Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Employee Reviews about "benefit"

Pros

Awesome benefits and career growth

Cons

Commute was long and benefits declined.

Pros

The postdoc salary account (25% time), the location and facilities.

Cons

No university in town, so these collaborations are sparse and you have to drive farther. It can be difficult to get questions answered about the lab and benefits and etc. Bringing guests or speakers on site is a nightmare.

Pros

You're probably thinking all these reviews are skewed by 3 month interns and postdocs voluntold by their supervisors to give a review so please allow me to throw in perspective from someone whose done a few roles here from environmental engineering to national security research, from O&B to DTED to GS. This is the first place I've ever worked that I genuinely believe deserves a 5 star review. No one here will ever make you feel bad for using vacation or sick days. I never get calls to come in on weekends or stay late. Sure there are days where an extra effort is needed to get a project done but 60+hr work weeks are nonexistent here unless you personally want them to be. In over 6 years I have yet to meet anyone here who isn't intelligent, thoughtful, courteous, or helpful. Anyone will seriously stop whatever it is they're doing and go out of their way to help you with anything you need expecting nothing more than a smile and a thanks. I'm sure it probably exists somewhere around here but I have had zero experience with ladder climbing back stabbers. Leadership actually cares about your career goals and will help guide and get you there. If you get bored with what you're doing there's plenty of other departments to shift into. Having multiple career changes over your time here is not uncommon at all. If you feel like you want to give leadership a try just speak up and before you know it you're a team lead with training lined up to prepare you for being a supervisor. If you're feeling overwhelmed by being surrounded by PhDs and super scientists then by all means go get a masters or your own PhD, fully funded and $0 out of pocket if you do it right and listen to the educational assistance team. About 6 years ago when I was looking to apply at the lab I found a little YouTube video showing a day at the lab, following a newspaper clipping as it travels to different points through the LLNL campus. It goes through the main cafeteria and rides on a bike basket and you see some of the big experiments going on here. Its corny with stock cutesy music but its surprisingly accurate, adorable and made me want to work here. Look it up if you're thinking about applying or have an offer in hand but waiting on the basic background checks before you can start and it will give you a little smile. Not everyone is able to have their own office but there is a very anti-cubilcle, anti-open-office mentality and for the most part,no matter what your role is, you will be treated like an academic professional. I cant speak for everyone at the lab but for myself this is the most job security I've ever had outside of military service. There was a time back in the '08 nastiness where a lot of layoffs happened but all I can say is that when COVID first struck and companies laid off people to make ends meet, LLNL kept everyone fully paid on authorized leave (not counting against the normal accrued paid time off). No skipped paychecks, no lapse in benefits, nothing except the overarching message of stay home, stay safe, your job will be here when you get back. The work we do here though is what makes it all worthwhile. We don't kill ourselves trying to make stock holders happy by making cheaper faster widgets or cash sucking apps. The work we do is real scientific research and/or has direct impacts on national security. Most days I go home very proud of my accomplishments and the part I played in the great game. You most likely wont get rich working here. It's not all greener grass, there is stress and frustrations and you will have horrible days just like any other job. But, you will be home for diner. You won't have to sacrifice time with your family to advance your career. You will have time for your own hobbies and interests. You will be treated like a professional adult and your opinions and ideas will matter.

Cons

A long time ago a lab director working with a dwindling budget had the brilliant idea of saving money by cramming the worlds brightest minds into portable trailers as permanent office space. Sadly a lot of those trailers still exist. A lot of the real buildings are also sadly overdue for some major renovations. Recruiting or encouraging the worlds brightest to stay here can be a challenge when there's birds nests in the high bays or water damaged moldy ceiling tiles in the hallways. The previous and current lab director have thankfully taken notice and there is a grand plan for trailer removal and building construction. Its going to take a while and in the mean time it can be cramped quarters depending on where you're working. There is a plan and it is getting better. The bay area is expensive. If you're coming from out of state with an offer in hand and you say to yourself wow I cant believe they're going to pay me this much, please take a breath and actually do your research. I am extraordinarily well paid for what I do compared to my DC counterparts but just about every last cent gets snatched up by CA taxes and life. Rent/mortgage alone can easily eat up 60-70% of your paycheck leaving you with a one bedroom apartment and a futon if you're not careful. Things do move a lot slower in here compared to the rest of silicon valley. Don't come in expecting to shake the world with your edgy hoverboard startup business mentality. It's not entirely a bad thing however, and the government just wants you to check the right boxes on the grand checklist before you accidentally order a $100,000 piece of equipment. Make your case for what needs to get done and it will happen. Just learn to be patient with some things. Getting a clearance (especially an SCI if needed) takes FOREVER. you will annoy your coworkers by having to be constantly escorted places or when they have to pause conversations and wait for you to leave. You will feel like a burden to everyone until the glorious day you get the email that your badge is in. Things are getting better and it doesn't take the multiple years it used to but still takes a significant amount of time to get a Q. Just do your time in the cooler and as long as you didn't lie on your security questionnaire you'll be fine. We all had to do it. Use the time to work on a degree or just be productive however you can. There's plenty of unclassified work to noodle on. The benefits packages are all pretty good so this is mostly a dig at Kaiser. Kaiser is the primary option for lab folks and they are great if all you have to do is a check up once and while or the random broken bone to set. Good luck if you or anyone in your family has any chronic issues. They will give no end to excuses why everything is your fault, they cant help, and you should probably just die because it would make everything easier on everyone. That being said though I think that's pretty much every big insurance company in the US now and the premiums are actually very reasonable. I think I pay something like $170 a paycheck for full coverage for me and my family. Maybe a little more than that now but my point is overall its not a burden compared to what some other companies will make you pay.

