Very low pay, long hours, but relaxed environment and flexible schedule - Lab Technician Pace Analytical Employee Review

3.0
Jul 9, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It's easy to get hired. It's a good place to start if you have little/no experience because they will train you. It's a relaxed environment, and I like my coworkers. You can wear what you want, listen to music, and start work when you want as long as you get your required hours, get everything finished in time, and don't arrive so late that you're interfering with later shifts. It's a good job if you're in school because of the schedule flexibility. Overtime is pretty much always available if you want it, except for during the winter months. They prefer to hire from within, so it's easy to advance or move laterally.

Cons

The pay is exceptionally low. They start their lab techs at around 15/hr (which for Nashville is absurd) and give 50 cent raises every few months. The equipment is cheap and old, and the lab buildings are deteriorated; during the summer we have leaks, high humidity, high temperatures, and condensation all around the lab. Fume hoods constantly break. These issues cause QC failures. Clients frequently have to resample because we either run out of sample volume or can't get samples to pass within hold due to insufficient staffing/dysfunctional equipment. On paper it's a 40 hr/week schedule, but for most of the year (i.e. not winter) you'll usually work 45-50 hrs/week. Mandatory overtime and coming in on weekends is a regular occurrence. Local management has unrealistic expectations of the amount of work we can actually perform. Employees frequently take shortcuts, make errors, and don't follow SOP because management pushes quantity at the cost of quality.

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Pace Analytical Response
3y
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience working at Pace®. Safety and facility conditions are very important to Pace®. I will escalate your review to the proper leaders. Please contact us at HR@pacelabs.com if you would like to share your ideas to help us improve.

Explore other reviews about Pace Analytical

5.0
Jun 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pace had an amazing work environment, the amenities available to employees were far beyond what was necessary for the job. Everyone was extremely friendly and worked well together when group work and collaboration was necessary. Truthfully I was looking forward to working every day being a part of this company! This job helped me realize my passion and helped me decide to attend college for environmental science.

Cons

I personally have nothing negative to say other than the location is quite out of the way for most of the people who worked there. I didn't mind the commute but it was a common topic spoken about in the workplace.

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Pace Analytical Response
1w
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the work environment, felt supported by your colleagues, and found your time at Pace both rewarding and impactful. It's especially meaningful to know that your experience helped inspire your pursuit of a degree in Environmental Science. We're also grateful for your kind words about your manager and the support you received from your team. Creating a positive, collaborative workplace where employees can grow professionally and personally is something we strive for every day.
2.0
Jul 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good people but all had issues with upper management, and the company entirely.

Cons

Swapped ownership and no longer gives bonuses and, did not address harassment issues seriously enough to resolve it. Due to down sizes 20ish people were let go all who were part time. Injuries were followed with the firing of that person for “unrelated reasons” but seemed odd. I was also asked to do something that did not follow the guidelines I needed to follow incase of forensic use. And employee shouldn’t be asked to go against guidelines and it should have been handled by someone more experienced.

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