Absolutely horrendous - Manager Marks & Spencer Employee Review

1.0
Jan 14, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I genuinely can't think of any.

Cons

I had the worst three years of my retail career in M&S. I worked in 3 different stores, as they like to move you around, and bar the 8 weeks in the last one (by which time I had lost all faith in the company), I had such a horrible experience. The management team talked the talk, gossiped about each other behind their backs, and their sense of entitlement blew my mind. Many of them would treat me so badly and I just did not fit the profile they wanted; I actually wanted to know my staff and focus on other things than reports and KPIs and "looking good". When I tell people I worked for M&S, they often respond with, "Oh that must be a lovely place to work!"...they could not be more wrong! A number of other people I know who worked for them too have the same opinion. AVOID!

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Marks & Spencer Response
2y
Hi there, and thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us. We appreciate your openness and honesty. It's disheartening to learn about the concerns you've raised, and we want to sincerely apologize for any discomfort you may have experienced during your time with us. Your feedback has caught our attention, and we want you to know that this isn't reflective of our usual way of doing things. We've invested a lot in upholding values that foster a positive and supportive environment. It's disheartening to hear that we may have fallen short of those expectations. At M&S, our utmost priority has always been the well-being of our colleagues. We strive to create an atmosphere where everyone feels fully supported and empowered to be their best while working as part of our team. Your well-being is crucial to us, and we're committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure that we continue to improve in this regard. Thank you again for bringing these matters to our attention. Your insights are invaluable, and we're dedicated to addressing them with the seriousness they deserve. If you'd like to share or discuss this with us further, please do get in touch with our team via LMAS@marks-and-spencer.com, and we'll be in touch to better understand the concerns you've raised. Marks and Spencer

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5.0
Aug 5, 2025
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Pros

I love how positive the working environment

Cons

I dont like some of the names of the bread

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Marks & Spencer Response
11mo
Hi there, thanks so much for leaving such a great review – it’s lovely to hear that you enjoyed working for us! We're so grateful for your kind words, so thanks for sharing your review with us and the Glassdoor community. Our success relies on the dedication of employees like yourself, so we thank you for all your hard work! Wishing you all the best, Marks and Spencer
1.0
Jul 27, 2025
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Pros

-20% discount -I must enter 5 words

Cons

Never before have I worked for a company where the threat of gross misconduct is thrown around constantly by management. Senior members of staff have been given wrriten warnings over sudden changes in policy. Instead of carrot and stick you're just given the stick. A sudden change in policy comes in and immediately a TM or TSM will tell you "if you can't do this you will recieve a written warning or disciplinary." That is a best case scenario, the alternative is nobody tells you and you continue to do everything as normal and you get punished for an absolute absence of communication. Regional managers pressure Store Managers to hand out punishments like quotas. Worst of all, the company promotes immature and lazy managers for the most part, who will happily stand around doing absolutely nothing, but drive workers aged 60+ like a cart horse. Sorting basic worker's rights like annual leave is a chore to them, and they act as though they are doing you a favour when you do the bare minimum. Favouritism in my store is endemic. Not all managers are like this, my store manager just happens to like a handful of staff and puts down everyone else.

2
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Marks & Spencer Response
11mo
Thanks for raising your concerns. We're really sorry to hear you’re unhappy and we want you to know that at M&S, we care deeply about doing the right thing and acting with integrity, building trust, supporting one another and taking the time to listen. You have already addressed the first step of voicing your views on here, and now we encourage you to talk to your Line Manager. If you feel you cannot approach your Line Manager, then tell a more senior person or someone who you feel most at ease with, for example your BIG rep or your HR Business Partner. Thanks again for sharing, - Marks and Spencer
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