KFC manager ordered to pay nearly £70,000 in compensation after calling a worker ‘a slave’

A London employment tribunal has ruled in favour of a former KFC worker who said he was subjected to racist abuse and unfair treatment by his manager, awarding him nearly £67,000 in compensation.

Madhesh Ravichandran began working at the West Wickham KFC outlet in January 2023. The tribunal heard that soon after starting the job, he was regularly working more hours than his contract required. Despite this, when he asked for annual leave in March 2023, his request was refused.

It was at that point Mr Ravichandran overheard his manager, Kajan Theiventhiram, telling a colleague that he would prioritise Sri Lankan Tamil staff. The tribunal also heard that Mr Theiventhiram referred to Mr Ravichandran as “a shit” and “slave”.

Tribunal judge Paul Abbott said Mr Ravichandran was left “upset and humiliated” by what happened. The judge found that the refusal of his annual leave request was “significantly influenced” by the fact that he was Indian.

The tribunal also concluded that Mr Ravichandran was made to work excessive hours because his boss was “racially prejudiced” towards him. Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the tribunal heard that no meaningful investigation took place after Mr Ravichandran raised concerns.

Months later, he resigned from his job. Mr Ravichandran then brought a wrongful dismissal claim centred on race discrimination, racial harassment and victimisation. The tribunal upheld his case and awarded him £66,800 in compensation.

Nexus Foods Limited, the company that operates the KFC outlet, has also been ordered to implement a discrimination training programme as part of the ruling.

The case comes just weeks after another employment tribunal awarded more than £40,000 to a firefighter who said she was effectively forced out of her role after complaining about the behaviour of a colleague she had been in a relationship with.

Kelly Rice began dating a senior colleague and mentor at Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service in April 2019. A tribunal heard that the man was later caught reading her personal journal. Ms Rice also complained that he searched through her bag while they were at their station.

An internal investigation found that the man, whose identity has not been made public, had “bullied and harassed” Ms Rice.

Following the incident, Ms Rice refused to return to active duty. She told the tribunal that the workplace culture and how her complaint was handled caused her significant anxiety and depression.

The tribunal accepted her claims and ruled that she had been unfairly dismissed and discriminated against because of her disability. It concluded that she had effectively been pushed out of her job rather than supported.

Ms Rice was awarded £42,853.73 in compensation after the tribunal found she had been forced to leave her role.

Both cases highlight the serious consequences employers can face when allegations of discrimination and harassment are not properly addressed. In each situation, the tribunal found that management failures played a key role in worsening the harm suffered by the employees.

The rulings also underline the importance of workplace culture and accountability, with judges making clear that ignoring complaints or failing to investigate them can lead to costly outcomes for organisations as well as lasting damage to the people involved.