Worst experience with M&S - Product Manager Marks & Spencer Employee Review

1.0
Mar 20, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Staff discount 20% on merch and decent salary

Cons

My experience at M&S was the worst I've had in my 14-year career. From the start, there was a noticeable culture of arrogance among colleagues, coupled with an aggressive and cutthroat corporate atmosphere. Promises of career coaching from my manager never materialised, and I was even shifted to a different role without prior notice upon returning from vacation, leaving me disoriented. The last nine months were marked by extreme stress and a toxic work environment perpetuated by my manager, with no support from leadership when issues were raised. This eventually led to my termination without proper due process. The prevalence of backstabbing from senior management and gossip further tainted the work environment. The leadership team seemed disconnected and lacked empathy towards employees, emphasising selflessness while neglecting employee well-being. Additionally, the lack of adequate office space, forcing staff to work in makeshift areas like the kitchen with plastic tables and chairs, was a glaring issue. Furthermore, the outdated and clunky technology failed to keep pace with industry standards, hindering productivity and progress. Overall, my time at M&S was marred by ineffective leadership, a toxic culture, and subpar working conditions that ultimately led to a negative experience.

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Marks & Spencer Response
2y
Hi, thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. We're disappointed to hear the concerns you’ve raised and would like to take this opportunity to apologise for how you felt during your time with us. Your observations don't sound like the way we do things at Marks and Spencer and completely go against the values we've worked so hard to uphold, so we'll make sure your comments are fed back to the relevant team. We want to make sure that all of our Colleagues feel supported and enjoy being a part of the Marks and Spencer family. As the issues you've raised are serious, we'd hope that our Colleagues know that they can raise their concerns to their Line Manager or reach out to their local Big Rep. 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. Wishing you the very best for the future. Marks and Spencer

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5.0
Aug 5, 2025
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Pros

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Cons

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Marks & Spencer Response
10mo
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

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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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