animal technician

research technician

technician

laboratory technician

animal care associate

Charles River Laboratories

A typical day at work for me is I arrive at work at 2pm, I go to one of our posts which are a mobile patrol officer, guard shack officer or officer at the security command center. The officer at the security command center is the main position, this is where we answer phone calls and direct them to the appropriate person, monitor alarming systems, security systems, environmental systems and investigate and report any incidents. Create badges with the appropriate access and control, montior trucks coming onsite and directing them to the recieving area, write and respond to e-mails. Report all unauthorized persons to proper authorities and initiate action to protect employees, animals, products, and physical site.
Ensure the physical safety and security of the facility by enforcing company policies and procedures; provide a deterrent and detection factor for wrongful activity; and monitors the essential building systems.  Document all security department activity and generates incident reports when essential. Directing and assisting in emergency response efforts when necessary and/or contact emergency personnel when required. Greet, screen, record and allow visitors, employees and contractors admittance to the site in agreement with company protocol. Throughout the day I rotate between these three posts then at 7pm each officer begins a patrol which entails physically walking the entire site grounds to complete visual inspection and ensure site is safe for all. Monitor facility equipment during patrols and report equipment failure, reset alarms as instructed. 

What I have learned here at Charles River is how to be dependable eyes and ears that the company depends on. Responding to emergencies in a timely and efficient manner and knowing how to help depending on the incident.

My management and co-workers are all great people and do their job to the best of their ability. 

The hardest part of my job I would have to say is sometimes having to sit around with not much to do. I don't hate it however I am more of a person that loves to be busy constantly and multi-tasking. 

The most enjoyable apart of my job is knowing that I am here to keep people safe and that is a liberating feeling. Interacting with out employees, customers and contractors makes it all worth while.


My job at Charles River is a decent overall job, I dont mind the job duties themself it is very laid back environment. However, I am a person that loves to be challanged and learn new things on a regular basis and I don't feel as if there is much advancement for me where I am at now. My overall goal is to obtain a position in a well established company and to continue my potential to grow and pursue a fulfilling career.

They give you the impression that they care, and so long as you work hard and keep at it they will make sure you grow and learn and develop. What ends up happening is due to poor management they will not only disregard you, your opinions, your needs, but they will not hire additional people, train current employees- and the burden of leadership tasks and coworkers falls upon the few remaining at the office at any given time. those workers work themselves to the bone, and those who are parents suffer, those who are young and have to commute suffer. coworkers end up in constant conflict with each other over the lack of planning, time, resources, information. workers submit to their management in fear of being fired even though they do a lot of work daily. managers who are almost never in the office or reachable in office, on phone or email constantly gaslight employees that they aren't good enough, meeting quotas or deadlines, even though they are literally giving it all they have got. the lack of proper explanations, structure and planning was ridiculous. you never have a solid schedule and even if you do it was bound to get changed somehow. people do not respect each other's time and physical boundaries, or even desire for a quiet atmosphere. people from other departments would come over to chat and say or behave in super unprofessional ways. it was very uncomfortable balancing manners and professionalism with forced socializing. meeting after meeting, would drain you of the ability to stick to your desk and focus on your tasks. the most painful thing is trying to be nice to your coworkers and do their work for them, even though they constantly blamed each other and threw each other under the bus. all the while telling you how much they appreciate you and this was just a job and not to take it personally. despite what linkedin will tell you promotions and raises were practically non existent except for favoritism or connections. they would rather do a title change and just add more work to your plate. i wanted to be nice, but i cannot deny it was super toxic. they don't deserve employees no matter if global says crl is doing well. 

