A pharmacist who resigned from Boots after being racially profiled at work has been awarded over £45,000 by an employment tribunal.

Samson Famojuro, a pharmacist of Nigerian origin who in July 2020 was working as the responsible pharmacist at a Boots branch in Wickford, Essex, in July 2020, was subject to unfair treatment by a pre-registration pharmacy technician, the tribunal found in October last year.

The pharmacy technician and a pharmacy advisor had insulted Mr Famojuro on a shift and, in the tribunal’s findings, stereotyped him “as an aggressive black man when all he was doing was seeking to assert his authority in circumstances where they were undermining it”.

After complaining to the company, an internal investigation was launched which the tribunal found was “simply not fit for purpose” to the point that it caused serious damage to the working relationship and meant that Mr Famojuro’s eventual resignation was a constructive unfair dismissal.

A recent remedy hearing awarded £45,263.11 to Mr Famojuro “in respect of the pharmacist’s claims for loss of earnings, injury to feelings, aggravated damages, an uplift for a failure to follow the ACAS Code and interest”, said the PDA Union, which represented him throughout the process. 

An additional costs award of £13,357.25 was made to the PDAU, bringing the total payout to £58,620.36.

PDAU general secretary Mark Pitt said: “Rather than properly investigate Mr Famojuro’s complaints and condemn the racist behaviour of their employees at the time of the incident, the company supported them throughout, denying any racism had occurred.

“Consequently, Mr Famojuro was put through four years of stress and court proceedings to secure justice for his discriminatory treatment.

“The PDA legal team have been behind him all the way and the high award and aggravated damages reflect the extreme displeasure of the employment tribunal panel at the conduct of the company and its witnesses, some of whom were found to have lied and fabricated evidence.”

Wai Chan, vice president of the PDAU’s BAME pharmacists network said the case would be reviewed “in order to inform our future activity”.

At the time of the tribunal outcome last October, a Boots spokesperson said: “We stand firmly against harassment of any kind.

“We are reviewing the court’s findings and will reflect and take action on any learnings.”