A KFC franchisee in southeast London has been ordered to pay nearly £70,000 following a tribunal ruling related to a manager’s derogatory remarks towards an Indian employee. This decision follows an incident where the manager referred to the worker as a „slave“ and compelled him to work additional hours.
Madhesh Ravichandran, who hails from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, commenced his employment at the West Wickham KFC branch in January 2023. Within two months, Mr. Ravichandran’s request for annual leave was denied, and he overheard his supervisor, Kajan Theiventhiram, mentioning his preference for Sri Lankan Tamil employees while referring to Mr. Ravichandran as „this slave,“ the tribunal was informed.
Tribunal Findings and Recommendations
Tribunal judge Paul Abbott determined that Mr. Ravichandran experienced wrongful termination, as well as direct racial discrimination, racial harassment, and victimization. Following the comments he overheard, Mr. Ravichandran chose to resign; however, the tribunal noted that a thorough investigation into his claims did not take place.
Judge Abbott remarked that the refusal to grant his leave was „significantly influenced“ by Mr. Ravichandran’s race, leaving him feeling „upset and humiliated.“ The judge also acknowledged the claimant’s testimony regarding being compelled to work excessive hours due to Mr. Theiventhiram’s „racially prejudiced attitude.“
As a result of these findings, Mr. Ravichandran was awarded £66,800 in compensation. The tribunal further recommended that Nexus Foods Limited, the operator of the West Wickham KFC branch, implement a training program aimed at educating all employees about workplace discrimination.
