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The supermarket has changed its ruling not to grant a paying position to an autistic man after originally indicating he had to discontinue stacking shelves at the branch where he had volunteered for an extended period.

During the summer, Frances Boyd inquired whether her adult child Tom Boyd could be given a position at the supermarket in Greater Manchester, but her proposal was ultimately declined by the supermarket's headquarters.

Recently, competing supermarket Asda announced it wanted to offer Tom employment hours at its Manchester location.

Responding to Waitrose's U-turn, the parent said: "We are going to consider the offer and determine whether it is in Tom's best interests to go back... and are having additional conversations with Waitrose."

'Looking into the matter'

A spokesman for the supermarket chain commented: "We'd like to have Tom return, in compensated work, and are seeking support from his family and the support organization to do so."

"We expect to welcome him again with us very soon."

"We care deeply about supporting workers into the workplace who might typically not be given a chance."

"Therefore, we warmly welcomed Tom and his helper into our Manchester location to build skills and build his confidence."

"We have policies in place to facilitate community service, and are examining what's happened in this case."

Tom's mother stated she had been "profoundly affected" by how the public had responded to her talking about her family's story.

Tom, who has limited communication skills, was recognized for his dedication by store leadership.

"He contributed over 600 hours of his energy exclusively because he sought inclusion, be helpful, and create value," stated his mother.

The parent praised and thanked staff at the Manchester branch for supporting him, noting: "They made him part of the team and were absolutely brilliant."

"I believe he was just flying under the radar - all was running smoothly until it reached corporate level."

Tom and his mum have been endorsed by regional leader Andy Burnham.

He wrote on online platforms that Tom had received "truly terrible" management and promised to "assist him to secure alternative employment that functions".

The mayor declared the local government body "strongly urges all employers - such as Waitrose - to participate to our recently launched inclusion initiative".

Conversing with the parent, who shared information of the alternative position on local radio, the elected official commented: "Congratulations for highlighting the issue because we need a huge awareness campaign here."

She agreed to his offer to act as a spokesperson for the program.