'My autistic son deserved better from Waitrose'

Tom Boyd had stacked shelves as a volunteer at his local Waitrose for years

The mother of an autistic man who was told he had to stop stacking shelves at a Waitrose store where he had worked as a volunteer for years has said he "deserved better".

Frances Boyd said her son Tom, 28, began work experience at the Cheadle Hulme store in Greater Manchester in 2021, and continued to work unpaid, accompanied by a support worker, as it gave him "a sense of purpose and belonging".

However, she said when she asked if he could be offered "just a few paid hours" in July, the supermarket chain's head office told him he had to stop and could not return to the store.

A spokesman said Waitrose "worked hard to be an inclusive employer" and was investigating the matter "as a priority".

Ms Boyd said Tom, who has limited communication skills, started at the store as part of his skills development for the workplace on his further education course, and continued to volunteer on two mornings a week.

She said he was "so proud of his work", which involved putting stock out and tidying the shelves, and was praised for his work ethic by managers.

"If I went in and saw him, he was smiling, and it gave him independence, a sense of purpose and belonging.

"He gave over 600 hours of his time purely because he wanted to belong, contribute, and make a difference.

"We feel deeply let down."

Frances Boyd said her son "deserved better" after his placement was stopped

A Waitrose & Partners spokesman said it worked with a number of charities to provide work experience and was "well experienced in making reasonable adjustments to help people succeed at work".

"We are sorry to hear of Tom's story and whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, we are investigating as a priority," he said.

Ms Boyd said his placement was stopped when the firm's head office was asked about the possibility of paid work.

She said she was told it was because he "couldn't perform the whole role".

"He deserved better," she added.

"He deserved kindness, respect and the chance for all his hard work to mean something.

"No-one should be made to feel their contribution doesn't matter, especially someone who's given so much of themselves for so long."

Volunteers do not have the same rights as an employee or worker, according to the government, though there are expectations for those undertaking vocational training.

The guidance states that those who volunteer should usually get a volunteer agreement that sets out the level of supervision and support they will receive.

It should also include advice on training and whether they were covered by the organisation's insurance, as well as information about expenses and health and safety issues.

However, the agreements are not compulsory and do not form a contract.

Ms Boyd said she wanted to see legal protections like those afforded to employees by the Equality Act to extend to volunteers to ensure they have "rights and opportunities".

"They can be terminated at any time and that's not really the way we should be moving forward in society today," she added.