Waitrose has offered an autistic volunteer paid employment after he received a job offer from Asda.
Tom Boyd, 28, who completed over 600 hours of voluntary service alongside his support worker at a Waitrose store in Cheadle Hulme, had his placement ended after his mother enquired about payment.
Rival supermarket chain Asda then extended a formal job offer to Mr Boyd.
The 28-year-old requires continuous supervision from a support worker due to his severe autism and limited verbal communication abilities.
Now, Waitrose has also offered Mr Boyd a paid position.
The supermarket giant told GB News: “We work hard to be an inclusive employer, and care deeply about helping people into the workplace who may need some extra support. As such, we warmly welcomed Tom and his support worker into our Cheadle Hulme branch.
“We have policies in place to support volunteering, and are investigating what’s happened in Tom’s situation.
“We’d like to welcome Tom back to Cheadle Hulme, in paid employment, and are seeking support from his family and the charity to do so. We hope to see him back with us very soon.”
They added: “More broadly, we continue to work closely with a number of charities – both to help inform our policies, and to offer targeted work experience. Such placements would always be set up in agreement with the individual and their family.”
Mr Boyd had been attending the Greater Manchester supermarket twice weekly since 2021, working from 9.30am until 2pm on tasks including emptying delivery cages and arranging products on shelves.
His mother, who works for a charity, explained that her son “loved” the routine and sense of purpose his voluntary role provided.
She said: “He used to say: ‘I’m working like my dad and my brother’.”
Mr Boyd has been absent from the store for two months, with his family telling him “the shop is being cleaned” to avoid distressing him.
Asda has committed to providing Mr Boyd with two paid shifts of five hours each per week, with assurances of flexibility should he experience difficulties.
Ms Boyd expressed being “overwhelmed” by the public response to her son’s situation and the subsequent job offer.
“How amazing that a company could do this,” she stated regarding Asda’s approach.
This development follows widespread public reaction to Boyd’s removal from his voluntary position after his family’s payment request.