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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Employee Reviews about "red tape"
Found 468 reviews
Approve of CEO
Bill Goldstein
209 Ratings
Pros
"Work life balance is the biggest advantage" (in 116 reviews)
"The Lab cares about your career growth Love working for such a great place" (in 35 reviews)
Cons
"Being a government contractor does mean there is a lot of red tape" (in 40 reviews)
"Of course, the cost of living in the Bay Area makes the 'good' salaries not reach as far" (in 16 reviews)
Reviews about "red tape"
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World-Class Lab Doing World-Class Work
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory full-time for more than 6 years
Pros
LLNL hires some of the world's smartest people and lets them work on the world's hardest problems. It has cutting edge-research facilities that provide access to conditions analogous to the most extreme in the universe. Computation is also a key capability at LLNL, and it possesses some of the world's fastest supercomputers. The location is a great one, and the people are great to work with.
Cons
Red tape: LLNL is a government contractor, and the delays and bureaucracy associated with such work are certainly present. It is generally isolated from the more partisan politics, but budgets can be influenced by what is currently in favor.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory2018-10-04So much better than the corporate world!
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
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- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory full-time for more than a year
Pros
The best thing about my work here is the pace. Out in the corporate world it is "GO GO GO!" However, here at the lab it's a MUCH slower pace. A lot of importance is put on taking your time and doing the job safely and well. Safety is another key plus. It is taken extremely seriously here. You will never be asked to do something unsafe to get a job done on time.
Cons
One of the very few cons is that things happen slowly at the lab. Sometimes that's by design, but sometimes it's because of the red tape. When you learn to sit back a bit and enjoy the slower pace, it does become a bit less frustrating.
Advice to Management
Keep up the good work!
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory2018-09-24LLNL is Wonderful and Getting Better All the Time!
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
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RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory full-time for more than 20 years
Pros
AMAZING work-life programs! Very easy to have a wonderful career AND a life outside of work. Most managers are super flexible and understanding. Really cool on-site programs like Author talks, tons of fitness options, great special events, live music, a farmers market, nice walking paths, wildlife, etc.. Lots of really great science and opportunities to work on very interesting projects. People here are friendly and...
Show MoreCons
LOTS of old processes and red tape . A bit "historic"- many things need to be updated (but it appears they are working on these -- lots of construction happening).
Advice to Management
Make it easier to share our ideas and suggestions.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory2018-09-21Engaging Work for a Purpose
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
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- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory full-time for more than 20 years
Pros
I want to feel like my work is for a higher purpose - and that's what I've found working at LLNL. I believe in the mission, the vision and the values. The people I work with have the same passion about their work and we have fun. When someone asks where I work, I'm proud to say I work at the Lab.
Cons
Working for the government is not for everyone. There is red tape and bureaucracy.
Advice to Management
Transparent leadership is the key to fostering a culture of trust.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory2018-09-11Good Work Life Balance,
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- Culture & Values
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- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory full-time for more than 2 years
Pros
I came from a private consulting company and the hours/work-life balance and the benefits at LLNL are way ahead of my old workplaces. We have flexible schedules, inexpensive health insurance (through Kaiser), and a god 401LK. Managers respect time off. The older employees here grumble a lot, but I think many of them have no idea what the outside is like and how good we have it here. If many of these employees had...
Show MoreCons
Inefficient. Like others have mentioned, there is a lot of red tape. There is also a frustrating amount of bloat, including a lot of admin staff that seems unnecessary. There are also too many managers supervising a small handful of employees, and mangers of those managers and more managers. Decrepit facilities. There are too many people and not enough places for staff....
Show MoreAdvice to Management
Cut payroll bloat and re-invest in facilities. It seems like managers are petrified of lawsuits and cant fire unproductive people if they have gotten beyond their probation period
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory2018-03-23A place to make a real impact in the world
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
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- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory full-time for more than 2 years
Pros
Decent pay, great benefits, flexible hours, very talented people and the opportunity to make a real impact.
Cons
Government red tape and bureaucracies hinder progress, taking a lot of work to get little done. This is, however, inevitable in this line of work and industry (Federal Government). Good restaurants are a little ways from the lab so you have to either bring your own lunch or eat at 1 of the 2 subpar cafeterias on campus.
Advice to Management
Continue to monitor the pay and benefits of the private sector to ensure competitive compensation to retain employees.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory2018-03-23Great Career Move
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
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- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory full-time for more than 2 years
Pros
Great compensation, benefits, 401k matching, and work/life balance. Most importantly, LLNL is a leader in many advance technologies and the work directly impacts the safety of our country.
Cons
Being a government contractor does mean there is a lot of red tape. Coming from another DOE contract laboratory, that is to be expected when you are dealing with the government. Commute traffic in California Bay Area can be really bad, but supervision at LLNL will work with you to find what work hours works best for you and your commute (within reason) and are understanding...
Show MoreLawrence Livermore National Laboratory2018-01-24January 29, 2018 – Employee Relations Program Leader
Thank you for your review. LLNL has a very competitive benefits package and values work/life balance.
- Helpful (1)
Computer Scientist
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
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RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory full-time for more than 2 years
Pros
World class programming challenges, world class supercomputers to work on. Brilliant and friendly people to work with. National security is a vital mission, and that is what LLNL does.
Cons
Stifling red tape and regulations. Staggering amounts of training required. If you need a government clearance, two years is probably what to expect for the wait, unless you have something unusual---then it is anybody's guess.
Advice to Management
Work life balance is really important to me with a young family: I'm glad that's an LLNL priority. However, so is compensation parity with the private sector.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory2017-12-07 Overall a nice place to work
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
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- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory full-time
Pros
Amazing campus, good work life balance, great benefits, lots of fun science
Cons
The area is incredibly expensive, you could never afford a house in Livermore unless you moved here with lots of money and the commute is terrible from anywhere affordable. Hiring is difficult, lots of red tape
Advice to Management
make it easier for employees who want to be there and care about their work to advance.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory2017-11-17- Helpful (1)
Work/life balance and the biggest computers
StarStarStarStarStar- Overall
- Culture & Values
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- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory full-time for more than 20 years
Pros
If you want to work on multi-disciplinary scientific problems of national importance, there's no place better. The world's most powerful computers are sited here and we are constantly challenged to apply that raw power in meaningful ways. There is always something new to research or simulate. You can work a 9-5 schedule, or put in lots of overtime and get rewarded proportionally. People tend to have long careers, so there...
Show MoreCons
The wait for clearances is routinely 18 months or more (The Washington Post says an average of over 15 months, don't know where the management is getting this 12-13 number). However, LLNL has no control over (or visibility into) that process. Many areas of basic science, such as lasers, seismology, computer science, etc. have some connection to nuclear weapons work, if you find that objectionable. Salaries are lower on...
Show MoreLawrence Livermore National Laboratory2017-10-19
Join the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory team
Found 468 reviews
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Response
September 12, 2018 – Recruiting Group Leader
Thank you for your review of the Lab. We are proud of the Lab's mission, vision and values and we're glad you're proud to work for LLNL!