The chief executive of Marks & Spencer condemned the government’s recent tax measures, including increased National Insurance Contributions and a new packaging levy. He argued that these policies are excessively burdensome on the retail sector, warning of potential job losses, store closures, and slower wage growth, and likened the fiscal approach to 'raiding' the sector like a piggy bank.

The FCA fined Marks and Spencer Financial Services plc, alongside HSBC UK Bank plc and HSBC Bank plc, £6.28 million for failing to properly assess and accommodate customers’ financial difficulties between June 2017 and October 2018. The deficiencies in policies, procedures, and staff training led to disproportionate actions that worsened customers' financial hardships.

Marks and Spencer Financial Services plc, operating as part of HSBC’s group, was fined £6.28 million by the FCA for failing to carry out appropriate affordability assessments and for disproportionate actions against customers in financial difficulty, putting approximately 1.5 million people at risk of further harm.

Marks and Spencer Financial Services plc, along with HSBC, was fined £6.2 million by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for failing to properly assess and address the financial difficulties of customers in arrears between June 2017 and October 2018. The fine was imposed following revelations that the company did not adequately consider customers' circumstances, resulting in disproportionate actions against vulnerable individuals.

In May 2024, Marks & Spencer suspended a supplier from Lincolnshire following the release of footage by the Animal Justice Project. The footage revealed extremely distressing animal welfare violations on a poultry farm, including unsanitary conditions and mishandling of animals.

Marks and Spencer has renewed its surveillance camera certification for an additional 5 years under the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner's scheme, reinforcing its commitment to ethical and transparent use of CCTV in line with established best practices.

An independent Oxfam report on M&S’s supply chain revealed alarming issues including poor worker representation, inadequate sick pay, and in-work poverty. In response, M&S has committed to scaling its digital, anonymous worker voice programme to over 500 UK sites, aiming to create better communication channels and drive industry-wide changes.

Marks and Spencer Financial Services plc upgraded its CCTV system at its Bradford distribution centre by engaging FOUR Security Consultants to ensure the system meets the surveillance camera code of practice. The initiative aims to achieve an effective, efficient, and compliant security infrastructure.

In April 2023, Ethical Consumer’s report 'Produce of Exploitation' highlighted severe abuses in the Spanish supply chain, including underpayment, falsified timesheets and allegations of forced labour among workers supplying UK fruit and vegetables. Marks & Spencer was among supermarkets criticized for not addressing these issues adequately.

Marks and Spencer, in partnership with FOUR Security Consultants Ltd and led by its Head of Corporate Security Clint Reid, obtained the Surveillance Camera Commissioner's certification. The certification demonstrates adherence to the surveillance camera code of practice, promoting operational transparency, safety, and responsible use of surveillance technology across the organization.

Marks & Spencer announced a responsible exit from sourcing operations in Myanmar by March 2023 due to documented human rights violations, partnering with the Ethical Trading Initiative to ensure ethical trading practices and mitigate impacts on local workers.

Marks & Spencer published a detailed human rights and supply chain policy outlining robust grievance mechanisms, anti-retaliation measures, and commitments to international guidelines such as the UN Guiding Principles and OECD Guidelines. The initiative emphasizes transparency, enabling workers and supply chain partners to report human rights abuses and labor standard breaches without fear.

Marks and Spencer Financial Services plc released its 2021-22 gender pay gap report, which details that women earned 97p for every £1 earned by men in median hourly pay. The report also shows that women comprised 63% of employees in the highest paid quarter and 71% in the lowest paid quarter, highlighting a persistent though relatively modest pay disparity.

Ukrainian MPs have accused Marks & Spencer of indirectly funding Vladimir Putin’s war machine by maintaining contractual ties with a Russian franchise. Although M&S suspended product deliveries to its 48 Russian stores, it has refused to break the legal agreement, prompting allegations that revenue from these operations is funneled to support an authoritarian regime.