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Waitrose has reversed its decision not to offer paid work to an neurodivergent person after previously stating he had to discontinue stacking shelves at the location where he had donated his time for an extended period.

Earlier this year, Frances Boyd asked whether her 28-year-old son her son could be offered a job at the retail establishment in Cheadle Hulme, but her application was eventually rejected by the supermarket's headquarters.

Recently, rival chain Asda announced it sought to give Tom compensated work at its local branch.

Reacting to Waitrose's U-turn, Frances commented: "We are going to evaluate the situation and decide whether it is in the optimal outcome for Tom to go back... and are having further discussions with the company."

'Conducting an inquiry'

A representative for the supermarket chain stated: "We'd like to welcome Tom back, in a paying position, and are seeking support from his relatives and the support organization to make this happen."

"We hope to see him back with us in the near future."

"We are committed about helping workers into the job market who might usually not be given a chance."

"As such, we warmly welcomed Tom and his helper into our Manchester location to learn the ropes and build his confidence."

"We have guidelines in place to support unpaid work, and are examining what's happened in Tom's situation."

Frances explained she had been "overwhelmed" by how the public had responded to her discussing her child's situation.

The young man, who has challenges with communication, was praised for his commitment by supervisors.

"He gave over 600 hours of his time purely because he wanted to belong, contribute, and have an impact," commented his mother.

Tom's mother recognized and acknowledged employees at the local supermarket for assisting him, stating: "They welcomed him and were wonderfully accommodating."

"I feel he was just flying under the radar - operations were proceeding normally until it became a headquarters matter."

Both individuals have been supported by local official Andy Burnham.

He wrote on social media that Tom had received "completely unacceptable" handling and committed to "support him to identify different opportunities that functions".

Burnham declared the Greater Manchester Combined Authority "strongly urges every business - like Waitrose - to register to our newly established diversity program".

Discussing with Frances, who announced of the employment opportunity on media outlets, the elected official commented: "Well done for raising awareness because we must have a significant public information effort here."

She consented to his invitation to serve as a representative for the initiative.