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Sacked autistic Waitrose volunteer accepts new job
UK supermarket makes right after its previous error
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By Peter Clark (Senior Editor, Autism Info Center) Wednesday 24th December 2025 |
Tom Boyd, a 28-year-old autistic man, has been officially hired as a "paid partner" by Waitrose following a controversy over his previous volunteer role.
The dispute began when Mr Boyd, who had stacked shelves unpaid at the Cheadle Hulme branch since 2021, had his placement terminated by Head Office after his mother asked if he could receive payment for his work.
This decision caused a public outcry, prompting rival supermarket Asda to step in and offer him paid shifts.
In response to the backlash, Waitrose reversed their decision.
Mr Boyd has now received his uniform and will begin his new contract in January - a date chosen by his family to avoid the Christmas rush.
He continues to work part-time at Asda in the meantime.
While it is refreshing to see a large company doing the right thing, it's a shame it took a public outcry to get the right result.
Source: MSN News (UK)
https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/other/
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