EMSL Analytical reviews

Little to no upward movement available. Training periods last much longer than implied in the interview, during which you get paid less. Training goes beyond the advertised two week course described in job postings and instead can last months. This is something to consider if you are not a recent grad living with your parents. Minimal benefits. Health insurance plans are quite poor, unless you opt for the most expensive, in which case you will not see much of a pay check. The "flexible scheduling" is mostly a half truth. You have wiggle room with clock-in and out times, but management takes notice and will hold it against you if they feel you aren't doing enough samples in a day. OT is in the form of "Bonus Days," which is only offered to certain employees, supposedly based on performance. I have seen these being withheld from some well performing employees based on small infractions that management decides to take notice of, while other poorly performing employees committing the same infractions go unnoticed. They consider these "Bonus Days" as a sort of gift, while in reality the lab is extremely behind and needs the help to get back on schedule. Also, if you do not consistently partake in OT management may stop offering them to you. There is a large communication gap between all members of the lab. From trainers to experienced analysts, to lower management, and especially upper management. The lack of communication is well known and well discussed among all levels of employees, but the structure is such that those put in places to listen are already over worked and hold no authority to make a change. It can always be chocked up to, "We'll see what upper management has to say." There is a huge push by the non-laboratory side to increase work performance, but this comes without any input from the laboratory. Incentive programs are implemented without ever spending a day in the laboratory or fully understanding the scope of an average work day. When these poorly thought out competition-based incentive programs don't work as planned they use laboratory employees to track the time use of others and report on each individual. The concerns seem to stem from a few bad apples that could be ruled out with minimal investigation, but there seems to be an avoidance of confrontation at all costs by management. Instead, they accuse all employees of wasting time and utilize a fear based environment to try and increase work output.

They've kept me part time for two years so I get paid less despite putting in more effort than other people in my position. Spoken with management at least four times to move to a different/full time position with promises to advance but no difference in multiple months. Heavily overworked, they take projects without asking their employees if they can handle the amount of samples. Equipment frequently malfunctions, nothing is done about it.