An autistic volunteer, who was let go by Waitrose after his mother asked for him to be paid for shifts, has been offered a paid role by Asda.
Tom Boyd, 28, completed more than 600 hours of work experience stocking shelves at Waitrose’s Cheadle Hulme Store in Greater Manchester since 2021. However, his placement was ended in July when his mother, charity worker Frances Boyd, asked for him to be offered “just a few paid hours” of work.
Boyd’s experience sparked a media storm this week, with Waitrose drawing criticism from disability rights campaigners, and questions from employment lawyers over whether it was correct for his work to ever be classed as volunteering. Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham also weighed in, calling on Waitrose to sign up to the region’s disability code of practice.
In an interview with BBC Radio Manchester today, Frances Boyd said the family had been “overwhelmed” by the response, revealing that Asda had been in touch with an offer of two paid five-hour shifts a week at its own store in Cheadle Hulme.
“It’s overwhelming and they are flexible to say if at any time he is struggling they are fine,” Boyd said, accepting the offer live on air. “How amazing that a company could do this.”
Asda confirmed the offer to The Grocer.
“We know that finding meaningful work can be especially challenging for individuals with learning disabilities or difficulties,” said an Asda spokesman.
“Asda has a Supported Internship Programme and partnership with DFN Project Search, through which we have welcomed over 30 talented new colleagues into roles across our stores. 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.”
Read more: How Waitrose’s good intentions became a PR disaster
Boyd, whose autism means he has limited communication skills, spent two mornings a week moving stock and restocking shelves in Waitrose, accompanied by a support worker.
His mother said that he’d been “so proud of his work” at Waitrose, and had been praised by store staff for his efforts. She told The Times earlier this week that after her request for Tom to be paid, “alarm bells had rung” at head office over the amount of unpaid work he had done, and it was decided he couldn’t work until it was resolved.
A Waitrose spokesperson said: “As those familiar with Waitrose will know, we care deeply about helping people into the workplace who might otherwise not be given a chance. 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,” the spokesperson said.
“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,” they added.
No comments yet