Autistic volunteer ‘sacked’ from Waitrose for asking for pay gets job offer from rival store
The mother of an autistic man who was released after asking for pay as a Waitrose volunteer has revealed he was offered a job at a rival supermarket.
Frances Boyd said her son Tom, 28, had been volunteering twice a week at Waitrose in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, for more than four years, which gave him “a sense of purpose and belonging”.
But when he asked if his son could be paid for “just a few hours”, Tom was relieved of his duties.
On Thursday, he revealed he had been offered a job from rival chain Asda.
“We’ve had some great news; Asda has offered him a five-hour paid shift twice a week,” he said. BBC.
He added: “It’s very difficult and if at any time they’re having trouble they’re flexible in saying they’re fine. How amazing that a company can do that.”
An Asda spokesman said Tom had been offered a role as part of the Supported Internship Scheme and in partnership with DFN Project SEARCH, which had seen 30 people offered work in its stores.
They said: “We have seen the positive impact this has had on the individuals involved, our colleagues and our customers too. So when we heard about Tom and his desire to find meaningful work, we knew he would be a great fit and are delighted to offer him a role in our local store.”
Tom started volunteering at Waitrose in 2021 as part of developing his skills for the workplace on his further education course.
She continued to volunteer there two mornings a week and “took pride in her work” as she tidied and tidied the shelves.
“When I walked in and saw him, he was smiling, and it gave him a sense of independence, purpose and belonging,” his mother said. BBC.
“He gave over 600 hours of his time simply because he wanted to belong, contribute and make a difference.”
Although volunteers do not have the same rights as an employee, they were “deeply disappointed” when Tom’s work placement was stopped when asked about the possibility of paid work. He told the BBC that Waitrose told him it was because he “couldn’t play the full role”.
Waitrose said on Thursday it was investigating Tom’s case “as a priority” and Online Mail “He wants Tom to return to paid employment”.
“As those familiar with Waitrose will know, we care deeply about helping people into the workplace who might otherwise not be given the chance,” a spokesman said.
“We therefore warmly welcomed Tom and his support worker to our Cheadle Hulme branch to gain experience and gain their trust. “We have policies to support volunteering and are investigating what happened in Tom’s case.
“We would like to welcome Tom back to paid work and are seeking support from his family and charities to do this. We hope to see him back very soon.”
Independent Waitrose has been contacted for a comment.
