they care but management doesn’t follow company protocol- when I reached out to HR about a noncompliance on managements end wanting to open up an investigation I got no response. I was made so uncomfortable I ended up just quitting. The pay was not worth the hustle. The job itself was fun, interesting and I learned a lot. Understaffed with 5 employees and the lab would take on projects on top of our regular client load. Projects that we did not have the capacity to take on. There we No compensations offered for all the extra workload and is a chaotic atmosphere to work in. One of the managers would harass employees so they moved her position but she was still able to come to the lab and she didn’t treat people with respect she makes people feel bad for no reason. Overall worst company I have ever worked for. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Inspector 29 salaries reported	$38.41 per hour
Building inspector 63 salaries reported	$34.47 per hour
Welding inspector 6 salaries reported	$37.17 per hour
Construction project manager 18 salaries reported	$95,028 per year
Laboratory technician 6 salaries reported	$19.25 per hour

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