Tom Boyd: Autistic volunteer who lost job at Waitrose in Cheshire set to return in paid role
An autistic volunteer who lost his job at Waitrose is set to return to the store in a new, paid role.
Tom Boyd, 28, had been working at the Waitrose store in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, for four years, accompanied by a support worker.
But he saw his placement end after his mother asked the supermarket chain if she could be offered some paid hours.
Waitrose later offered him his job back, on a paid basis, after Mr Boyd’s story hit the headlines.
He also received a job offer from rival supermarket Asda and accepted it.
But now Mr Boyd will return to Waitrose in January, after the Christmas period.
A spokesperson for Waitrose said: “We are delighted that Tom has accepted our offer of paid employment and look forward to him starting work in January as per his family’s wishes.
“We have Tom’s best interests at heart and have worked closely with his family from the beginning to ensure Tom gets the support he needs.
“We are learning from this situation and working with charities and experts to ensure we can continue to provide fair and rewarding opportunities for neurodiverse people.”
Mr Boyd’s case came to the fore earlier this year when Labor’s leading candidate in Parliament, Baroness Sherlock, said providing opportunities and support for disabled people to succeed in business was a “priority”.
After leaving Waitrose, Mr Boyd took up the role he was offered at Asda.
An Asda spokesperson said: “When we heard Tom’s story and his determination to find meaningful work, we knew he would make a great contribution to Asda and we are delighted that he has now joined the team at our Cheadle Hulme store.
“Giving people with additional needs the chance to shine is something we are passionate about because we have seen how much it benefits our colleagues and customers.”
