phlebotomist

laboratory assistant

health screener

medical technologist

laboratory technician

Clinical-Pathology-Laboratories

CPL was bought out by Sonic Healthcare based in Australia approximately 8 to 10 years ago.  When I started working for CPL it had just been acquired the previous year or so. The department I worked in during my 6 year employment was Accounts Receivables. 
I'll start with the department I endured to work in for 6 of the longest years of my life.  The person you don't meet until you have already started working.  This is the person who runs the department, she is a very disturbed individual, this person will treat anyone in the department like they are her personal lackey/child.  She will YELL across the entire department/room and say ANYTHING she wants, whether its profanity to get your attention or BLAST her Alma mater song though out the entire Department.  And it is not any Texas Universities.  I would not even mention this except, her office shares space with everyone else in A/R so you cannot get away from it.  Be prepared to have your normal entitlements  be revoked at will.  You are normally provided 2 breaks during an 8 hour shift but you may be told while you are already on your break "it is now a working break" and you are told what is expected to be done.  Your schedule may change at will depending on A/R schedule.  Example, you will be required to come in on a day that is not your normal shift, Saturday or Sunday it doesn't matter it is mandatory and then they DO NOT allow you to have any breaks.  H/R says breaks do not have to be given even if you are working an 8 hour shift.  Very shady, I know I was told when I was hired that CPL gives 2 15 minute breaks when you work a 8 hour shift.
If anybody complains to your Supervisor that you were having a personal conversation with anyone else (true of false it doesn't matter), you will be called in immediately and counseled.  If it progresses your counseling will progress also.  So after that little bit of information, let me tell you this is the quietest office of over 100 people I have ever worked at.  You could hear a pin drop if the floors weren't carpeted.  It is also the most stressed, depressed and unhappy group of people I have ever worked with.  
A/R Management hand picks the people they want to advance.  I would say only 25% if that, of Lead, Assistant Manager, Supervisor and Auditor positions are posted.  Usually the position has been filled before anyone even knew there was an opening. If you are looking to work for a company that you can work your way up in, this is not the department for you.
Now, why was CPL a better place to work 10 years ago?  Sonic Healthcare has steadily been acquiring other facilities around the world since they acquired CPL, the past couple of years they seem to acquired more then usual.  This year a company wide "Contest" went out asking for "any idea's how the Company could save money".  There were "prizes" for the best idea's.  After the contest was complete which I'm not sure the winner's idea's were advertised (probably were), CPL employees received notices the 401k match was being lowered, annual raises were lowered, A/R bonus system was lowering the bonus amounts and the medical insurance went UP!  I do not know if the medical insurance went up because of earlier how can we save money thing or because of the way the healthcare system and the government are going around now.  But this is what happen to CPL employes the last quarter or so of this year. 
To sum things up: I use to be the BIGGEST advocate for CPL every time one of my coworkers complained and wanted to quit I talked them out of it.  I've worked places that didn't treat their employees well so in the beginning CPL was worth the stress & treatment.  Until, Sonic acquired the new facilities and then took away benefits from existing dedicated employee's and then July 2013 they moved A/R to Round Rock (15 miles from the main building).  I just didn't feel CPL cared about the employee's to fight and be a part of this company anymore.

A typical day of work follow as such: You spend half the day on your feet processing incoming specimens and the second half of the day sitting at a tiny work space data entering the patient's information and tests to be ordered. The work can be hard but rewarding if you are a person who feels pride about providing patient care.

Management is by far the worst part of working at this company. They are absolutely incompetent, terrible at communicating and promoting cohesion amongst the different departments, play favorites among the staff ignoring problematic people who they like while simultaneously being incredibly harsh towards those they dislike and not rewarding hard work or diligence, and do their best to be as uninvolved as they possibly can until a problem has escalated out of control or has already been resolved so that they can take credit for it.

The culture at the work place is fairly toxic. Even within departments there are cliques who constantly work to backstab and put down one another and between departments there is an attitude to try and push as much work as you can onto a different departments and give them as little information as possible usually resulting in those at the bottom taking the brunt of the workload.

The hardest parts of the job are the abysmal pay, no opportunities for advancement, lack of consistency, the stress of doing a high performance job while being allowed the bear minimum of a break with constantly changing procedures being thrown at you, and the constant ask for you to do more and work harder while you watch some managers and supervisors above you do the bare minimum and employees that are well liked get away with behavior that you are held accountable for. If you are the hard worker you will be held to the highest standard and taken advantage of and there is no other way to put that.

