Autistic volunteer ‘sacked’ from Waitrose gets a PAID job offer from rival supermarket
An autistic volunteer who was told she should stop stacking shelves at Waitrose when her mother asked if she could get paid has been offered a job by rival chain Asda.
Tom Boyd, 28, had been working unpaid with a support worker at a branch of the supermarket giant in Cheadle Hulme, Manchester, since 2021.
But when his mother Frances Boyd asked if her son could be offered ‘just a few paid hours’ in July, Waitrose head office told her Mr Boyd’s work experience placement would have to end.
Now Asda is offering the volunteer two five-hour paid shifts a week.
His mother said: ‘We’ve had some great news; ‘Asda offered him five-hour paid shifts twice a week.’
He added: ‘It’s very difficult and if they’re struggling at any time they’re resilient enough to say they’re okay.
‘How amazing that a company can do this.’
Staff at the Waitrose branch allowed Mr Boyd to volunteer after his parents and support workers approached them with the request four years ago.
Tom Boyd, 28, had been working unpaid for the supermarket giant since 2021
When his mother Frances Boyd (pictured) asked if her son could be offered ‘just a few paid hours’ in July, Waitrose head office told her Mr Boyd’s work experience placement would have to end.
Since then he has ‘worked’ for over 600 hours; This led to his mother requesting payment this summer.
Bosses blamed ‘head office’ for turning down the request after they became concerned about the amount of Mr Boyd’s unpaid shifts and told him he could not work until they resolved the situation.
Mrs Boyd revealed her son ‘absolutely loved’ his job and lied to him about the store being closed for cleaning to avoid telling him he couldn’t return.
The family is investigating whether they can employ him at another supermarket.
Speaking in her £900,000 detached home yesterday, Mrs Boyd told the Daily Mail she would not go after Waitrose for her son’s backdated wages, adding: ‘It’s beyond that.
‘It’s about young people volunteering. Waitrose apologized and said they were investigating the matter.’
A spokesman for Waitrose has previously said work placements like Mr Boyd’s are set up with the cooperation of the individual and their family, often in partnership with a charity.
He said they were investigating Tom’s case ‘as a priority’.
