Autistic man who worked unpaid at Waitrose for four years told he can’t have a job
‘After everything he’s done, there was no apology, no thanks, and no recognition for his commitment… He deserved better’
Tom Boyd, 27, did unpaid work experience at Waitrose in Cheadle Hulme fore more than four years(Image: Frances Boyd)
An autistic man who worked unpaid for over four years at a Waitrose store in Greater Manchester has been told he can’t have a job.
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According to Frances, Waitrose said that Tom wouldn’t be offered a paid job at the store because he ‘couldn’t do the full role’.
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She has accused the supermarket of failing to make any ‘reasonable adjustments’ for her disabled son, as required by law.
Waitrose says it ‘works hard’ to be an ‘inclusive employer’ and is ‘well experienced’ in making reasonable adjustments to help people.
But Frances says that her son ‘deserves better’ after proving his valuable contribution and commitment over the last four years.
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In a post on Facebook, she wrote: “Our hearts are broken and we need to share this…
“Our autistic son has been treated so unfairly, and we feel deeply let down.
“For over four years, he’s been doing work experience at Waitrose & Partners store in Cheadle Hulme.
“Every week, for two full mornings, he worked so hard — emptying four or more cages of stock, stacking shelves, and helping wherever he could.
“He loved it there. The shop staff were absolutely amazing with him and made him feel part of the team.
“Many of them would say things like, “You work harder than some people who are paid to work here.”
“He gave over 600 hours of his time — purely because he wanted to belong, contribute, and make a difference.
“When we asked if there was any chance he could be offered just a few paid hours — not as charity, but as recognition for all the time, effort, and heart he’s given — we were shocked by how dismissive and cold the response was.
“The manager said, “We can’t just let him do his thing,” when that’s exactly what he’s been doing successfully for years.”
She added: “After everything he’s done, there was no apology, no thanks, and no recognition for his commitment. Just silence.
“He deserved better. He deserved kindness, respect, and the chance for all his hard work to mean something.”
A Waitrose spokesperson said: “We work hard to be an inclusive employer. As part of this we partner with a number of charities, including to provide work experience, and are well experienced in making reasonable adjustments to help people succeed at work.