There is an enjoyable feeling in doing a job well done and knowing that by doing your job doctors and hospitals can have accurate and fast test results for patients. You have to work overtime some days but you do get paid for working overtime. The job itself when it's stripped down to it's core is not a difficult job to do but gets complicated by the factors which surround doing that job.

Where to start? Base pay is 13 per hour, which is low. Then you will more than likely be 2nd shift.  Which gets a differential but not worth it for the stress of being a stat driver
  So many changes in what couriers had to do pre shift to post shift from the day I started to recently. Managers are just drivers who may have an associates degree,but moved up the chain because of "seniority", or no one else wanted the job. I hate to say it, but the interview process was a joke. Barely 5 minutes,  and he is shaking your hand offering you a job. Which is great, but jeez, does he hand them out to anyone who applies??
  One dispatcher on particular was plain and simple not able to handle his job during the busy times.He would send you from cedar park to south Austin in rush hour expecting you to get the specimen delivered on time. Or calling you while you are driving,  which is dangerous enough as it is. Leaving long pauses on the phone,  or repeating info multiple times, which is ridiculous when you consider, this guy is the dispatcher.  He doesn't know his stuff.
   You get the old vehicle when you start. Training is a joke, but a monkey that can drive could do this job. The all mighty seniority is what determines if you get a favorable shift,  and it definitely gets you the newer vehicles.  If you upset a dispatcher,  you could end up barely getting any jobs, or getting ones that send you south or way north during rush hour or right before you get off if shift and still have to drive back in.
  So all in all,  I wouldn't reccomend working here.  No real management, some drivers are barely competent or so old they shouldn't be driving. Easy money though, if you like sitting on your hands for hours at a time looking at your phone.

I was told i was too slow and was let go,but during the interview i was given instructions only to draw patent's blood and not to be involve with patient's private health information or process blood work meaning no dealing with the centrifuged or pouring off /or separating specimens. The first day of being in the outpatients we started off with reading off the patient's requisitions which had patient's private info, Also we were given the scripts to read in order to know which test to draw and collect, we were separating specimens, pouring off specimens using the centrifuged, looking at patient's scripts, i never would have thought i would experience the day that we would use the same tourniquets on patients, they had us wipe the tourniquets down with alcohol which i felt uncomfortable doing. Also we had to label all specimens color coded if was frozen, refrigerate or room temp etc.which was fine but all of this is a time consuming and must be done right, we just couldn't draw and then next patient, they had us process the blood work also which the manager specifically said in the interview i was not to process i was hired to just draw blood, well this was a lye or her workers were going against her requirements for new workers, i don't know but then they have this loud team leader very unprofessional storms in the lab yelling saying this is not right and this is wrong and screaming out to another team lead and talking behind backs no team work i felt i was working with under cover high school kids.

A typical day at CPL is usually like any other day at any other employment. What makes it special are my fellow employees and my direct manager. Management is lucky to have a dedicated, knowledgeable, polite, efficient, empathetic, unique leader in our operations manager. Its vital to enjoy what you do and enjoy who you do it with. This has been my second time with this company and it has been enjoyable all over again. Work begins with greeting and preparing the forms of documentation needed by patients to have their bloodwork done. After the documentation is realized I acompany them into our drawing station area to perform a venipuncture and acquire the particular specimen or specimens needed. This is the most enjoyable and sometimes most difficult part of the job. Personalities come by the thousands and one has to be able to adapt to many different levels of emotion every few minutes as patients come and go. This area is where my fellow employees are great in terms of support and providing a helping hand if needed. Overall its not a glamorous type of employment but one can always go home knowing they took part in helping some one stay healthy or to begin the process of getting there. 

Management: My bosses were phenomenal to be around and work with. Supportive, attentive, compassionate, and not afraid to get their hands dirty. The respect I have for my bosses is immeasurable. 

Coworkers: I got along with all my coworkers. I know not everyone is fortunate enough to have a team that they can rely on or even have professional chemistry with, but I truly enjoyed working with my peers and coming into work was easier because of them. 

Pay/Insurance: Insurance was phenomenal since I am a single man with no spouse or children. I cannot speak for those with families, disabilities, or health concerns but I had a very nice Insurance package that covered my every need. Pay was the most ive ever recieved at any job but i also realized its below the typical rate for the title I had. Overall I didn't have too many complaints in this department. 

