The team working at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Swansea is often described as a family, but for some of the team at the site, it really is family.
Alan Smith, who works at Amazon in Swansea as a team lead, celebrated Father’s Day with one of his teammates, who is also his son.
Alan, who has worked at Amazon since 2011, is one of many fathers working at Amazon in the UK who can call their children colleagues. With Father’s Day 2023 celebrations taking place at the weekend, the father and son team have spoken about how their unique position as family members and teammates benefits them in the workplace.
Alan Smith, who works at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Swansea as a team lead, is preparing to celebrate Father’s Day with one of his colleagues, who is also his son.
Alan works alongside his son Christopher at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Swansea. Although they now work in different departments, with Alan in shipping and Christopher in transportation, the pair have been crossing paths at work since 2016.
Before joining Amazon, Alan worked as a farmer for 30 years. When the last farm he worked on was sold by its owner, he decided to pursue new things outside agriculture and worked in IT for 18 months. Following redundancy, he joined Amazon for better job security, and he has now been with the company for 11 years, working his way up from a temporary role to team lead.
After moving back from London where he was finding it difficult to secure steady work, Christopher joined Amazon for much the same reason as his dad. Seeking a long-term role with opportunities to develop new skills and learn on the job, Christopher found his place at Amazon in Swansea.
During their time at Amazon, both Alan and Christopher have taken part in Amazon’s Career Choice programme to gain qualifications in IT. Career Choice is an innovative programme which provides funding for adult education, offering to pre-pay 95% of tuition and reimburse employees for eligible fees for nationally recognised courses; up to £8,000 over four years. Alan is also currently completing an Amazon apprenticeship to boost his people management skills.
Being colleagues at Amazon has strengthened Alan and Christopher’s personal relationship, making their close working relationship something they really value.
Speaking on the experience of working together, Christopher said: “The relationship my dad and I have has improved since we started working together as it provided us with an opportunity to reconnect and work on something with a shared purpose. When we work together our relationship is professional, but break times allow us to catch up as father and son.”
Alan echoed Christopher’s sentiment, saying: “I’m very proud of Christopher for forging his own career path and taking every opportunity that comes his way at Amazon. I very much enjoy the banter we have during breaks, but what I enjoy most about working together is watching Christopher do so well.”
For any family members who work together, or are thinking about working together, Alan and Christopher have some advice: “Being related does have its advantages in the workplace,” said Alan. “You have each other to lean on, you know how the other person thinks, and you can tell how they’re feeling day-to-day, so it creates an extra support system.”
“Because we work at the same place, I know that my dad is on hand to give me career advice and point me in the right direction,” added Christopher. “I use his example to help forge my own path.”
Alan and Christopher spent Father’s Day relaxing in the garden together.
Amazon Swansea General Manager, Christopher Law, added: “It’s a joy to see Alan interact with Christopher at Amazon and witness how the family bond they have strengthens their relationship as colleagues. Father’s Day is a special day for many, and we hope the pair enjoyed some quality time together to mark the occasion.”
Amazon employees receive competitive pay and comprehensive benefits. Pay starts between £11 and £12 per hour per hour depending on location and employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and an employee discount as well as a company pension plan.
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.
To find out more about a career with Amazon, visit Amazon Jobs.