Management:
The laboratory is supervised by a team of five individuals, most of whom lack relevant certifications and hold educational qualifications that are often surpassed by lower level techs. In some cases, experience within the lab is considerably less than those they manage. There is a concerning pattern of supervisory duties being delegated to qualified lower level techs, allowing supervisors to leave early and take additional time off. Supervisory personnel engage in disruptive conversations within the lab, often focused on personal interests rather than professional matters which is hypocritical when contrasted with the reprimands issued to other staff for similar, less disruptive interactions. Highly skilled senior techs consistently shoulder a significant workload, including covering for supervisory responsibilities and processing assays.
Favoritism:
Several highly qualified techs with advanced degrees and certifications are overlooked for advancement or projects due to a perceived lack of favor with supervisors. The work environment appears divided into distinct cultural groups, with supervisors demonstrably favoring those who align with their own cultural preferences or engage in gossip with them. This behavior has created an environment where some employees are permitted to disappear for extended periods, conduct personal business on company time, and avoid accountability for mistakes often covered up by management.
Training:
The selection of trainers appears to be based on favoritism rather than competence which results in techs being trained on the assay with a robotic approach, lacking the necessary troubleshooting skills or fundamental understanding of the underlying biological and chemical processes. The training schedule was previously mismanaged by a supervisor who not only lacks the necessary skills to effectively fulfill this role but was also responsible for significant failures.
Advancement:
Opportunities for promotion within the department are scarce. Advancement appears to be primarily reserved for favored employees who prioritize work over personal life. A strong work-life balance is not valued, and those with families or commitments outside of work are consistently overlooked. Supervisory personnel lack understanding or empathy for employees with families as none of them are parents. They appear to value an unsustainable level of dedication, expecting constant availability for shift coverage, training, processing, volunteering, and an immediate response to communication, both in person and virtually. Competent performance of assigned duties is not considered sufficient for advancement.
Veterans:
Several of the other (enlisted) veterans I have worked with have either left the company voluntarily, been devalued in their roles, or terminated.
HR Concerns:
Despite two-plus years of service, as a competent trainer and SME, without any documented disciplinary actions or performance issues, my employment was terminated. No formal explanation or documentation specifically outlining the reasoning behind this decision was ever provided. The absence of such documentation implies the intent to hinder any challenges to the decision. Given the proximity of my termination to a significant performance incentive payout, a managable health issue, and the "at-will" employment status in North Carolina, I am left to believe that all of these factors may have played a role.
