Pros
12 small reasons a year, at the end of every month. A very long drive on scenic country roads twice a day. You don't need to explain to a new employer why you want to leave. The likelihood is they already know!!
Cons
Management are bullies. This creates a fearful working environment. You are constantly trying to cover your back, rather than getting on with your job. Your coworkers will highlight you at every opportunity to take the heat off themselves. Unrealistic deadlines. When you question the timeframes you are accused of having a negative attitude & then given even more work to do. Overloading staff with work is an obvious strategy to get rid of people. When you can't keep up with the quantity of work you'll end up on a disciplinary for incompetence. Ridiculously high staff turnover. I met more people here than I did working in retail! No pay structure & not allowed to talk about salaries. No pay reviews. The initial salary may seem attractive, however you potentially could be on it for a long long time. No sick pay. Company health & pension scheme are poor. Holidays are mostly fixed with only 9 floating days per year. The last 2 weeks in August are fixed when it is most expensive to travel. 1 week at Christmas is fixed & various other fixed days including the first Monday in October, which mostly doesn't fall on Halloween!! Working hours are 8:40 to 17:20. The additional 40 mins is for your unpaid breaks. They mustn't have ever listened to Dolly Parton... Meetings are regularly arranged for 17:00 and run late. This is another strategy to keep people in line. Clock card system to ensure you work your contracted hours. You need to work slightly more than this or you will get pulled for clock watching. Again this system creates a feeling of mistrust & fear. Not a proper flexi system. At your managers discretion you can work up time & take the first or last 2 hours of the day off. Some mangers are accommodating while others are not. This leads to bad feelings between departments. No canteen. The tea room has a couple of vending machines. Management like to have meetings here so you can't always get a seat. No Union & anyone that has tried to start one has been given a lot of work to do!! The science & analysers are outdated. Biochips have had their day, time to move with the times. They call 20 year old technology new & innovative! Other companies laugh at the size of their POC device as it is massive! In the winter the roads are not gritted so you take your life in your hands. In the summer there are flies on a biblical proportion, as the site is right beside the lough. Open your mouth outside at your peril!! They destroy your self confidence & enthusiasm. It's not even worth it for the experience on your CV. They don't provide references & if they find out you are looking for alternative employment they will sack you immediately for being untrustworthy & needing to protect IP.