Environment: My management did not micromanage which was a huge plus to me. As long as I proved competent and completed my tasks, my manager never had any gripes with me. There are times where its slow and times where it was very busy, so its always a toss up from month to month which kept me on my toes. 

Verdict: 10/10 would work for Molecular again. I can't say for other departments but Molecular treated me with respect and allowes me me to professionally blossom. 

The management does not care about u as a person, they just hire u and make it seem as a.great environment, but once your in you are.thrown around to.different people who.are.training you and all of.them train different, I mean how are u supposed.to learn the right way. No one is ever on the same page and.If.you make a mistake they give u no.chances and.fire u and.by mistake I.mean like.Working at a different location that u are.not.familiar with..I mean come on how do.they expect u.to.know.everything!!! Then.the management gangs up.on u when u.get in trouble..what is that all about?? And once they get threatened by a client they get scared of losing business with them and do.what ever it takes.to keep.the client.. they are all jokes!!! I would never recommend this company.for anyone..please turn away!! I have never ever wrote anything about a company I have worked for, because this is the only worst one ever!!! So word has to be said!! I knew a lot of people who were uppers who said that cpl will set u up.for failure. They make u feel betrayed!! And find anything to.get u fired..so.beware if u are considering a position with cpl. I mean come on its.not.only.the phlebotomy side, I've looked at other reviews and its the same all.over different states and.positions..sad sad sad..

Management/Supervision - Awful. Unprofessional. Favoritism. Does not hear your recommendations. Austin Phlebotomy Department supervisors and managers hold no type of higher education. No leadership skills whatsoever.

Staffing - Poor. High Turnover. Management will not hire additional help (because they think you will "become lazy" -- management told me that verbatim). Staffing will be expected to be overworked. Patient Service Centers are overcrowded and understaffed (patients come in at a "walk in" basis). Lab does not close on lunch hours.

Overtime - Will never be approved. Phlebotomists are also expected to work Saturdays despite no overtime approved. "Phlebotomist closer" for Patient Centers is expected to leave on time (which is impossible)

Training - If you are a new employee, you will be thrown into the job with poor training of computer systems, specimen criteria, paperwork, and insurance handling ("sink-or-swim" method). Trainers are overworked and have a poor attitude.

Day off - Will never be approved. Hospital visits. Doctor Visits. The Flu. Picking your kids up from school. 2nd Job. Vacation? Sorry.

Advancement - Unless you're a brown-noser, good luck. Other than that, none.

Stress Level - High. Patients are rude and ungrateful.

People are only as good as the management that leads them. CPL cares and it shows in their chain of management. In my experience working at the Customer Service Dept. (Corporate Office), I found management was beyond professional and intellectual. The people and company skills of the Clinical and Billing Customer Service Manager was extremely diligent, comprehensive and not afraid to set the pace working side by side at times with the rest of us. We could count on her integrity. It is beyond a shadow of a doubt, the best work experience with management that I have ever had. The two leads put every effort into fair play and fair game among the employees that covered the queues and the people they spoke with daily (usually 100 plus calls per CSR), training new employees and communicating new insights, and keeping a diplomatic, smooth flow in our coordinations with other departments. They also took calls, especially when we were short staffed. It was honestly a privilege to work with the CPL team. They challenged me and enriched my life. I will miss working with them.

Avoid at all cost to work for cpl! That pay is ok but not great. The benefits are ridiculously expensive. And the main reason I quit was because of the lead phlebotomist. She is on a power high or something. From day one if I did something not her way she would threaten my job. I was never trained right so I was always getting calls about something that I was never told about. She does not know how to talk to her employees or the clients. She makes things up as she goes! Says she said something and didn't. Backstabing with all employees wants to call and ask if someone said something about her just to start more drama. If you ain't her friend outside of work then you have no chance! She is very unprofessional on all levels! She has ran off a lot of the employees and there are more trying to leave! The company over all is ok I guess and the office people were as well but the lead made me hate going to work everyday! She is a very rude lady! So I'm reviewing to warn other people that are applying. Just don't and save yourself the trouble.it's not worth it! I was only there for 3 months just long enough to find another job.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Phlebotomist 13 salaries reported	$20.97 per hour
Laboratory assistant 3 salaries reported	$19.00 per hour
Health screener 9 salaries reported	$32.10 per hour
Medical technologist 5 salaries reported	$28.78 per hour
Laboratory technician 4 salaries reported	$19.75 per hour

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