South-east London KFC franchise fined nearly £70,000 over racist ‘slave’ remark to Indian worker

A franchisee operating a KFC outlet in south-east London has been ordered to pay nearly £70,000 (₹73–74 lakh) in compensation after an employment tribunal found that an Indian employee was subjected to racial abuse and unfair treatment at work.

Madhesh Ravichandran, who hails from Tamil Nadu in India, joined the West Wickham branch in January 2023. According to tribunal findings, problems arose within two months when his request for annual leave was denied. During this period, Mr Ravichandran overheard his manager, Kajan Theiventhiram, telling a colleague that Sri Lankan Tamil staff would be given preference and referring to him as ‘a slave’.

Employment judge Paul Abbott ruled that Ravichandran had been wrongfully dismissed and had faced direct racial discrimination, race-related harassment and victimisation. The tribunal noted that after raising concerns about the remarks, no meaningful investigation was carried out by the employer.

Judge Abbott said the claimant was left “distressed and humiliated”, adding that the refusal of leave was heavily influenced by racial considerations. The tribunal also accepted evidence that Mr Ravichandran was pressured into working excessive hours, which the judge linked to the manager’s racially biased attitude towards him.

Mr Ravichandran later resigned, and the tribunal awarded him £66,800 in compensation. It also recommended that Nexus Foods Limited, which runs the West Wickham outlet, introduce mandatory workplace training for all staff to address discrimination and equality issues.