Autistic man who lost voluntary job at Waitrose to return in paid role
After Tom Boyd's story made the headlines, he was offered a job at Asda, but now Waitrose has offered him his job back with pay
Last updated 9th Dec 2025
An autistic man who lost his voluntary job at Waitrose is returning to the store in a paid role.
Tom Boyd, 28, had been working at a Waitrose store in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, for four years, accompanied by a support worker.
But when his mother asked the supermarket chain in July if he could be offered a few paid hours the head office ended the work placement.
After his story made the headlines and he was offered a job at Asda, Waitrose offered him his job back with pay.
On Tuesday, the firm confirmed he would be returning to work in January, after the Christmas rush.
A Waitrose spokesman said: "We're delighted that Tom has accepted our offer of paid employment and looking forward to welcoming him to start in January, as requested by his family.
"We have Tom's best interests at heart and we've worked closely with his family throughout to ensure Tom gets the support he needs.
"We're learning from this situation and working with charities and specialists to make sure we can continue to offer fair and rewarding opportunities for people with neurodiversity."
Mr Boyd's case was raised in Parliament earlier this year, when Labour frontbencher Baroness Sherlock said providing opportunities and support for disabled people to thrive in work was a "priority".