M&S raises hourly shopworker rates in ‘biggest ever investment in retail pay’

Marks & Spencer is raising hourly pay for store assistants from £10.90 to £12.00 nationally and from £12.05 to £13.15 in London, with the new rates taking effect from 1 April.

A record £89m investment in retail pay by M&S will also see the hourly rate for team support managers rise, from £12.20 to £13.05 nationally and from £13.35 to £14.20 in London.

M&S’s new store assistant rates will bring it into line with the Real Living Wage, as set by the Living Wage Foundation, of at least £12 an hour. It is also a sector-leading rate as a national minimum, with Aldi, Lidl and Sainsbury’s the only other major grocers to guarantee at least £12 an hour across the country.

However, it is a different story in London, where M&S’s new rate of £13.15 matches that of Sainsbury’s but is 40p an hour less than Aldi and Lidl offer within the M25.

Also from 1 April, M&S is introducing six weeks’ paternity leave at full pay and doubling maternity and adoption leave at full pay to 26 weeks, in a further £5m investment annually.

Read more: How much do supermarkets pay their staff?

“Our vision is to be the most trusted retailer – and that starts with being the most trusted employer,” said M&S CEO Stuart Machin. “That’s why today we’re making our biggest-ever investment in our retail pay offer to recognise our colleagues for the vital role they play each day.

“It means that since March 2022, we’ve invested more than £146m in our retail pay offer and increased our standard hourly rate by more than 26%.

“But creating a great place to work isn’t just about pay, it’s about the overall package and colleagues feeling valued and able to be their best. That’s why, in addition to our pay increase, I’m delighted to announce some significant improvements to our family leave policies to support colleagues through life’s big moments.”