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Waitrose has reversed its determination not to grant a paying position to an autistic man after originally indicating he had to discontinue working at the location where he had donated his time for four years.

Earlier this year, Tom's mother requested whether her adult child Tom Boyd could be given a position at the retail establishment in the Manchester area, but her request was finally turned down by Waitrose head office.

Recently, rival chain Asda said it wanted to offer Tom employment hours at its Cheadle Hulme store.

Reacting to the supermarket's reversal, Frances said: "We are going to think about it and determine whether it is in what's best for our son to return... and are having ongoing talks with the supermarket."

'Conducting an inquiry'

A official for the supermarket chain said: "We'd like to see Tom resume, in a paying position, and are requesting assistance from his loved ones and the support organization to do so."

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

"We place great importance about helping workers into the workplace who might typically not be offered opportunities."

"Therefore, we gladly accepted Tom and his support worker into our local store to learn the ropes and enhance his self-assurance."

"We have procedures in place to facilitate unpaid work, and are reviewing the situation in this instance."

Frances said she had been "deeply moved" by how the public had responded to her talking about her child's situation.

The young man, who has specific communication needs, was commended for his work ethic by supervisors.

"He donated over 600 hours of his effort exclusively because he wanted to belong, contribute, and create value," said his mum.

The parent praised and thanked employees at the Manchester branch for assisting him, adding: "They included him and were wonderfully accommodating."

"I believe he was just under the radar - operations were proceeding normally until it went to head office."

Tom and his mum have been endorsed by Greater Manchester mayor the public figure.

He stated on X that Tom had received "completely unacceptable" handling and promised to "help him to find another placement that functions".

Burnham said the regional organization "actively promotes each company - including Waitrose - to sign up to our recently launched diversity program".

Discussing with Frances, who shared information of the alternative position on local radio, the elected official said: "Congratulations for raising awareness because we need a significant public information effort here."

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