CRL is a good place to get experience straight out of college in professional laboratory work. Management goes to great lengths to remind everyone that their work is important and has meaning. The Necropsy department has a high turnover rate, for more than just the nature of the job. This is a professional laboratory environment, and studies are taken very seriously. It is a "stay until everything is finished" type of job. Data integrity is quite solid with zero tolerance otherwise and rightfully so. Co-workers here will generally care about the quality of their work even if morale is low for busy periods. During a period of about seven months straight, constant overtime and 70+ hour weeks were not uncommon. Mandatory weekends happening on a scheduled basis and extra "volunteering" was normal and expected. Luckily the department was fairly compensated for everyone's time, although it was likely done as a retainment measure. Nevertheless, it was greatly appreciated and helped make the job more manageable. Unfortunately, a chronic shortage of employees meant that standards for hiring new ones were constantly lowered. On average, most people seemed to put in about two years and leave, just as they got to be trained in more comprehensive and important functions. People with no background or perspective in science were being hired and paid nearly as much as someone with years of experience. There was no work life balance but that is just the nature of research. This was a job that really taught a few things very well, including how to function under lots of pressure and be efficient at managing time. Good relationships were maintained with both co-workers and management. Management was usually available to address any problems or questions. Study deadlines are real and for the most part inflexible, having more experienced technicians often makes the difference between going home on time or staying late to the point where a twelve hour day seems early. Overall it is an alright job with average pay, lots of overtime, and good benefits. 

•	Review protocols for compliance with all pertinent government and international GLP regulations for studies conducted at the Test Facility that are routine and complex in study design.
•	Perform raw data audits for studies to ensure accuracy and compliance with the GLP/cGMPs, study protocol and Standard Operating Procedures.
•	Audit in-life critical phases of ongoing studies for compliance with the GLPs, study protocol and Standard Operating Procedures.
•	Review final reports to ensure accuracy and compliance with GLP/cGMPs regulations and the study protocol/amendments; ensure that the final report accurately describes the raw data and study methods.
•	Determine and assure that study deviations are appropriately reported and documented.
•	Prepare and sign the quality assurance statement to be included with audited final report.
•	Prepare and review Quality Assurance files prior to Sponsor site visits; ensure that QA audit files are archived.
•	Perform audits of site Quality Systems (process inspections; facility inspections; equipment and record review; computer validation ACTIVITIES; training records) including audits of corresponding regulatory documentation to ensure compliance.
•	Provide recommendations to Quality Management for improvements in auditing of Quality Systems based on extensive knowledge and understanding of current FDA regulatory inspection guidance.
•	Provide recommendations to Quality Management for improvements in compliance for Testing Facility Quality Systems based on extensive knowledge and understanding of the GLP/cGMP regulations and current regulatory guidance.
•	Assist in training of Quality Assurance personnel.
•	Assist in providing and documenting company-wide GLP/cGMP training sessions.
•	May provide support during government/agency inspections, as requested.
•	May assist in scheduling and tracking Quality Assurance audits inspections and procedures, as requested.
•	Participate in qualification audits of subcontractors, as requested.
•	Participate in Quality Assurance projects, as requested.
•	Perform all other related duties as assigned.

The QA department at CRL is only good for those who want to use it as a stepping stone to move within the company. Overall, the environment is toxic and overwhelming. Some QA personnel are more focused on advancing their careers than assisting colleagues. To this end sabotage is employed and back door deals are made. Another trick used is staying long hours in the office- not working but staying. Then they brag how they worked fifty hour weeks. These same QA personnel will go out of their to respond to unimportant emails on their day off. So impressed by their 'dedication' the higher ups in the department fail to realize the constant mistakes and forgotten assignments. Another weakness is the lacking of QA training. Not until a year after I started did I learn about the 5 why's. Sporadically throughout the year QA training is given but it is never practiced. Instead, risk factor is the only consideration when making a decision or doing whatever pleases production. The benefits are decent but don't expect to take a sick day or vacation day without being guilted by colleagues who mutter under their breath how they wish they had a luxury of taking a day off. The last bit that drove me to quit was the inability to have an independent thought. During the interview process I was informed that I would have to think independently but within weeks I was told that whenever I had a question to ask at least three different colleagues. Initially, I thought it was because I was in training and new to the department. A year and a half in, I still had to get three different opinions before making a single decision. I wasn't even allowed to send out a three sentence internal memo without approval. Nothing makes one feel proud of themselves like constantly being critiqued by five different people because a comma wasn't correctly used or a word choice wasn't good enough. You'll constantly have to rely on the more experienced personnel who in turn will make off hand comments about how busy they are with helping colleagues all the time. It makes you want to stick your head in the ground. 

