A UK employment tribunal has awarded nearly £67,000 in compensation to an Indian man after ruling that he faced racial discrimination and wrongful dismissal while working at a KFC outlet in London.
An Indian man has been awarded nearly £67,000 in compensation after a UK employment tribunal ruled that he was racially discriminated against and wrongfully dismissed while working at a KFC outlet in London.
The man, identified as Madhesh Ravichandran from Tamil Nadu, began working at a KFC branch in West Wickham in January 2023. During the hearing, he alleged that his manager subjected him to racial abuse, including calling him a “slave”, and forced him to work extra hours, the BBC reported.
Ravichandran told the tribunal that about two months into his job, he was denied annual leave. He also said he overheard his manager, Kajan Theiventhiram, telling another staff member that he would prioritise employees who were Sri Lankan Tamil and referring to Ravichandran as “this slave”.
He later resigned, claiming that despite raising concerns about the remarks and treatment, no proper investigation was carried out by the management.
According to a PTI report, employment judge Paul Abbott found that the refusal of Ravichandran’s leave request was “significantly influenced” by his race and that the treatment left him “upset and humiliated”. The tribunal ruled that he had been subjected to racial discrimination and harassment and that his dismissal was wrongful.
The judge accepted Ravichandran’s account that he was made to work extra hours due to his manager’s “racially prejudiced attitude” and awarded him £66,800 in compensation.
The tribunal also recommended that all employees of Nexus Foods Limited, which operates the KFC outlet, undergo workplace discrimination training.
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