Pros

-As a recent college graduate, I've had great exposure to a lot of really interesting projects at the lab so far. -My peers are all young and driven which promotes a motivating environment. -There is a lot of senior personnel who have been here for a long time which is beneficial for a new engineer in two ways. First, it shows that the work is interesting enough to keep good talent around for a long time. Second, it facilitates an environment with a wealth of knowledge to tap. I know if I have a question, someone has an answer for it, I just have to find them. -Related to the line above, everyone is always willing to help with whatever you're seeking information about. -As a government contractor, there is no feeling of pressure from profit driven decisions, the priority is meeting the design requirements -Gorgeous campus (with a lake) -A couple of cafeterias -Gym -Great base pay -Great health and retirement benefits -Flexible work schedule. 9/80

Cons

-Facilities are old, i.e. many old buildings

Pros

- Work life balance is fantastic - Solid insurance benefits and 401k matching - Vacation accrual starting at 15 days (3 weeks) per year - Flexible work schedule (including remote work, 9/80, and 4/10 options) - Employee outreach and ERG's are strong and supported by management - Promotions from within are very common - Employee personal development and training are encouraged and supported (including additional schooling) - Upper management communicates to the employee body well and responds to employee concerns with surprising speed - Large number of networking groups and sports teams to participate in

Cons

- Pay isn't comparable to what can be offered by private companies further west in the Bay Area (a trade-off for the work-life balance) - Cost of living around the area is high (like most Bay Area cities)

Pros

The do a lot of scientific work that is not weapons realted tnat benefits people by advancing science. There are a lot of smart people working there - lots of higher degrees (masters & Ph.D.s

Cons

They are quagmired in government bureaucracy coming from multiple government sponsors and the good old boy network is alive and well. They often don't promote from within and many of those in charge of making hiring decisions choose poorly. It's hard to get rid of people who are not doing their work so those who work hard get more work with less reward. Government funding is trending downward so less funding and fewer opportunities every year. They get stuck in the mindset of doing things the way they've always done them.

Pros

Nowhere else will you get to work on so many amazing projects, all within one square mile. Energy, Environment, Biology, really big lasers, and more! Get tired of your current project? Go find another one without leaving your workplace. There aren't many places left where you can really build a long-term career, and this is one where you can. The people here are, for the most part, committed, caring, and very, very intelligent. They're a great group to work with. The 401k plan is very good. There's a great match, even if you're new to the lab, and it just gets better the longer you're here.

Cons

'The Lab.' The lab just celebrated its' 65th Anniversary, and sometimes it shows its age. They haven't caught up on things like telecommuting. Housing prices in the Bay Area are SO high. Most people have significant commutes in bad traffic, which could be somewhat alleviated with a reasonable telecommuting policy. But for the most part, it isn't permitted. Salaries have not kept up with industry in the tech fields. Housing costs here are so high, even with a lab salary you could be easily outpriced. Benefits used to be much better. For anyone coming in now, the pension is long gone (though the 401k and match is very generous). Health benefits are pricier and not as good as what is often offered out in industry. And your yearly raise, if you get one at all, could be easily wiped out by that year's health insurance cost increases. Downside of working somewhere where the average age is so high. There are a lot of retirements. Big brain-drain. The lab cannot (or will not, sometimes hard to tell) hire fast enough to take advantage of the knowledge of those leaving. The hemorrhage of talent between retirements and turnover in tech positions (commutes and comparatively low salaries are big contributors here) is painful. Those that are left end up doing more and more, resulting in burnout and then more departures. Inflexible policies. Flex time? Good luck with that. Tele-Commute? Funny (see above). Need some time off? Hope you have the vacation time accumulated (and you can track down all of your bosses to approve it), or you can take leave for an approved reason. Good luck finding someone who can help you figure that out. You really want to avoid working with the Benefits or HR department, if you can help it. They have great programs as far as health, working out, specialty classes. Good luck getting the time to participate, especially if you have a family and a commute (constrained time). And the latter two are not free. Job stability isn't what it once was. Overhead costs are so high that it's harder for projects to hire as many people as they really need, and money is often unstable. You CAN go find another project when you want to, but most don't make it easy to do. Projects get very insulating, it's hard to find out what else is out there. Frequent reorganizations that don't actually ever seem to improve anything.

Pros

Great health benefits and 401k matching

Cons

Only upward mobility seems to be in management.

Pros

Great benefits and 401k. Excellent training program. Many people are retiring, so there is room for advancement.

Cons

Very little salary info available. Long security process. Relatively low/average pay for the area.

Pros

I've worked here for more than 20 years. The pay is just ok. I could get more on the outside. Benefits are ok but I actually have my benefits through my spouse now with an outside business because they are better. The main reason I stay is I'm close to my small children and I do have the flexibility to do things with them. I really like the people I work with but find management doesn't have a clue what they are doing and they treat employee's poor. You might be a great scientist but stink as a manager. The Matrix system is really nice and I've been given the opportunity to work all over the lab on different projects. If funding goes away you can usually find something within a month instead of being laid off.

Cons

During the UC days it was great. We knew pay was better on the outside but we had a company mentality and wanted to retire here. Now new people come in and then head off to Google or Yahoo for lots more money. Scientists don't make good mangers. In all my years I can think of only 2 or 3 people I felt were great managers and one got pushed out of management for not drinking the management Kool Aid.