Amazon recruiting 2,500 seasonal workers for Rugeley warehouse
Amazon is delivering a bumper Christmas jobs boost for Staffordshire and the Black Country as it looks to hire 2,500 people to work at its Rugeley warehouse in the run-up to the festive period.
The seasonal jobs at Rugeley make up the bulk of 3,000 on offer across the Midlands, and more than 20,000 being hired nationwide.
The Rugeley seasonal jobs are on top of the existing workforce of around 1,500 at the 750,000 sq ft fulfilment centre – one of the biggest Amazon operates in the UK.
It is one of four sites in the Midlands, along with Coalville, Daventry and the newly opened centre at Coventry, where 500 season jobs are being recruited for on top of the existing headcount of around 800.
But the main focus is on the huge Wheelhouse Road site in Rugeley, which handles millions of products for delivery to Amazon's customers across the country
The recruitment comes after Amazon's announcement earlier this month at from November 1 it is increasing its minimum wage to £9.50 for all full-time, part-time, temporary (including those hired by agencies), and seasonal workers outside of London.
“We prepare year round for the festive season and we’re excited to have over 20,000 seasonal positions available this year to help delight our customers,” said Stefano Perego, Amazon’s director of UK customer fulfilment.
“We look forward to welcoming back seasonal workers who return year-after-year to work at Amazon and welcome new faces to the seasonal team.”
Regional director Nicola Fyfe added: “We look forward to welcoming more than 3,000 seasonal workers in the Midlands to play an integral role in helping us deliver an exceptional experience for our customers during the Christmas season.
"We plan all year round for the festive period and the increase in people at our site to provide a positive work environment with a series of fun events that can be enjoyed by everyone.”
Recruitment for seasonal roles is now underway through local recruitment agencies.
Amazon currently has 17 fulfilment centres in the UK and opened its first dedicated UK receive centre in Coventry this summer.
Amazon says all permanent fulfilment centre employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals and an employee discount, which combined are worth more than £700 annually, as well as a company pension plan.
It also offers employees an innovative programme called Career Choice that provides employees funding for adult education, offering to pre-pay 95 per cent of tuition and associated fees for nationally recognised courses, up to £8,000 over four years.
More information can be found on the Amazon jobs website.
