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Waitrose has overturned its ruling not to offer a paying position to an neurodivergent person after initially saying he had to discontinue working at the branch where he had volunteered for four years.

Earlier this year, the young man's parent inquired whether her 28-year-old son her son could be given a position at the retail establishment in the Manchester area, but her application was ultimately declined by Waitrose head office.

On Thursday, competing supermarket the grocery chain stated it wanted to offer Tom employment hours at its Manchester location.

Addressing the supermarket's reversal, Tom's mother stated: "We are going to evaluate the situation and decide whether it is in what's best for our son to resume working... and are having additional conversations with the supermarket."

'Conducting an inquiry'

A representative for the supermarket chain stated: "We'd like to have Tom return, in paid employment, and are working closely from his family and the charity to do so."

"We hope to have him return with us in the near future."

"We place great importance about assisting individuals into the job market who might usually not be given a chance."

"Consequently, we warmly welcomed Tom and his helper into our Cheadle Hulme branch to gain experience and enhance his self-assurance."

"We have procedures in place to enable community service, and are examining the circumstances in Tom's situation."

Tom's mother explained she had been "deeply moved" by how people had responded to her talking about her son's experiences.

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

"He contributed over 600 hours of his energy solely because he sought inclusion, be helpful, and create value," commented his mum.

Tom's mother praised and thanked team members at Waitrose's Cheadle Hulme store for helping him, noting: "They welcomed him and were absolutely brilliant."

"I think he was just flying under the radar - operations were proceeding normally until it reached corporate level."

The family have been backed by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.

He stated on online platforms that Tom had received "truly terrible" handling and promised to "help him to identify different opportunities that succeeds".

Burnham said the Greater Manchester Combined Authority "would encourage every business - like Waitrose - to participate to our newly established inclusion initiative".

Speaking with the parent, who announced of Tom's Asda job offer on local radio, the public figure said: "Congratulations for highlighting the issue because we need a significant public information effort here."

She accepted his invitation to become an advocate for the campaign.