As Father’s Day approaches, many of the brilliant employees who work in Amazon’s fulfilment network in the UK are preparing to celebrate the big day with one of their colleagues, who is also their dad. We’ve been catching up with some of the sons and daughters of Amazon employees who work alongside their dad to find out what it’s like working with a parent and, more importantly, what their special plans are for their dad this Father’s Day.
Something sweet in Stoke
Trevor Sutton works alongside his daughter Laura Sutton on the sortation team at the Amazon delivery station in Stoke. Trevor and Laura both joined Amazon on the same day over two years ago and have worked together at the delivery station ever since.
Before joining Amazon, Trevor delivered garden furniture and Laura supported him in his role. As the winter months drew in, the pair decided to join Amazon on a temporary basis until the garden furniture deliveries resumed but enjoyed their roles so much that they became permanent members of the team.
Their close working relationship is something the pair really enjoy. Trevor said:
“I love the company of working with Laura. The comfort of working with someone you know is always great and with your daughter, it’s extra special. We’ve always got on really well and we never fall out, so it works perfectly for us.”
Speaking ahead of Father’s Day, Laura reveals some of her plans for Trevor. “I usually treat my dad to a bottle of whiskey and some chocolate and if he behaves himself, he’ll get that on Father’s Day this year!”
Hiking in the Peak District
Sean Rainey and Natasha Rainey work in the transport operations management team at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Doncaster iPort. Natasha joined the company three years after her father, in 2020, and the pair have worked together since February 2021.
The Doncaster father and daughter love working together. Sean said: “I really enjoy working with Natasha. It’s just lovely to work with your daughter - you really can’t beat it!”
“It’s great working with my dad,” Natasha said. “He always keeps me right, and because he has trained me, I feel confident in my role. I know that he is always there for me.”
Sean and Natasha work together to ensure packages are delivered successfully around the UK, but what’s the one thing Sean always delivers for Natasha?
“A fun working day,” she says. “My dad makes me feel comfortable both in work and at home and I know I can always turn to him for help.”
While her dad wasn’t listening, Natasha revealed the plans she has for Sean ahead of Father’s Day. “Our family loves to go hiking, so we will head to the Peak District for a hike at some point over Father’s Day weekend to spend some quality time together.”
Closer connections in Rochester
Mihai Sibov-Medinschi works with his sons Lucian and Catalin in the sortation centre at Amazon in Rochester. Mihai and Lucian both joined Amazon in 2018, while Catalin joined in 2020 after finishing his education. The family have worked together for the last two years.
Before joining Amazon, Mihai worked in management roles in the hospitality industry, Lucian worked in engineering and Catalin was studying for his A-Levels. Mihai and Lucian joined Amazon because of the inclusive culture and the career progression opportunities at the company and Catalin followed a few years later following the recommendation from his dad and brother.
The family all hope to use Amazon’s many training and development programmes, including Amazon Career Choice, to progress to engineering roles at Amazon in Rochester in the future.
While the thought of working with their children might not be appealing to some parents, Mihai enjoys it and thinks it brings him closer to his sons. He said:
“I love working with my sons. Not only does it bring us closer together as a family, but it also gives me the opportunity to watch them learn and grow in their careers. Amazon provides a fantastic environment for them to learn new skills and develop as people and I am proud of everything they have achieved so far.”
A family feeling is something that encapsulates not just Mihai, Lucian and Catalin, but the whole team at Amazon in Rochester. Mihai added: “We have a great team here at Amazon in Rochester. Our culture is so diverse and welcoming and as a team, we get on really well.”
What’s in store for Mihai on Father’s Day? “Lucian and I will be working on Father’s Day, but our dad has the day off as he’s going away on a trip,” said Catalin.
The family teams are among Amazon’s 70,000 employees in the UK. Amazon provides competitive pay, comprehensive benefits and a modern, safe and engaging work environment for its employees. The roles pay a minimum of £10.00 or £11.10 per hour depending on location, and Amazon employees can also take advantage of Amazon’s pioneering Career Choice programme, which pre-pays 95% of tuition for courses in high-demand fields, up to £8,000 over four years, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.
Amazon also provides opportunities to improve existing skills or learn new ones through internal career progression opportunities such as cross-training, transferring to a different department and promotion into a managerial role.
Read more about Amazon’s investment in the UK.
