The mother of an autistic man who was let go as a Waitrose volunteer after she asked for him to be paid has revealed he has been offered a job by a rival supermarket.
Frances Boyd said her son Tom, 28, had been volunteering twice a week for more than four years at Waitrose in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, as it gave him “a sense of purpose and belonging”.
However, when she asked if her son could be paid for “just a few hours”, Tom was let go from his position.
On Thursday, she revealed he had instead been offered employment at rival chain, Asda.
“We’ve had some great news – Asda have offered him two five-hour paid shifts a week,” she told the BBC.
She added: “It’s overwhelming and they are flexible to say if at any time he is struggling, they are fine. How amazing that a company could do this.”
An Asda spokesperson said Tom was offered a role as part of their Supported Internship Programme and partnership with DFN Project SEARCH, through which 30 people have been offered work in their stores.
They said: “We have seen the positive impact this has for the individuals who join and for our colleagues and customers too. So, when we heard about Tom and his desire to find meaningful work, we knew he’d be a fantastic fit and we are delighted to offer him a role at his local store.”
Tom started volunteering at Waitrose in 2021 as part of his further education course.
He continued volunteering there two mornings a week, and was “so proud of his work” stocking and tidying the shelves.
“If I went in and saw him, he was smiling, and it gave him independence, a sense of purpose and belonging,” his mother told the BBC.
“He gave over 600 hours of his time purely because he wanted to belong, contribute, and make a difference.”
Although volunteers do not have the same rights as employees, they were left feeling “deeply let down” when Tom’s placement was stopped after they asked about the possibility of paid work. She told the BBC that Waitrose said it was because he “couldn’t perform the whole role”.
Waitrose said it was investigating Tom’s case “as a priority” and on Thursday and told the Mail Online it would “like to welcome Tom back in paid employment”.
“As those familiar with Waitrose will know, we care deeply about helping people into the workplace who might otherwise not be given a chance,” a spokesperson said.
“As such, we warmly welcomed Tom and his support worker into our Cheadle Hulme branch to gain experience and build his confidence. We have policies in place to support volunteering, and are investigating what’s happened in Tom’s situation.
“We’d like to welcome Tom back, in paid employment, and are seeking support from his family and the charity to do so. We hope to see him back with us very soon.”
The Independent has contacted Waitrose for a comment.
