Overview
- Waitrose said Tom Boyd has accepted paid employment and will begin in January at his family’s request.
- Boyd, who has autism, volunteered at the Cheadle Hulme store for about four years, logging roughly 600 unpaid hours.
- His mother’s request for a few paid hours was initially declined by head office, ending his work-experience placement.
- As public pressure mounted, rival Asda offered him a paid role before Waitrose confirmed its change of position.
- Waitrose said it is learning from the case and working with charities and specialists to improve opportunities for neurodiverse people, as figures including Andy Burnham and Baroness Sherlock weighed in.