CRL is a good company to work for in that the benefits and perks are great, and there’s an initiative to be the “best place to work”. However, it’s notoriously a place to work your butt off and become an expert in the field for little pay and no appreciation for you or the work that you do. There is a LOT of potential for networking with clients and individuals all throughout the industry as a whole (with Big Pharma, other CRO’s, the FDA, etc.) and the biotech industry really loves Charles River, so finding a better-paying job with a better work-life balance after putting in the time at CRL is pretty easy. This is a very successful and very fast-paced company, that always puts the clients first and there is a monumental lack of communication between management and employees. The “client is always #1 priority” and lack of communication very often results in a decreased work-life balance and unnecessary burdens on employees, as well as decreased quality. The site over-books work from the clients knowing that the demands can’t be met, in order to satisfy the clients, causing employees to work 60+ hour workweeks and a constant burnout and high turnover rate in several departments. Combined with the low pay (the pay is alright compared to other career options, but it isn’t very low within the industry - salary at CRL can be half what you can make in Big Pharma), there is just generally low appreciation for employees because putting in the 60 hour work weeks is never really appreciated, but rather than just expected. But, you can learn a LOT no matter the department you work in, and then take your knowledge to a better place, just as most of the other employees who stick around long enough choose to do.

Working here was not entirely the best but certainly not the worst either. A typical day depended on how busy we expected to be. During my first 6 months there, it wasn’t very busy but we were always given something to do which often times consisted of cross training in other departments or practicing trimming and cutting tissues for future studies. I appreciated that the managers encouraged cross training but I later realized this was more so because other departments were understaffed and needed extra hands. Often times my department would be the go to to call on for cross training and this sometimes left us overwhelmed especially if we were actually busy. 
I can’t speak for overall management of the site but my department management was fine, I had no complaints. I will say, with the lay offs that took place a few months ago, I wished upper management was honest about it instead of trying to let us down easily. Transparency goes a long way but once you start lying to your staff and attempting to sugarcoat the truth with statements like “we eliminated the job, not the person” when you did in fact eliminate both, is where I have a problem. Lay offs are never easy but your staff will trust you more if you’re honest about it. 
The hardest part of the job was simply learning about the animals passing away or being euthanized, especially the dogs. 
The enjoyable part was caring for the animals and getting a chance to interact with them. I was given a chance to volunteer with painting the rats feet and creating paw prints on paper prior to their euthanasia. Other times I was able to exercise the dogs and prep snacks for the dogs and NHPs. 
What I learned during my time there was that it just simply wasn’t for me. I’ve always enjoyed animals but working there reaffirmed my love for them which played a part in the decision to seek other employment opportunities. 

Another thing, the amount of unhappy colleagues is alarming. I would encourage managers to check in with their teams.

Before continuing, Charles River Labs is an extraordinary location to have worked in in your resume. It is one of the largest Biotech and toxicology employers in the US. You will get the opportunity to learn about clinical regulations, drug development from sponsors, and much more. Charles River does have competitive benefits and many locations if one ever considers relocating.

However, the number one issue for me is the compensation. Considering the increasing inflation and cost of living in Reno, Charles River is probably the lowest paying employer that requires a degree and demands detail-intensive skills. There are bonuses, but for the insane growth in the value of stocks as well as the continued flaunting of profit increase, they are a disrespect for the labor in each department.

