Halfords ‘protecting’ manager liable for racial harassment, former employee claims

Exclusive: Christopher Best, 34, speaks to the The Independent after being awarded thousands of pounds for being targeted by a senior colleague

Christopher Best was targeted by Mr Pillay for over a year, who compared him to a ‘monkey crying for bananas’ (Chris Best)

A Black man who won an employment tribunal after being racially abused by a manager at Halfords has spoken of his anguish - and his outrage that the senior staffer still works for the company.

Christopher Best, 34, took Halfords, one of the UK’s largest retailers, to task this year arguing that he was discriminated against on the grounds of his ethnicity.

It was found that his colleague, Mr Pillay, targeted him with abuse for over a year, comparing him to a “monkey crying for bananas” and telling staff “I don’t care - I’m going to be racist”.

Mr Best was awarded £5,000 for “injury to feelings” by the tribunal, while Mr Pillay was found to have breached the Equality Act by harassing his colleague more than once between October 2020 and November 2021.

Speaking exclusively to The Independent for the first time since the tribunal’s ruling, Mr Best said: “Mr Pillay’s actions breached the store’s own policies on gross misconduct, so, to me, it stands to reason that he should be sacked.

“During the period of time that I suffered abuse from Mr Pillay, I felt victimised, angry and violated. There were times when I felt like I wanted to explode but I kept a cap on it, mindful of the consequences of being seen as a troublemaker.

“It’s disgusting that even in 2023, we still come across people who behave like Mr Pillay.”

Being on the receiving end of racist abuse from Mr Pillay came as a horrible shock to Mr Best.

The former employee was appointed as a Service Sales Advisor in 2012 at the Brixton branch, south London, before his contract was terminated in 2021. Mr Best argued racial harassment and unfair dismissal; however, the latter allegation was unfounded.

Just 0.2 per cent of discrimination claims relating to ethnicity end up being heard at an employment tribunal, according to research from the Resolution Foundation in November.

Mr Best’s case against Halford was fuelled by a desire to hold the retailer accountable and he says rejected an opportunity to settle out of court for a five-figure sum.

“I turned it down because I couldn’t do it and live with a clear conscience,” Mr Best explained. “In the beginning, I wasn’t even going to fight back. But then I realised that my case was strong.

“The money didn’t matter to me; it was more the principle of exposing how this man had treated me and the company. I hoped that good people will no longer be subjected to this treatment. That’s what was important.”

Despite the tribunal’s outcome, Mr Best still doesn’t think justice has been served because Mr Pillay appears to still be employed by Halfords.

“How can justice have been achieved when Mr Pillay is still working there? When it comes to equality within corporate organisations, I don’t think there’s any denying that Black people fare worse than other ethnic groups.”

Halfords has not responded to multiple comment requests from The Independent, however, it has been confirmed that Mr Pillay is still employed by the company.

He was still employed by the company when the tribunal took place in February 2023.

Despite the tribunal’s outcome, Mr Best still doesn’t think justice has been served because Mr Pillay appears to still be employed by Halfords (PA Media)

When we called the store on Friday, they said Mr Pillay now works at another branch.

In recent years, the retailer has repeatedly come under fire for alleged racism in its ranks.

The Independent previously revealed that Halfords is being sued for £1 million by a former Black employee who alleges racial discrimination. This case remains ongoing.

Mr Adjei-Dawkins, who didn’t want his first name used, worked at Halfords as an assistant manager where he claims to have been bullied by managers and paid less than white colleagues in junior positions.

The 32-year-old said he was “continuously” subjected to the treatment during his five-year tenure and was “stereotypically labelled” as “aggressive”, despite having no prior disciplinary records, according to documents seen by The Independent.

Regarding Mr Adjei-Dawkins, a Halfords spokesperson said: “We dispute in the strongest possible terms all of Mr Adjei-Dawkins’ claims. We have a large and diverse workforce, and we work hard to foster a welcoming and inclusive culture.

Halfords operates over 600 stores across the UK and Ireland, with over 10,000 staff members. According to court documents, it is run by exclusively white board members.