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Waitrose has overturned its ruling not to grant a paying position to an autistic man after originally indicating he had to cease working at the store where he had donated his time for four years.

In July, the young man's parent inquired whether her family member Tom Boyd could be given a employment opportunity at the retail establishment in the Manchester area, but her application was ultimately declined by Waitrose head office.

This week, rival chain Asda announced it sought to give Tom employment hours at its local branch.

Reacting to Waitrose's U-turn, Tom's mother commented: "We are going to consider the offer and determine whether it is in the optimal outcome for Tom to return... and are having ongoing talks with the company."

'Looking into the matter'

A representative for the retailer commented: "We'd like to welcome Tom back, in a paying position, and are requesting assistance from his loved ones and the charity to do so."

"We anticipate to welcome him again with us shortly."

"We are committed about assisting people into the job market who might typically not be given a chance."

"Therefore, we gladly accepted Tom and his helper into our local store to build skills and enhance his self-assurance."

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

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

The young man, who has limited communication skills, was praised for his commitment by managers.

"He contributed over 600 hours of his energy purely because he sought inclusion, contribute, and have an impact," stated his mother.

Tom's mother commended and appreciated staff at the local supermarket for helping him, stating: "They made him part of the team and were exceptionally supportive."

"I think he was just not sufficiently noticed - operations were proceeding normally until it reached corporate level."

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

He posted on social media that Tom had received "completely unacceptable" management and promised to "support him to find another placement that succeeds".

The official stated the Greater Manchester Combined Authority "strongly urges every business - like Waitrose - to register to our newly established inclusion initiative".

Conversing with the parent, who shared information of Tom's Asda job offer on local radio, the elected official said: "Well done for highlighting the issue because we require a huge awareness campaign here."

She agreed to his proposal to become an advocate for the program.