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Charles River Laboratories

Engaged Employer

Charles River Laboratories reviews

3.1

49% would recommend to a friend

(2,373 total reviews)
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Birgit Girshick

64% approve of CEO

32% positive business outlook

Charles River Laboratories has an employee rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars, based on 2,373 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Charles River Laboratories employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews
2.0
Aug 11, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Coworkers that care more about the company and vision then the ceo and upper management.

Cons

Praise that each employee and their work is valued and appreciated but its am empty lie. Once you have give your all for many years, they penalize you for being a hirer paid employee (even though most are severely underpaid). They speak out of both sides of their mouths saying they want work life balance which is a farse. They will pile the work of 3 employees on you then not give you due raises and bonuses. You do not benefit hardly from the direct work of your department. If your department does well for a quarter, they quickly find an "out" as to why you get such a terrible yearly raise and/or any bonus at all. This company does NOT work as a large international company but as a bunch of little companies. Working there half my life (over 20 years and being let go without hesitation during layoffs) I can tell you one of the most difficult tasks working here is working with other sites and departments. They have no internal structure to make the task of cross functionality a necessity. If you want to be valued (I mean really valued and not just when the Forbes is doing their annual "best places to work" piece) then do not work here. You will not be valued. You will work three jobs but paid for one. You will watch those that do not speak up nor speak of the true feelings of their employees nor themselves move up. When layoffs happen (and they will) you will be thrown out like a piece of garbage and not given any help to get new employment even though you were laid off for reasons beyond your control. You will see how ugly the management actually is when their bonuses are in jeopardy.

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Charles River Laboratories Response
10mo
At Charles River, our vision is to be the partner of choice in helping clients bring life-saving treatments to patients, and we are well-positioned to deliver on that vision. Like any global organization with a broad portfolio, we occasionally face challenges related to market dynamics, regulatory shifts, and changing client needs. Through it all, our senior leadership remains focused on transparency, regularly sharing business performance, strategic priorities, and long-term goals with employees to ensure alignment and confidence in our direction.
2.0
Aug 11, 2025

Review

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Company housing, smaller site so you will know everyone at work.

Cons

poor management in Analytical department, lack of organisation, co-workers are amazing but management will let you down

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Charles River Laboratories Response
10mo
We appreciate feedback about leadership, as it plays an important role in how we continue to grow and improve. At Charles River, many of our people leaders balance individual responsibilities with the demands of supporting their teams. We’re committed to helping them succeed in both areas. That’s why we’re focused on selecting leaders who demonstrate our CRL DNA behaviors and investing in their ongoing development at every level of their journey.
5.0
Aug 6, 2025

great place to work

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

a lot of growth opportunities

Cons

salary on the low side

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Charles River Laboratories Response
11mo
Thank you for your kind words and for being part of our team. We’re grateful for your contributions and wish you continued success in your next chapter.
Viewing 127 - 129 of 2,373 Reviews

Glassdoor has 2,665 Charles River Laboratories reviews submitted anonymously by Charles River Laboratories employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Charles River Laboratories is right for you.