The reprimands heavily outweigh your hard work and the amount of stress you have to deal with. Many analysts have to juggle multiple studies, work with scientists that have very limited time and are equally stressed, and small lines of communication to develop studies or assays. Any mistake is looked at and the way management approaches you is not to immediately fix the mistake (and to avoid any future mistakes), but to point fingers at you. There are "employee recognition" awards, but those are rarely awarded to anyone who is to busy to post or nominate someone.

Work culture seems to be very toxic and cutthroat. There's a lot of high school like drama and gossip. Most groups seem to have divided into clicks and gossip is always rampant. The culture feels as if you must step on your coworker to move up.

Lastly, there is hardly any room to grow and develop as a professional. In most cases, you will be stuck doing the same or similar assays for over a year. This hardly allows you to learn any sets of skills or gain any experience that would impress any future employer. It all comes down to favoritism and nepotism from management.

CRL absorbs a lot of companies, so many that you may never see the owner. So each site is different. But for the most part you will work hard if you are in the lab for very little pay. 

Crl like to plan events for their staff to attend but are meaningless to lab staff since they must to be process samples. So it’s disheartening to hear people in the office talk about how great the event was, but you are stuck running samples so nothing is late. If lab staff do attend it’s at the end of the event when all the good stuff is gone or old. I do commend them for trying, but they need to plan better so the lab is able to enjoy.

The other factor that needs to improve is compensation. The lab makes the money but the lab staff are paid the least by a large margin. People would be willing to stay but if they only make slightly more than the restaurant down the street it’s hard to justify why they got the bachelor’s degree required for the job. Promotions also only happen to those that are not good at their jobs. Instead of helping the employee improve themselves, they are just moved to a different department and given  a random 50 letter title.  Which again discourages employees from wanting to stay. This also causes people to be resentful, which causes a very toxic work environment. The old HR didn’t  want to step in unless it can damage the company. I did hear the new HR cares and is trying to change things. But money will always be the driving force to retaining talent.
 
The lab is open every weekday except thanksgiving ,Christmas and new year’s. So if you are not there for a day you will behind schedule. It’s exhausting having the lab constantly going. All holidays are floating but the culture is to not take them on the day the holidays land. So federal holidays are not observed by the lab.


My recommendation would be , this is an entry level position, you only need to work there for 6 months to get enough experience to move to a better lab.



What is the best part of working at the company?
Working with the animals and work life balance.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Management is "Reactive" instead of "Proactive" when large issues come up.  Over 12 co-workers either left the company on their own will, moved to completely different departments entirely  or were fired during the duration of my employment. Out of that, roughly only about 3 were hired to replace them. When caring for over 500 animals and only having about 7 other co-workers for only 3 days a week ( 2 if you choose to work 10 hour shifts). You are expected to everything in rushed time frames.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The company treats you ok, as you get more then the " Good Job Team!" Pizza Party, but when dealing with management its a toss up. Some managers will listen to you and try to solve the problem, while other will  throw you to the wolves. If it's something that involves HR, they will not back you and you will be at fault so be aware. While work life balance is respected,  when you are on site you're expected to live by your walkie Talkies ( That just don't work in some spots of the buildings, but its just laughed off) and Microsoft Teams ( IF they let you have a laptop as not all Techs are given one). It doesn't matter if you're in the process of tending to Animals, in the bathroom, anything, you're expected to answer right away.

Co-workers can be a hit or a miss. Most are really nice, but there were several cut throats at my location. Many co-workers tended to have the problem of keeping to their own work, and will constantly wander over to other rooms to rile up the animals when they are outside of their cages. Some will see you struggling and help, but most just watch and walk by without a word. Dont bother with pleasantries and greetings, as you'll be ignored or stared at 80% of the time.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Animal technician 13 salaries reported	$24.23 per hour
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Technician 10 salaries reported	$20.25 per hour
Laboratory technician 2 salaries reported	$19.75 per hour
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