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Arup Laboratories

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Sharp Decline and Executive Leadership Failure - Anonymous employee Arup Laboratories Employee Review

1.0
Mar 31, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great co-workers, some great departmental leadership, free coffee. On-site family health clinic.

Cons

I once took pride in working here, but now I'm wanting to leave. Trust in the executives has collapsed, morale is very low, and employees are feeling burned out while the CEO prioritizes revenue over staff well-being even though this is a non-profit company. Pay is low with no flexibility, which is odd since they used to justify the low pay with work-life balance options. Loyalty feels pointless, as staff are treated as expendable. The CEO, despite years with the company, enforces policies that make long-term employees consider leaving. Major changes are imposed without input from those who understand employees needs such as supervisors and managers, resulting in miserable employees, increased workloads, and unfilled positions. The current workplace feels bleak and discouraging, making it difficult for anyone to be productive. Executives imposed half-wall cubicles under the guise of "spontaneous collaboration," it seems as though there's an unspoken expectation for us to monitor one another. Most of us still need to be on Teams meetings, but the open layout makes concentration and privacy impossible. Executive leadership's responses to concerns are dismissive and out of touch, exemplified by rigid return-to-office policy and outdated top-down management style. The push for innovation is contradicted by a refusal to adapt to modern workplace expectations, highlighting a disconnect between top leaders and the workforce. Despite claims of supporting families and work life balance, the top leadership's actions tell a different story. The CEO goes as far as to equate picking up your child from school and finishing work at home with the company subsidizing your childcare, a stance that dismisses real needs and undermines any genuine effort to accommodate employees' lives outside of the office. Requesting feedback from employees is a meaningless gesture here since leadership consistently ignores any input and refuses to implement any changes. The CEO's approach is especially problematic since decisions are made based on personal preferences and once he has made up his mind, he stubbornly refuses to reconsider, disregarding all evidence or employee perspectives. This autocratic style not only undermines staff morale but also makes it clear that genuine collaboration and improvement are not valued here. The only reason to work here or apply is if you're desperate for a job; otherwise, you would be better off somewhere else.

Explore other reviews about Arup Laboratories

5.0
Dec 14, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

LGBT+ (I started openly transitioning here❤︎ Everyone is very considerate and helpful.) Free medical appointments with onsite clinic. There were a lot of reviews complaining about drama but I have not experienced any in my work field after working here 1.5 years. There are bonuses after your preliminary period that are dependent on how busy we are. The culture at work is very laid back. There are opportunities for pay increases but not by much. That said, I don't plan on finding work elsewhere or working towards management positions. The atmosphere and convenience here are more than worth pursuing better pay-in my opinion!-elsewhere. But that may not be worth it for you.

Cons

Pay rate but as an entry level experience hire, this works well for me and is totally offset by the free Dr appointments. College Campus: the traffic around 7-8am and 3-5pm is hell. There are some fun events but sometimes that means parking is reserved and you have to plan around those days. Also some festivals shut down roads so good luck navigating that.

1.0
Jun 26, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You can listen to music with headphones.

Cons

Terrible attendance policy. Easy to burn out if you AuDHD or any combination of Neurodivergent disabilities. If you are placed on leave and your FMLA runs out, they will take your position from you and tell you to try and get another position. When you're on leave, you can't view the internal job board unless you work with HR and a recruiter to unlock it. As the attendance policy has become more strict, 5 unapproved missed days in a rolling year as opposed to 10 when I first started, if you are placed on probation, they will use probation as a reason why you can't return to your last position or a previously held position. This used to be a great company, though with all of their changes and mandatory overtime in specimen processing, it's best to avoid specimen processing jobs unless it will help with credits for the University School programs. High chance of burning out from mandatory overtime.

5
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