Armed Forces Day is an annual event that commemorates the service of women and men in the British Armed Forces – the Naval Service, British Army and Royal Air Force as well as the Regular Reserve, Volunteer Reserves and Sponsored Reserves.
Amazon is honouring Armed Forces Reserve Day (26th June) and Armed Forces Day (29th June) in the UK by paying tribute to veterans and reservists like Mark Farrer and Sophie Martin who have joined Amazon’s UK Operations and who work to delight customers every day.
Mark Farrer, 37 is an Environment, Health and Safety Manager at the Warrington fulfilment centre and a retired Royal Navy Officer. “My father and grandfather were both merchant sailors so it was no surprise when I took to the water myself with the Royal Navy. I spent five years sailing the seas and have touched land in every one of the seven continents. I left the Navy to settle down and three kids later, joined Amazon. Two years on, I’m now an Environment, Health and Safety Manager. In the Navy safety is always the first thought, and so I was really pleased to see that same emphasis on safety when I came to Amazon and how my previous experience could help me. It’s the perfect job for me.”
As a signee of the Armed Forces Covenant, Amazon has joined a national pledge to ensure that those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly.
In 2011, Amazon launched its Military Programme in the UK, offering veterans the opportunity to pursue exciting post-military careers in operations, engineering, logistics HR and cloud computing and this year, Amazon has gone a step further by announcing that it will support employees who continue to serve with the UK Military as members of the Armed Forces Reserve by ensuring that they will get up to two weeks of paid leave each year to attend training in addition to their annual leave.
Sophie Martin, 23, is an Operations Manager at the Daventry fulfilment centre and Reservist for the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers. “I’ve been a Reservist now for almost three years, and Amazon has been great at supporting me. Thanks to my manager’s willingness to change my shifts patterns and the two weeks of paid time off, I’ve been able to keep up with my commitment to the Armed Forces Reserve. I’ve also recently been promoted to Operations Manager in Daventry.”
Throughout this week in fulfilment centres across England and Scotland, groups from the Armed Forces, Reserve officers and veterans will be welcomed on public tours and take part in a Q&A session with ex-military personnel working in Amazon Operations. Guests will get to meet and hear from employees like Sophie and Mark and discuss Amazon’s military hiring programme for veterans and military spouses.
Gillian Russell, Military Programme Manager, and retired Royal Navy Officer, at Amazon, said:
“As a company that employs many former military personnel, we understand how important it is for people to find fulfilling jobs after they leave the Services. Fulfilment is at the heart of the Amazon experience, our teams possess a wide range of skills and expertise, from business analysis and inventory management to engineering. We’re always looking to recruit veterans who want to continue to use their hard earned skills in a fast paced business environment and that appreciates their training and operational experience gained during their time in uniform. We are thrilled to offer talented veterans the opportunity to launch into exciting post-military careers with limitless possibilities.”
