Hundreds of agency staff at Marks & Spencer’s main distribution centre have been instructed to remain at home, as the retailer continues to grapple with the aftermath of a major cyberattack.
According to Sky News, around 200 agency workers who were scheduled to work at the Castle Donington logistics hub in the East Midlands have been told not to report for duty.
A source close to the company revealed that agency staff typically account for approximately 20% of the site’s total workforce. However, full-time M&S employees have been asked to continue working as normal.
The disruption at the iconic British retailer first emerged over the weekend, affecting contactless payments and click-and-collect services.
Last Tuesday, M&S Chief Executive Stuart Machin wrote to customers confirming that a “cyber incident” had occurred, while reassuring shoppers that only “minor, temporary changes” would be made to in-store operations.
By Friday, the situation had escalated further, with Marks & Spencer temporarily halting orders via its website and mobile apps.
In a statement, the company apologised for the ongoing disruption, stressing that it was “working extremely hard to restart online and app shopping” as swiftly as possible.
Click-and-collect services remain suspended, with the company attributing the issue to the cyberattack. M&S said it had taken significant measures to secure its IT infrastructure and reported the incident to both the National Cyber Security Centre and relevant data protection authorities.
“Our stores remain open and ready to welcome customers,” an M&S spokesperson said. “We informed customers earlier this week that no action is required on their part. We are truly sorry for the inconvenience caused.”
