Pros
The biggest highlight is getting to interact with the primates every day. Providing enrichment, watching their personalities come out, and forming real bonds with them was incredibly rewarding. The PTO benefits were not bad.
Cons
Working at Charles River was an overwhelmingly negative experience. Management was consistently very bad - unprofessional, disorganized, and openly dismissive of employee concerns. There was a clear lack of care and respect toward staff, and speaking up about workplace harassment or discrimination never felt safe or welcome; concerns were brushed off in order to defend the company. Employees were routinely overworked, expected to take on intense physical labor with little support, and treated as if their well-being didn’t matter. Overall, the work environment was toxic, unsupportive, and deeply exhausting, and I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a healthy, respectful, or inclusive workplace.
