The supermarket chain makes employment change of heart over rejected neurodivergent staff member

Tom Boyd stacked shelves at his local Waitrose for four years on a voluntary basis before being initially turned down for paid work
Tom Boyd volunteered at his local Waitrose for four years on a volunteer arrangement before being initially turned down for a paying job

The grocery retailer has changed its determination not to provide a paying position to an autistic man after originally indicating he had to discontinue working at the location where he had donated his time for an extended period.

In July, Tom's mother inquired whether her family member Tom Boyd could be offered a position at the grocery store in Greater Manchester, but her proposal was finally turned down by Waitrose head office.

This week, rival chain Asda stated it wanted to offer Tom employment hours at its Cheadle Hulme store.

Reacting to Waitrose's U-turn, the parent said: "We are going to evaluate the situation and determine whether it is in what's best for our son to resume working... and are having further discussions with the company."

'Looking into the matter'

A representative for the retailer stated: "We'd like to have Tom return, in paid employment, and are requesting assistance from his relatives and the charity to facilitate this."

"We hope to see him back with us shortly."

"We are committed about assisting people into the workplace who might usually not be offered opportunities."

"As such, we warmly welcomed Tom and his helper into our Cheadle Hulme branch to build skills and develop his abilities."

"We have policies in place to enable volunteering, and are examining what's happened in this case."

Frances Boyd wants to discern what is the best offer for her son
The parent wants to discern what is the optimal opportunity for her son

Frances explained she had been "overwhelmed" by how individuals had reacted to her discussing her child's situation.

The young man, who has challenges with communication, was praised for his work ethic by managers.

"He contributed extensive time of his time exclusively because he wanted to belong, be helpful, and create value," commented his parent.

Frances praised and thanked employees at the local supermarket for supporting him, noting: "They included him and were absolutely brilliant."

"I feel he was just not sufficiently noticed - all was running smoothly until it went to head office."

Tom and his mum have been supported by regional leader Andy Burnham.

He posted on social media that Tom had received "deeply concerning" management and vowed to "assist him to identify different opportunities that succeeds".

Burnham stated the regional organization "strongly urges every business - including Waitrose - to sign up to our newly established diversity program".

Speaking with Tom's mother, who announced of the employment opportunity on local radio, the public figure stated: "Well done for raising awareness because we need a significant public information effort here."

She accepted his offer to become an advocate for the initiative.

Brittney Evans
Brittney Evans

A passionate traveler and mindfulness coach, sharing insights from global adventures to inspire personal transformation.