Big job benefits
Amazon benefits include, health, financial and education assistance
Photo by Don Hayes
Photo by Don Hayes
By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook Staff Writer
In an announcement that Amazon is hiring seasonal workers, a list of benefits are mentioned.
They include the usual. There is also health, vision, dental and the offering of a 401 (k) with matching funds from the company.
Then, there are the not-so-common benefits that Amazon offers its employees. Visitors on a recent tour of the 630,000 square fulfillment center in Tallahassee just ahead of a ribbon cutting ceremony got a clear view of some of what more than 1,000 employees could enjoy.
Take for example the multi-faith areas where employees can practice their religion. The mini chapel-like room has a rug on the floor and a couch. Plants and light fragrance completes the ambiance in the room.
Amazon employees also have access to a wellness area that resembles a training room. Placed in the cluster of roaming robots and conveyer belts are phone booths, which are referred to as quiet spaces where employees could take phone calls.
Not far from the multi-faith room is an area designated as a lactation room for breastfeeding mothers. While children can’t be brought to the job site, Amazon through its HR department will help parents find childcare at a discounted price, said Kim Price, General Manager for Fulfillment Center in Tallahassee.
The benefits are not unique to Tallahassee. Each of its other Florida locations offers the same to more than 10,000 workers. Those locations are in South Florida, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville.
Amazon said in its announcement on Sept. 19 that it intends to hire 16,000 people in Florida. They will make up part of 250,000 employees that the e-commerce giant wants to hire nationwide for the holiday season.
“Whether someone is looking for a short-term way to make extra money, or is hoping to take their first step toward a fulfilling and rewarding career at Amazon, there’s a role available for them,” John Felton, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations, said in a statement.
Anyone interested in working at Amazon has to apply at amazon.com/apply. Those who are hired will earn between $17 and $28 per hour.
According to the Amazon announcement, on-the-job safety training will be given individual who are hired. Amazon said it is investing $1.2 billion to provide skills training and education to 300,000 US-based employees by 2025.
As part of that, Amazon announced at the Tallahassee ribbon-cutting that the city’s three institutions of higher education – Florida State University, Florida A&M University and Tallahassee Community College – have agreed to take part in its Career Choice program.
“We seek partners that understand the adult learner and are focused on helping our employees through their academic journeys, assisting with jobs placement and overall offering an education that leads to career success,” said Tammy Thieman, Amazon’s Career Choice Director.
The program allow employees to take in-person or on-line classes, said Thieman, who added that more than 4,600 employees in Florida are participants in Career Choice this year.
Amazon also announced one of its newest benefits in the form of an emergency savings program and a financial assistance program.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, elected officials cited the quality of life and economic benefits that the Amazon footprint will have on the community.
“It is a momentous occasion that represents a significant leap forward,” said Mayor John Dailey. “A leap forward in our efforts to foster economic development, create new job opportunities in our community and enhance our local community.”
County Commissioner Carolyn Cumming said the company, which had a soft opening in July, is a sign of its commitment to growth in the area.
“This marks a significant milestone, not only for the country but for the countless opportunities it brings to our residents, our businesses and our community,” Cummings said. “We are so glad that Amazon, a global leader in e-commerce, chose Leon County as the home of this state-of-the-art facility.”
The estimated economic impact that the fulfillment center will have in Tallahassee is $451 million. That started with the hiring of several local sub-contractors in construction of the building.
“This is tremendous,” said Sue Dick, president/CEO of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. “This is what every community should be striving for as it relates to locating industry with Amazon, which has such a community model.
“They not only take care of their customers but they take care of their employees. As a community, we are fortunate to have Amazon here as an investment and such a large footprint.”
