Choosing between two companies in different countries to work for is tentative for a young family. However, the choice is made simpler if the family has no qualms about being jostled across the globe for work. Amazon is the leading retailer in the United States, with over 67% of business coming from the American people. As an e-commerce outlet, amazon is in constant competition with other companies such as Alibaba and Walmart. On the other hand, Unilever is a blended company that provides detergents, household items, and processed food worldwide. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate why a young family should opt to work for amazon rather than Unilever. The job market at amazon is constant; hence the chances of being unemployed are significantly reduced.
Comparison of Amazon and Unilever Companies
According to the fortune 500 statistics, amazon ranked at position 9 in 2016 with outlets in 14 countries. However, the company has fewer outlets than Unilever, amazon Inc. ships products to over 100 countries globally. It is the most frequented company in the United States, with about 2 billion customers every month (Agostino, 2018). Also, the company had about 341000 employees in 2016. As it stands, Amazon has over 790000 employees as of 2020, excluding the extra 200000 staff that is hired during holidays when business is booming. The company boasts as the best employer in payment with a starting wage of 15 dollars per hour, which is about two times the average American wage.
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Unilever has its headquarters in the United Kingdom and other offices in the Netherlands. The company has been voted as the best employer in Africa for three consecutive years, from 2016 to 2019. The company has some of the best job offers for young family employees who prefer to work while also keeping a close eye on family welfare (Naharis & Sayed, 2019). Unilever has branches and subsidiaries in over 100 countries, making it one of the largest multinational employers as of 2020 (Agostino, 2018). The company has experienced a drop in employment rate attributed to the pandemic in 2020. In 2016, the company had over 169000 workers, a number that has shrunk to 149000. Although the employment rate dropped, the company is still considered a hub for employment in various job positions.
Why Amazon and Unilever
The two companies share similar features and almost the same level of success. While Amazon is the apparent leader, Unilever has provided employees with the best working conditions and a fair income. In comparison, the pay of 15 dollars per hour at amazon is unparalleled. Amazon may have better wages, but Unilever has more geographical distribution; hence the young family has many locations to choose from (Agostino, 2018). Moreover, the two companies have similar policies for staff remuneration and only differ in the figures involved. However, the home country's policies greatly influence the choice of which company to work for (Naharis & Sayed, 2019). For instance, there are disagreements between Unilever's joint owners on whether to change the company headquarters to the Netherlands or remain in the United Kingdom.
Moreover, the two countries are at the peak of their growth and enjoy a period of profitability. According to the ibis world database, amazon's growth rate will continue to rise, occupying up to 50% of the total market share of e-commerce trade. I addition, Amazon is expected to increase its operations capacity by successfully launching a new Australia outlet. The ibis statistics indicate that amazon's market share and profitability will rise to 2027 (Naharis & Sayed, 2019). These projections are based on the rising number of customers in the online amazon shops.
Moreover, amazon Inc. accounts for over 80% of data traffic in the United States, with amazon prime customers flocking the web to purchase from the retailer. Ibis database projects that Unilever's stock value will rise steadily at an annual rate of 5% if there are no more natural disasters like the pandemic that badly affected its operations. It also projects a steady increase in the number of new employment, considering expanding to accommodate new customers.
Merits of Each Company and Demerits
The companies share similar benefits for their members, such as resource allotment and paid holidays. Amazon offers discounts on all products to its employees with additional benefits of owning the company shares. The company also encourages the members to be part of the 401k saving scheme, where the members save for retirement with the company contributing some money to the project (Naharis & Sayed, 2019). Also, they offer comprehensive medical cover for eyesight dentistry, prescription drugs, and maternal cover. The company also provides its employees with paid leaves, and both parents are entitled to a six-week leave for paternity and paternity reasons.
In comparison, Unilever provides the same benefits for its members with only a slight difference where employees are allowed to work from home, and additional benefits such as tuition fees are guaranteed to be given. Parents are also given a 10000-dollar aid. The aid to help with adoption and a similar amount to help deal with a disability in the family.
Ethical Issues
Amazon has been accused of being irresponsible towards its employees. According to reviews on its websites, the staff has accused the company of failing to provide safety standards, resulting in many accidents, especially in its warehouses. Furthermore, the company has neglected to take care of its injured employees, some of which have a permanent disability (Agostino, 2018). Also, employees have reportedly been overworked, some of who pregnant women are entitled to a maternity leave of up to eight weeks. On the other hand, Unilever has been sued at its South Africa outlet for responding to peaceful strikes with violence. Employees were sprayed with red pepper spray and shot with rubber bullets. The company has denied the claims over time, but the lawsuit is still pending at the law courts in Durban, South Africa. Such scenarios paint a negative image to prospective employees, which discourages them from pursuing any job prospects.
Issue of Repatriation
Amazon has very few international outlets, which has prompted its inability to handle expatriates well. The company has not given its staff overseas the help they would require to settle abroad. On the contrary, the company has assumed overtime that training is the only requirement. As a result, expatriates have returned home, having failed to deliver on the mandated role (Agostino, 2018). However, Unilever has more experience due to its many branches all over the globe. The company has a lifetime contract with Crown Relocation Agency in over 100 countries to ensure that its expatriates are assisted in settling in their jobs. The agency looks for rental space, a school for the children, rented furniture, and child care agents to help the young working family be comfortable. Moreover, the company also offers training to the employees about the new country. Such training is instrumental in helping the new employees familiarize themselves with the work environment, which is crucial in ensuring the expatriates' success in overseas countries.
Conclusion
Therefore, it is apparent that moving to the United Kingdom and getting a job in product management and human resource is a viable option. In the UK, the family will settle in faster and get better assistance to start the new job with as little hitch as possible. Moreover, the job offers at Unilever are more flexible compared to Amazon.
References
Agostino, J. L. (2018). The Impact of E-commerce on Brands: An Analysis of Amazon and a Plan for the Future (Doctoral dissertation, University of Oregon).
Naharis, S., & Sayed, N. M. (2019). An Analysis of the Impact of Remuneration on Employee Motivation: A Case Study on Unilever, Bangladesh.
