Autistic volunteer who lost his job at Waitrose 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 a Waitrose store in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, for four years, accompanied by a support worker.

But he saw his placement ended after his mother asked the supermarket chain if he could be offered a few paid hours.

Waitrose later offered him his job back with pay after Mr Boyd’s story made the headlines.

He was also offered a job at rival supermarket, Asda, which he accepted.

But now Mr Boyd will be returning to Waitrose in January, after the Christmas period.

A Waitrose spokesman said: “We’re delighted that Tom has accepted our offer of paid employment and looking forward to welcoming him to start in January, as requested by his family.

“We have Tom’s best interests at heart and we’ve worked closely with his family throughout to ensure Tom gets the support he needs.

“We’re learning from this situation and working with charities and specialists to make sure we can continue to offer fair and rewarding opportunities for people with neurodiversity.”

Mr Boyd’s case was raised in Parliament earlier this year, when Labour frontbencher Baroness Sherlock said providing opportunities and support for disabled people to thrive in work was a “priority”.

After leaving Waitrose, Mr Boyd took up the role he was offered with Asda.

An Asda spokesman said: “When we heard about Tom’s story and his determination to find meaningful work, we knew he would be a great addition to Asda and we’re so pleased that he’s now joined the team at our Cheadle Hulme store.

“Giving people with additional needs the chance to shine is something we’re passionate about, because we’ve seen how much it benefits our colleagues and customers.”