Ray Eugeni, client partner, Liverpool, and his private banking assistant Charlotte Johnson share a special connection. They're related. "I met my wife and her younger sister, Charlotte, when we were at university together," explains Ray.

After graduating, Ray and his wife moved to the USA, while Charlotte finished her studies and then moved to China. Ray says: "When I returned to the UK, I started working for Barclays Stockbrokers. I needed an assistant and my wife suggested Charlotte."

Four years later, Coutts approached Ray for a client partner role in Liverpool, which he accepted on the condition Charlotte could join too. She explains: "When we came for the interview, we were worried about being related, but Coutts didn't mind at all!"

Twelve months on, Charlotte believes their working relationship is a success because of their family connection. She says: "Being family we are much closer. You back each other up, and I probably push him a lot more. We both want to do well. There's also a real sense of family in Liverpool – we've even got a married couple in the team."

And does work ever spill into family time? "It drives my wife mad when Charlotte and I 'talk shop', which can be quite often," laughs Ray.

Jenny Glassborow, manager, Cashiers, Reception and Safe Custody, has seen plenty of change in her 28 years at Coutts. "When I joined, I didn't notice many relatives working together, but as time has gone on there's a lot more, including Daisy and I," she reveals.

Jenny's 18-year-old daughter Daisy works in the Customer Services team in the ISA office, after completing a work experience stint at Coutts a year ago.

Although mother and daughter don't work in the same building, Jenny finds it can be 'strange' when colleagues discover they're related. "I've conducted a few safe custody tours with some of Daisy's team where they've recognised me and said 'oh, you're Daisy's mum'. I think that's quite nice."

Then there are the emails that sometimes get sent to Daisy by mistake. But overall mother and daughter believe its 'good'working for the same company. "If I ever need advice or help with anything, I can always turn to mum. She always nags me to keep up to date with the business news" laughs Daisy.

Jenny adds: "And at the Christmas party, I was able to keep an eye on her. I think my whole team was; she had about 12 mums that night!

"We have so many opportunities being part of the RBS group. I always encourage Daisy to get involved and I wish someone had said the same to me when I was younger," reflects Jenny.

Identical twins Laurence and Charlie Bartlett, 28, have worked in the RBS group for a total of 13 years although they work in separate departments and buildings. Laurence is a securities trader in Wealth Investment Management and Charlie works in Systems Support, Investment Operations. The twins never thought they would end up working for the same company.

"I originally turned down my job at NatWest Stockbrokers because after growing up together, going to the same school and having the same mates, I thought it would be good to branch out and work somewhere different to Charlie," says Laurence. "But in the end I took it as it was in a different department."

However, when Laurence was made redundant in June 2003, he was offered a job at Coutts, which he accepted. And now they both work for Coutts, they feel like they're at completely different companies.

Charlie explains: "It's like saying I work for UBS and Laurence works for JP Morgan. Our departments aren't directly linked, so we hardly have any contact at work."

Do they ever use their twin status in the office? Laurence laughs: "On one of my first days at NatWest Stockbrokers, I was in the pub getting to know my colleagues. Charlie was already in there chatting up a woman, completely unaware that she was one of my new managers. When she asked if he was the new boy, Charlie simply played along.

"For the next two years, she didn't speak to me, and that's when one of my colleagues told me what Charlie had done," he says, embarrassed.

Family members working together at Coutts is nothing new. Archive records from the 19th and 20th centuries show several clerks had more than one relative who worked at Coutts.

"Charles Ward joined in 1809 and his son, Charles James Ward in 1830," illustrates Tracey Earl, archivist. "And in the early 20th century, there was Robert Thomas and his twin Arthur who began working at Coutts.

"It was quite common to have different family members working together, but if they were poor at their work they wouldn't be kept on," insists Tracey.

"The opportunities young people now have are really exciting - they are in control of their careers. And working somewhere like Coutts, allows them to fulfil these opportunities in a company that's family-oriented," concludes Jenny Glassborow.

By Rupa Sudra