The Neurodivergent Experience

Episode: Hot Topic: Autistic Workers Deserve Pay – The “Volunteer” Scandal

Hosts: Jordan James & Simon Scott
Release Date: November 7, 2025

Overview

This week’s episode tackles the grim reality behind recent UK news stories where autistic individuals worked extensive hours at supermarkets but were denied pay. Hosts Jordan and Simon passionately dissect employer exploitation, the compounding vulnerability of neurodivergent workers, and societal attitudes that allow such injustices to persist. They draw on two freshly reported cases—the experiences of Tom Boyd at Waitrose and an unnamed young man at Morrisons—to highlight what they call “the volunteer scandal,” and issue a call to action for the neurodivergent community and allies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction and Tone Setting

• Neuro Spicy News Hot Topic: The hosts open with their signature banter, establishing an energetic and sardonic tone to a “hot” news story that is, as they soon reveal, deeply troubling.
• Theme: Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent workers being taken advantage of under the guise of “volunteering” in mainstream workplaces.

2. Case 1: Tom Boyd and Waitrose

[02:27 – 09:00]

• Summary:

  • Tom Boyd, a 28-year-old autistic man, volunteered for over 600 hours at a Waitrose branch in Greater Manchester.
  • When Tom or his mother requested he be paid for his work, his volunteering was abruptly terminated.
  • Tom found subsequent paid work at ASDA, who were highlighted for their inclusive internship program.

• Key Details:

  • Tom sought purpose and inclusion; was taken on without pay.
  • The Waitrose incident brought mainstream media and public attention to exploitative practices.

• Critical Commentary:

  • Simon: “How dare he, you bastard… getting paid to do work.” [02:58]
  • Discussion on legal and moral aspects: financial exploitation of vulnerable (disabled) individuals is legally very serious, but corporations seem to skirt consequences.
  • Simon shares a personal story illustrating that financial abuse of vulnerable people carries severe penalties in individual contexts, questioning why large companies aren't held to the same standards.

• Systemic Issues:

  • Both hosts question why Tom’s support network (parents, care worker) did not intervene sooner, but Simon points out how families are often “gaslit” by low expectations for disabled people.
  • Simon: “She's probably been told in the same way as a lot of parents are told, 'Your son will never achieve anything... At least he’s getting out of the house.' She probably very innocently thought this was just very good for him on a social scale, that it would actually help improve him.” [09:28]

• Financial Calculations:

  • Jordan: “If the young guy was on today’s minimum wage and he worked over 600 hours, that’s nearly seven grand.” [06:32]

• Reactions to Corporate Statements:

  • Waitrose’s response: Launching an investigation; hosts mock the insincerity and question their motives.
  • ASDA’s response: Praised for supportive action; seen as a rare good actor.

• Notable Quote:

  • Simon: “Like, it’s not enough that we’re neurodivergent and get treated like crap, but now we’re basically forced to work for free and told that it’s good for us.” [08:34]

3. Case 2: Morrisons and Mencap’s Employ Me Scheme

[14:40 – 19:59]

• Summary:

  • Another mother, Liz Warner, details her son’s experience at Morrisons in Oxfordshire, where he worked six months in customer service without pay.
  • He was initially offered a job through Mencap’s Employ Me charity scheme but struggled to complete Morrisons’ online onboarding, which led to denial of a paid position.
  • Legal action was threatened before anything changed.

• Host Reactions:

  • Frustration at “image” hiring for diversity optics; suspicion that onboarding systems are not adapted for neurodivergent accessibility.
  • Satirical and sarcastic commentary about lanyards, virtue-signaling, and the “neurotypical savior complex.”
  • Outrage at the logic: if the employee was “good enough” for six months unpaid, why is a bureaucratic form a barrier once pay is due?

• Notable Quotes:

  • Simon: “You wouldn’t get a neurotypical working for free, but suddenly they’re neurodivergent and suddenly like, ‘Oh, it’s okay to get them to work for free.’” [18:57]
  • Jordan: “If he was good enough to be in your store for six months and you trusted him with responsibilities, why should your shitty online form be the reason that he can’t do a job he’s already doing?” [19:59]

4. Systemic Barriers and Societal Attitudes

[09:28 – 13:00, 19:59 – 21:40]

• Gaslighting of Families:

  • Discussion about how parents of neurodivergent kids are led to expect less, which enables exploitation.
  • Simon: “She is probably so gaslit, so beaten down by the negative rhetoric, she was just delighted that her son was even able to get out of the house and be around people.” [10:37]

• Charity as Exploitation:

  • Critique of schemes that use volunteering as a gateway but fail to transition qualified neurodivergent workers to paid roles.

• Systemic Excuses:

  • Companies use process and bureaucracy (“the system”) as cover, despite real-world proof of effectiveness.

• The Value of Disabled Workers:

  • Hosts decry the underlying message: neurodivergent labor is “worth less.”
  • Simon: “It’s saying you being disabled makes you worth less than the undisabled people. And it’s like, you’re basically saying we’re worthless. Completely. Not just worth less, but worthless.” [21:00]

5. Call to Action & Support

[21:41 – 22:49]

• Encouragement to the Community:

  • Jordan: “I know for a fact that this story is going to create so many more people going, ‘Wait, I should be getting paid?’ Like, yes, yes, you should be getting paid.” [21:40]
  • Simon: “If you work, you should get paid. That’s it. That’s how that works. And anything else is—it should be criminal.” [21:53]

• Community Engagement:

  • The hosts invite listener stories of exploitation and offer to feature more cases: "If there is anyone out there that is having this experience, I think it'd be a really good subject to talk to on this podcast..." [21:53]

Notable Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Jordan’s Satirical Songs and Humor:

  • “I got brand new news. It’s neurodivergent news.” [01:27]
  • Recurring “meow” banter to relieve social awkwardness. [01:36]

• Raw Frustration at Injustice:

  • Simon: “There is so much that is just fuming my fumes. Digest.” [08:33]
  • “It needs to stop. It needs to be looked at. And luckily, these things are coming into the limelight. But, my God, 2025 people—it’s just so disgusting.” [21:00]

• Empowerment:

  • Jordan: “We will amplify if we can.” [22:49]

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |--------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:27–09:00 | Dissection of Waitrose case: exploitation, family dynamics, sum owed | | 09:28–13:00 | Deeper dive into why families accept unpaid work (gaslighting, low expectations)| | 14:40–19:59 | Morrisons case: another instance of unpaid autistic labor, onboarding barriers| | 19:59–21:00 | Critique of systemic excuses, worth of disabled workers | | 21:41–22:49 | Encouragement for listener engagement, call to action |

Overall Tone

The episode is fiercely outraged, sarcastic, and empowering—balancing biting critique (often with dark humor) against real empathy for exploited autistic workers and their families.

Final Takeaway

This "hot topic" episode zeroes in on the not-so-rare practice of exploiting neurodivergent volunteers and insists that all work deserves pay. The hosts urge listeners to challenge gaslighting, hold employers accountable, and share their own stories if they’ve experienced similar mistreatment.

Essential Message:
“If you work, you should get paid. Anything else is exploitation—fight it, expose it, and demand better.”