KFC franchise ordered to pay £66k for race discrimination in the workplace

A KFC franchise operator has been ordered to pay more than £66,000 to a former worker after an employment tribunal found he was subjected to race discrimination, racist harassment and victimisation by his manager.

The London South Employment Tribunal upheld claims brought by Mr Madhesh Ravichandran, an Indian Tamil man, against Nexus Foods Limited, which runs several KFC outlets including a restaurant in West Wickham.

The tribunal found that the restaurant manager, Kajan Theiventhiram, described in the judgment as a Sri Lankan Tamil, treated Mr Ravichandran less favourably because of his race and nationality. It accepted evidence that when Mr Ravichandran asked for annual leave, the request was refused and the manager was overheard saying he would prioritise Sri Lankan Tamil staff, referring to Mr Ravichandran in racist terms including calling him a “slave”.

The tribunal also found that the manager made other racist remarks, including statements that “Indians are fraudsters”, and that Mr Ravichandran was racially abused during a telephone call about his resignation.

Excessive Working Hours and Harassment

It further accepted that Mr Ravichandran was repeatedly required to work excessive hours, often far beyond 48 hours a week, and that this was linked to the manager’s racial prejudice. This treatment was found to amount to harassment related to race.

Resignation, Grievance Handling and Victimisation

Mr Ravichandran resigned in July 2023 after refusing to work extremely long hours and was then dismissed while still serving his notice. He raised grievances complaining of racism, but the tribunal found the company failed to carry out a proper investigation or provide any meaningful outcome. It also found that a senior manager responded to his complaint in a “terse” and hostile manner, including warning that he might face disciplinary action for raising the issues. That was ruled to be unlawful victimisation.

The tribunal also found the company had failed to provide proper written terms of employment, had not paid all outstanding holiday pay, and had wrongfully failed to pay notice pay.

As part of the ruling, the tribunal recommended that Nexus Foods introduce a workplace training programme on discrimination, including specific training for managers on handling grievances.
The tribunal ordered Nexus Foods to pay a total of £66,760.

What This Case Means for Employers – and How We Can Help

This case serves as a significant reminder to employers of the importance of robust anti‑discrimination policies and regular, effective training for all staff, clear grievance procedures, and ensuring managers fully understand their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. For HR professionals, it highlights how quickly issues can escalate when complaints are not handled properly or where training has not been refreshed or reinforced.

If your organisation would benefit from support in strengthening its policies, updating discrimination training, or improving grievance handling processes, our employment team can help. You can also read more about the practical support we offer to employers on our employment law advice for employers page, or contact us directly to speak with an experienced employment law partner about tailored assistance.

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