Life at M&S
Introduction
Our people make M&S unique. We’re bold with our decisions, ambitious for growth and focused on doing the right thing for our customers every day.
Your Team
Your Team
Why work here
We’re not just embracing a new era of retail, we’re here to lead it. We’re hands-on, sleeves rolled up, we get the job done and we always aim higher. In every area, we set the standard for others to follow. Developing new products customers love. Crafting experiences they’ve never seen before. Making sustainable and ethical business our priority. This is your chance to help transform a global business loved by over 32 million customers and carve out a career as ambitious and bold as you are.
Being an in-person business
We're at our best when we're close to customers, and for many of us at M&S, that means working in store every day.
To stay close to customers, our support teams are in the office three days a week as we believe that skills are developed through collaboration, and that spending time together makes us more creative and connected. It also means we can solve problems as soon as they arise, learn and grow as a team, build trust, and get closer to our colleagues.
Benefits
Wellbeing hub
Get access to resources to support your wellbeing, including a free virtual GP service.
Giving back
Support your favourite charities by donating through your pay or even volunteering for them.
Pay
Earn a competitive salary.
Colleague discount
After completing your probation period, you'll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.
Please note only contracts of more than 12 weeks are eligible for this benefit.
Time off
Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days.
Bonus
We have discretionary bonus schemes depending on your role and our business performance.
Life assurance
Get cover for twice your salary up to age 70 (double with our Pension Plan).
Workplace savings
We’ll help you save through our Pension Savings Plan, Share Buy and Sharesave schemes.
My Choices
Save on everyday costs through discounts and offers and get access to great health benefits.
Cycle to work
Bike/accessory hire with Cycle to Work and save on tax and national insurance.
Smart tech
Buy the latest technology with interest-free financing directly from your salary.
Family friendly policy
Industry-leading maternity, paternity, adoption and neo-natal policies, providing support and flexibility for you and your family.
-
Wellbeing hub
Get access to resources to support your wellbeing, including a free virtual GP service.
-
Giving back
Support your favourite charities by donating through your pay or even volunteering for them.
-
Pay
Earn a competitive salary.
-
Colleague discount
After completing your probation period, you'll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.
Please note only contracts of more than 12 weeks are eligible for this benefit.
-
Time off
Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days.
-
Bonus
We have discretionary bonus schemes depending on your role and our business performance.
-
Life assurance
Get cover for twice your salary up to age 70 (double with our Pension Plan).
-
Workplace savings
We’ll help you save through our Pension Savings Plan, Share Buy and Sharesave schemes.
-
My Choices
Save on everyday costs through discounts and offers and get access to great health benefits.
-
Cycle to work
Bike/accessory hire with Cycle to Work and save on tax and national insurance.
-
Smart tech
Buy the latest technology with interest-free financing directly from your salary.
-
Family friendly policy
Industry-leading maternity, paternity, adoption and neo-natal policies, providing support and flexibility for you and your family.
Partners & Programmes
Alongside our internal initiatives, we collaborate with partners and outside experts in some areas of inclusion and diversity to make sure what we offer our colleagues reflects the needs and interests of our communities. See some of the partners we work with.
Marks & Start
Marks & Start is our programme that provides training and employability skills to people facing barriers to employment. This is an important part of supporting under-represented groups into work and helping them progress to senior roles.
The Albert Kenny Trust
We’ve been working with the AKT since 2019, donating more than £30,000 since launching through Sparks. They’re one of our official Sparks charity partners – so customers can support them to provide safe accommodation, advice and better futures for the LGBTQ+ community.
The 30% club
30% club is a global campaign to increase gender diversity at board and senior management levels. We’ve been part of their 30% Club Cross Business Mentoring Programme since it began in 2014, and this year have over 30 mentees and 30 mentors taking part to develop a diverse pipeline of M&S leaders.
Business in the Community Race at Work charter
We support the Business in the Community Race at Work charter’s five calls to action to ensure ethnic minority colleagues are represented at all levels within business. These include appointing an Executive Sponsor for race, committing at board level to zero tolerance of harassment and bullying, and taking actions that support the career progression of our ethic minority colleagues.
We're a Disability Confident Employer
We strive to make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to the workplace. We’re recognised as a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2). This assesses how we recruit and develop our people, through the lens of disability.
Armed Forces Covenant (Gold Status)
This is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve, or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly. We support their pledges including:
- Promoting the fact that we are an armed forces friendly organisation by effectively publicising the Covenant
- Seeking to support the employment of service leavers and veterans young and old
- Seeking to support our colleagues who choose to be members of the Reserve forces
- Supporting the Royal British Legion's nationwide Poppy Appeal in November
SEO/London - Sponsors for educational opportunity
We're on a mission to embrace diversity, and whilst we're proud of the progress we've made, there's more to be done. So, we've enlisted the help of SEO/London, who engage with a gender-balanced, ethnically diverse mix of candidates and deliver superior educational training/mentoring support to young people from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds.
We're a carers confident employer
We're actively listening to what matters to our colleagues, as we continue to build our family time policies. We've successfully achieved our Carers Confident Level 1 certificate, demonstrating that we will support all carers across our business. It also shows our understanding of the legal rights of carers at M&S, and helps colleagues recognise themselves as carers, so we can provide practical support and assist them in combining their work and caring responsibilities.
Forces families jobs
Forces Families Jobs is the go-to for training, employment and volunteer roles for family members of currently serving UK military personnel. As a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, we've made a promise to ensure that those who serve, or have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly. We believe sharing our roles with Forces Families Jobs allows us to excel in our duty to the Forces community.
Evenbreak
In our mission to attract more disabled candidates, we've enlisted the help of Evenbreak, whose mission is ensuring disabled people have the same opportunities and choices to enter, progress and thrive in the world of work as non-disabled people. We're passionate about being an inclusive place to work, and this partnership helps us attract more disabled candidates.
myGwork
myGwork is the global business community for LGBTQ+ professionals, graduates, inclusive employers, and advocates for workplace equality. We've partnered with myGwork to ensure that we're attracting more candidates from LGBTQ+ communities and ensure that everyone feels welcomed and supported to be their best.
Learning and Development
Business knowledge. Product data. Digital Expertise. Leadership skills and more. Our mix of training, mentoring and development opportunities will mean you’ll never stop learning. Wherever you join us, you’ll be surrounded by colleagues who will help you learn, grow and build the skills and experience you need to do better for our customers. When you grow, we grow. That’s why your development is always our priority.
Inclusion & Diversity
Belonging at M&S is our top priority. We strive to be a company where everyone feels it, and everyone’s supported to fulfil their potential. We’ve come a long way and we know we still have work to do. It’s about all of us, that’s why our values of inclusion covers colleagues, customers and communities here.
Find out moreMarks & Start
Marks & Start is our programme providing training and employability skills to people facing barriers to employment. This is an important part of supporting under-represented groups into work and helping them progress to more senior roles.
Find out more