An autistic man who was let go from his volunteer role at Waitrose after his mother asked for him to be paid has been offered a paid job by Asda. Tom Boyd, 28, had volunteered twice a week for over four years at the Waitrose store in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester.
His mother, Frances Boyd, said her son had “a sense of purpose and belonging” from his work stocking and tidying shelves. However, when she requested that he be paid for just a few hours, his placement was terminated. Waitrose later said it was because he “couldn’t perform the whole role”.
On Thursday, Mrs Boyd revealed that Asda had offered Tom two five-hour paid shifts per week. She described the offer as “overwhelming” and praised Asda’s flexibility. An Asda spokesperson said Tom was offered a role through their Supported Internship Programme, which has already helped 30 people into work.
A Waitrose spokesperson said the company was “investigating what’s happened in Tom’s situation” and expressed a desire to “welcome Tom back, in paid employment”. The supermarket chain stated it cares deeply about helping people into the workplace who might otherwise not be given a chance.
