Understaffed and poor work culture - Lab Technician (Contaminants) SGS Employee Review

2.0
17 June 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

This role wears many hats so there is constant development of an employees soft and hard skills. Management is open-minded and constantly introducing new methods, techniques, and interventions to improve work ethic.

Cons

Insufficient Training: The training is based on what task needs to be done at the time so staff are working with gaps of information. There is limited direction so you learn through asking the right people (if they're available) and, trail and error. Ineffective management: Management uses micromanaging and shaming to promote faster work ethic as speed is a prioritised skill here. Also, accessibility is limited therefore I wouldn't recommend disabled individuals for this role particularly if physical health is affected. Lack of Work-Life Balance: Due to this role being chronically understaffed, overtime is expected. This unfortunately creates a culture of tension between staff who are unable to perform to that level on a daily basis and the staff who have to stay late and pick up for them. It is not uncommon for management to tell staff that they have to stay late until the work is done. High-turnover: Due to the physical and mental demand this role, employees tend to leave within the first year. Toxic Culture: Because of everything stated before, the culture can be hostile. Lack of communication between staff and departments is a daily occurrence. Everyone is rushing to complete their tasks by 5pm, so consideration about workload within the team is non-existent and mistakes are just as common. Management will regularly talk about employees to their other team members, further contributing to the culture of blame when these mistakes arise. It also creates a division within the team, separating the people who are favoured by management and the people who are not.

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SGS Response
11mo
Hi there, thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback. We have passed this on to the team as we're always looking for ways in which we can improve. Kind regards, SGS HR

Explore other reviews about SGS

5.0
12 Feb 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Very stable. Really nice people. Management is super nice. I recommend as a place you can build a career. Work / life balance is good too.

Cons

I would say the lower salary but benefits are great.

3.0
11 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Big company, globally recognized. - Nice co workers - Financially stable and has huge potential. - Diversity and continuous effort towards sustainability.

Cons

- Very slow, not aggressive. - No career growth, internal politics. Policies are very different across business lines which is unusual for such a huge company. - Low compensation compared to competition. - Not much support form management

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