A volunteer at a major supermarket chain has lost his placement after his family approached the company about converting his role into paid work. The individual, a 27-year-old man with severe autism, had volunteered for over four years, logging more than 600 hours at a store in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, where he assisted with tasks like stacking shelves and emptying stock cages. He was always accompanied by a support worker and was reportedly well-regarded by store staff for his reliability.
According to the volunteer’s mother, she and the support worker asked the store last year if her son could be offered a small number of paid hours, just two, three or four per week, as acknowledgment of his long-standing contribution. Upon submitting that request, the store escalated the matter to head office. The family say this prompted the company to place the volunteer’s role on hold, and after more than two months without shifts, his work ceased altogether.
The mother described the decision as heart-breaking. She said her son enjoyed coming in each week and liked the sense of routine, and felt the abrupt end to the arrangement was unfair given his years of service. She emphasised that her son’s communication abilities are very limited and that he cannot handle customer interactions independently, but maintained that because he had a support worker with him, he was able to fulfil the behind-the-scenes duties he had been given.
The family noted that the retail staff on the floor had been supportive and positive about his volunteering, and stressed that their frustration lies with the corporate decision-making at head office, which they feel did not view the young man as an individual. They said they do not want litigation but simply hope for reinstatement in some capacity.