Waitrose has reversed its decision not to offer paid work to an autistic man after initially saying he had to stop stacking shelves at the store where he had volunteered for four years.
In July, Frances Boyd asked whether her 28-year-old son Tom Boyd could be given a job at the supermarket in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, but her request was eventually rejected by Waitrose head office.
On Thursday, rival chain Asda said it wanted to offer Tom paid shifts at its Cheadle Hulme store.
Responding to Waitrose’s u-turn, Frances said: “We are going to think about it and decide whether it is in Tom’s best interests to return… and are having further discussions with Waitrose.”
A spokesman for Waitrose said: “We’d like to welcome Tom back, 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.
“We care deeply about helping people into the workplace who might otherwise not be given a chance.
“As such, we warmly welcomed Tom and his support worker into our Cheadle Hulme branch to gain experience and build his confidence.
“We have policies in place to support volunteering, and are investigating what’s happened in Tom’s situation.”
Frances said she had been “overwhelmed” by how people had responded to her talking about her son’s experiences.
Tom, who has limited communication skills, was praised for his work ethic by managers.
“He gave over 600 hours of his time purely because he wanted to belong, contribute, and make a difference,” said his mum.
Frances praised and thanked staff at Waitrose’s Cheadle Hulme store for supporting him, adding: “They included him and were absolutely brilliant.
“I think he was just under the radar – all was running smoothly until it went to head office.”
Tom and his mum have been backed by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.
He posted on X that Tom had received “truly terrible” treatment and promised to “support him to find another placement that works”.
Burnham said the Greater Manchester Combined Authority “would encourage all employers – including Waitrose – to sign up to our brand new Bee Neuroinclusive Code of Practice”.
Speaking with Frances, who broke the news of Tom’s Asda job offer on Radio Manchester, the Labour mayor said: “Good on you for raising awareness because we need a huge awareness campaign here.”
She accepted his offer to become an advocate for the campaign.