The first issue is that Avantor/VWR pays considerably less than other companies for the same kind of work (i.e. $16-17/hr vs $23-24/hr for lab tech work). I initially worked through a temp agency, but when I was hired onto the company full time, my pay was actually LOWERED. The company encourages you to go above and beyond, to train and work in other departments, to find and report a given number of safety issues a month, etc for the promise of merit increases, but the company fails to deliver on that promise. During my five years working at the company, despite the value, innovations and contributions I brought to the departments I worked in, I was only given a paltry $0.50 increase every year. It is the equivalent of chasing the perpetual carrot on a stick with no hope of ever reaching it.
I have found that growth within VWR/Avantor is very limited if not nonexistent for most, regardless of the value they provide to the company. I have personally attempted to apply for higher level roles in the interest of growth, only to be passed over for those who have much less industry experience and who ultimately proved unfit for the given role. I have seen multiple hardworking people of integrity and competence come and go due to lack of appreciation and who are exploited for all the company could get out of them. Turnover rate is high, and over the course of one year alone, my department has seen no less than four supervisors come and go.
The policies Avantor/VWR has in place are designed for their own benefit and profit, often at the expense of employees. Your Personal Time Off (PTO) must be used by the year's end and do not roll over to the next year; should you choose to resign, Avantor will NOT pay out any unused PTO hours, and should you choose to use the time off, they will not pay you for taking that time off. I had two weeks' worth of PTO when I resigned, and if I used up that time during my last two weeks, I would have not been paid for all that time off. It's almost as though they vindictively punish you for leaving them, like a crazy ex.
One of the worst policies they have in place is that if you are injured on the job and cannot work, you have to use PTO or else you don't get paid. A colleague of mine was hurt on the job and couldn't work for a week. She had no PTO remaining at the time, and as a result was not paid for the week she was out. Truly appalling.
Some of their job postings/descriptions are downright deceptive. I have seen job postings claiming the employee would participate in lab animal care, but in reality the job consists of nothing but cage washing and autoclaving.
If you are seeking to build your career, I would advise looking elsewhere unless you have no experience or employment options. Even then, as soon as you get six months to a year of experience, it would be best to start looking for opportunities with other companies. Upon leaving this company, I was underpaid, undervalued, and I felt as though my professional growth was stunted. I'm far from the first person to have gone through this, and I'm sure I won't be the last.
