Asda hires autistic man who was let go by Waitrose after years of volunteering

Tom Boyd, a 28-year-old autistic man, was let go as an unpaid shelf stacker at Waitrose after volunteering for years. His mother, Frances Boyd, expressed disappointment and frustration with Waitrose's handling of the situation, stating that her son had offered over 600 hours of unpaid work without expecting payment. Despite this, Waitrose declined to offer Tom a paid job, despite having limited communication skills being mandated by the Equality Act 2010. However, Asda has since offered Tom two five-hour paid shifts per week. The incident sparked criticism towards Waitrose and led to an outpouring of support for Tom on social media. A spokesperson for Waitrose stated that they are investigating the matter as a priority, while a representative from Asda welcomed Tom into their supported internship programme.

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