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      Charles River Laboratories

      Engaged Employer

      Charles River Laboratories reviews

      3.1

      49% would recommend to a friend

      (2,375 total reviews)
      avatar

      Birgit Girshick

      64% approve of CEO

      32% positive business outlook

      Ratings by category

      3.7

      Diversity & inclusion

      3.2

      Culture & values

      3.2

      Work/Life balance

      3.1

      Career opportunities

      3.0

      Compensation and benefits

      2.7

      Senior management

      Charles River Laboratories has an employee rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars, based on 2,375 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).

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Reviews by job title

      2K reviews
      2.0
      Apr 9, 2025

      Used to be great

      Research analyst ii
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Great opportunities for continuous advancement in your career

      Cons

      A big management shift occurred, causing all the pros in the company to go out the door..

      4.0
      Apr 9, 2025

      Great but going through a hard time

      Supervisor
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Great pay for entry level work. Good upward mobility for those without higher education, often role that would require a degree will accept the equivalent amount of time in a lab role. Good amount of sick time (64 hours) and vacation hours (120 at start 160 at 5 years) Departments are pretty good about promoting from within their group. Good over time pay, Double time for any day not normally scheduled. Lots of opportunities for OT. Lots of employee engagement resources, Community volunteer opportunities, employee resource groups, shadowing opportunities, wellness room, and leadership training opportunities.

      Cons

      HR is inconsistent with enforcing guidelines and expectations, at times give conflicting information or does not know company policy. Has been laying off employees every quarter for over a year. Salaried staff being used to compensate for massive understaffing of hourly employees. Often working full 8 to 9 hours shifts doing hourly employee tasks then expected to complete their normal workload in off hours and over weekend with no additional compensation. Employee engagement only available for non-vivarium staff. Workload and schedules too packed to allow vivarium staff the opportunity to participate. Attendance policy unclear and enforced differently depending on who in HR is reviewing issues. 401K matching only once per year if employed for entire year. Vacation time roll over take away, company does not buy back unused days. Scheduled difficult for hourly staff to get days off due to understaffing.

      2.0
      Apr 9, 2025

      Extreme stress

      In vivo technician iii
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Good pay and good benefits. Rewarding mission.

      Cons

      Little to no regard to positive work-life balance. Extreme stress throughout the day. High overtime hours and expectations. No guarantee to leave on time every day.

      Viewing 205 - 207 of 2,375 Reviews
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      ReviewsCharles River Laboratories reviews

      Glassdoor has 2,667 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.