With such a high turnover rate among laboratory technicians, what exactly is the problem?
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The departure of laboratory technicians is what troubles the head of the analysis department the most: project handover involves a lot of work, and when new employees arrive, there’s another round of internal training required. After some time passes and they become more proficient, they leave again. Forum users are having lively discussions to reveal the secret reason behind why the lab technician simply left. I had to leave because it was “too remote.” The workplace is in a small mountain village far away from the city and from my hometown; it’s not even in the suburbs. Employees from various departments in the company always complain that this place is too underdeveloped and has nothing interesting to do there. ”“The laboratories in chemical plants are always located in remote areas! There’s no way they could be in the city center; it takes us three hours each day just to get to and from work!” “It’s quite common for chemical plants to be situated in remote locations; this situation occurs frequently.” ” There’s no turning back – the salaries are low. After working for two and a half years, the salary is around 3k; for those with an associate degree, it’s only a couple hundred more. It’s easy to find a job with such a salary by changing employers. ”“The salary is low, there’s no hope for promotion, and there’s no vision for the future. ”“There still aren’t many companies with good benefits, so employee turnover is quite common. ”“These days, a regular salary increase isn’t even enough to keep up with inflation; without an increase, it’s simply unbearable. ”“The salary and benefits for frontline inspectors and laboratory technicians are indeed low, yet they have to do a lot of work. ”“Without a reasonable salary increase incentive system, not only ordinary testers but also management have other ideas. ”“After working for a while, you’ll find that the newer, fresher employees earn more than you do. ”“If the laboratory doesn’t intend to offer good salaries, one must be prepared to be treated as a training facility. ”“The XX department across the hall has nothing to do all day long, yet enjoys much better benefits. It’s really unfair to those diligent lab technicians who work hard every day. ” We resolutely left because there was “no hope for promotion” and “poor career prospects.” In our laboratory, there are about 15 people; ultimately, promotions and salary increases tend to go to those who perform better and have better results. ”“Many companies lack effective human resource planning; they hire people just to do the work, without any long-term plans for their development. ”“The laboratory technician reported that there are few opportunities for external training. ”“There is limited room for advancement; reaching the position of laboratory director is basically the limit, and so many people are waiting their turn. ”“The company has no incentive system for laboratory staff; since there is no hope of promotion or a raise, it is only natural for them to choose to leave. ” Finding happiness: “Getting out of singlehood.” “In the laboratory, there is little contact with the outside world, so the majority of girls there are still single.” ” “Girls have few opportunities to meet boys, except those from their own factory. ”“Indeed, people who work in laboratories might be relatively poor at communicating with the outside world; they rarely get to interact with boys in our factory. ” A glamorous transition: “Pursuing freedom.” “There are many rules in the company. As a mandatory stop for external visitors, the testing center has numerous miscellaneous requirements. Since the testing center has glass doors, anyone passing by can see what you’re doing; therefore, one’s freedom is somewhat restricted.” ”“Most corporate laboratories are merely auxiliary tools. The tests related to research and development have been completed; what remains are the ever-unchanging routine inspections, which are extremely monotonous. ”“Resigning is to pursue a better life. ” One can only give up \"for the sake of health.\" There are also girls who change jobs or quit due to health reasons, especially in the field of organic chemistry. ” “There are always some chemicals in the laboratory; even married women with children basically run away from them. ” The ultimate reason, put succinctly: “Most frontline laboratory technicians probably don’t have any sense of belonging to the company.” ”“There are many tasks to be done, but the pay is low. Supervisors and managers lack professional knowledge; yet they frequently attend training courses and make inspection trips. Due to nepotism in hiring, the boss doesn’t trust people’s abilities. ”“Actually, it’s mainly about money on one hand and heart on the other. ”“Little money, many tasks, far from home; low rank, little say, but heavy responsibilities. ”“Too much talk only brings tears. ”“Salaries – low! Sense of belonging – none! Happiness – absolutely none! The system – rigid; people are not treated as human beings at all! Other aspects – we’re tasked with doing many duties that fall under other departments; it’s hard work with no recognition in return!” These discussions among netizens truly moved me. In reality, inspection work is extremely demanding and requires a high level of technical expertise from inspectors. Broadly speaking, ensuring food safety depends on the dedicated efforts of these frontline inspectors. I wish all inspectors can find jobs they truly desire, where they can fully utilize their abilities!
This conclusion should be discussed by distinguishing the origins and development directions of the laboratory technicians. Generally, the laboratories and/or quality control departments in factories have a better working environment compared to the production workshops, and the workload is not very high either. And for someone with a low level of education and limited experience who isn’t interested in getting promoted, doing routine, repetitive tasks in a laboratory setting is still a pretty good option. But if a person has some experience in laboratory work and holds a higher educational qualification, and feels that there is no room for career advancement or that they do not receive adequate compensation due to the heavy responsibilities associated with their job, it will be impossible to retain them.
This post was last edited by hach123456 on 2023-2-3 at 22:14. One of my current colleagues has worked as a lab technician in a chemical plant for over a decade; she is highly skilled in the basic operations required in such roles. Whenever new instruments, such as those used for heavy metal detection, arrive in our laboratory, it is this colleague who trains everyone on how to use them. Yet, despite working in that factory for over a decade, her salary hasn’t increased much. Moreover, the factory moved to a particularly remote rural area the year before last; the commute there and back took three to four hours, so I had no choice but to leave.
For the laboratory technicians in our unit, if they have a high school education and come from families with decent financial conditions, they are required to work long shifts and spend a lot of time in the laboratory; whereas other staff members don’t have to stay there for as long. It mainly depends on individual needs and the degree of match.
The analysis is very thorough. Quality inspection and testing in factories is a position of average importance; if you’re good at it, it’s said that you have some technical skills, but if your performance is average, then anyone with a secondary school, college, or university degree can take on this job. It’s also very difficult to move from a testing role to one in the production workshop. For workers with ordinary skills, it represents normal work; the workplace is not far from home, and no high standards are required. It is a stable job suitable for retirement. For those who are more thoughtful, unwilling to repeat simple tasks, and capable of doing more, it is entirely understandable for them to leave in search of better salary conditions; it is simply a personal decision. Not all the lab technicians who left around me went to other factories to continue working as lab technicians; some have found other jobs that work just as well for them.