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The Jackson Laboratory

Engaged employer

Has the potential to be a top employer - Animal Care The Jackson Laboratory Employee Review

3.0
9 June 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Good benefits package: insurance and great retirement - New gym (built late 2013), New Cafeteria (built early 2014) - High rate of company expansion = never a shortage of work - Lots of overtime opportunities for workaholics - Decently diverse work force (in Production anyway) - Possibility to work with really good people - Work shifts help avoid traffic (start times anywhere from 4:30am-7:30am) - Sometimes the company springs for lunch

Cons

Regarding the Sacramento Animal Care branch: This company has an enormous amount of potential, but expectations of employees are set too high to realize this. The bottom line seems to be the primary influence when it comes to decisions about workflow. Production teams are minimally staffed--the company only staffs just enough technicians to one group so that weekly assignments are only completed on-time if everyone works at 120% all day, every day. This extreme demand for employee efficiency creates a never-ending pool of overtime to cover for anyone that calls-out, giving technicians an even larger workload than the one they were already working extra hard to finish. These high demands often result in employee injuries, which further aggravates the under-staffing issue. While compensation is somewhat decent (starting entry level wage is $12-14/hr), there are several competing companies in the vicinity that offer better pay for much less work. This is one major contributing factor to the high turnover of employees--a running joke among nearby competitors is that JAX is a stepping stone; they train technicians for other companies. It's sad because this company easily has the capability to be on the opposite side of that joke.

Explore other reviews about The Jackson Laboratory

5.0
15 Sept 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

flexibility and opportunity . decent compensation

Cons

could not find one. everything is nice

avatar
The Jackson Laboratory Response
8mo
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We are so glad to hear that you appreciate the flexibility and opportunities offered at JAX. It's wonderful to hear you have found the right fit as part of the JAX team--your positivity and contributions are essential and greatly appreciated. Thanks again for your feedback--it means a lot to us!
2.0
23 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Some of the projects represent truly frontier science, and the promise of contributing to such innovative research is highly alluring. Additionally, the benefits package is strong, featuring a competitive 403(b) match along with generous allocations for PTO and sick leave.

Cons

While the pay is sufficient, it lags behind industry standards. Despite its non-academic setting, a massive portion of the operational focus revolves around securing grants, bringing all the administrative friction that entails. ​My primary concern stems from the workplace culture at the regional site level. In my view, structural dynamics—including the vulnerability of staff on visa sponsorships—can incentivize an environment of appeasing faculty rather than fostering open, objective scientific debate. On multiple occasions, I felt that my professional input and technical feedback regarding operational protocols were not given serious consideration. This ultimately manifested as failing instrumentation and costly repeats of experiments. These systemic roadblocks limited my scientific output and stifled my professional growth, making the environment poor for long-term career advancement. Expected to contribute to or write multiple papers a year with team members who were unwilling to collaborate or be responsible for their low quality work. It feels like a roll of the dice whether you land in a highly collaborative lab group or a deeply frustrating one. I was consistently working harder and longer than similarly ranked lab members but receiving little to no appreciation, pay, or credit for this effort. This was one element of many in a work culture plagued by favoritism and personal comments that ultimately drove me to leave for a more supportive workplace. While my experience was mainly due to a single PI who is a known problem at JAX, yet still employed, it was not isolated to just them.

1
avatar
The Jackson Laboratory Response
1w
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are committed to fostering an environment where employees feel supported, valued, and able to contribute openly and we’re sorry to learn that your experience did not meet expectations. We recognize that experiences can vary and are continuously working to strengthen consistency, accountability, and an inclusive workplace culture across the organization. We appreciate your feedback and wish you the best in your future endeavors.
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