Ex-Coles manager pretended to faint after being sacked for misconduct, intimidating employees

The outrageous behaviour by a former Coles manager has been revealed after he sued the supermarket chain for unfair dismissal.

A former Coles manager who sued his employer for unfair dismissal pretended to faint during a meeting with the investigation team upon learning he would be fired for misconduct.

Bizarre behaviour by Karan Sharma in response to his sacking was revealed in a recent judgment by the Fair Work Commission in Perth.

Mr Sharma was dismissed for misconduct by getting workers to alter his wife’s roster to benefit their daycare arrangements, along with aggressive behaviour to his employees and “racist, homophobic or transphobic comments”.

Commissioner Bruce Williams shot down his application for unfair dismissal remedy this week.

Former Coles manager Karan Sharma was fired for misconduct.

Some of his outlandish claims included the allegations, made by “disgruntled” employees, were “a war on him” and he was subject to “career assassination” with “fabricated lies”.

He also claimed his former co-workers were “racist and vengeful”.

The commission also heard evidence that Mr Sharma pretended to faint by throwing himself on the floor during one of the interviews.

Mr Sharma, who worked as a store manager at Coles in Caversham, WA was fired in October 2021 for misconduct.

He had worked for Coles for about seven years.

Written complaints had been received over Mr Sharma giving preferential treatment to his wife Shefali, who was employed at the same store he managed.

In his judgment, Commissioner Williams said Mr Sharma had directed subordinate employees to change his wife’s contracted hours to fit in with their daycare arrangements.

Mr Sharma then “intimidated or victimised” employees or “behaved aggressively” towards them after he became aware of complaints made against him.

“These allegations detailing him behaving in a racist, homophobic or transphobic manner”, Commissioner Williams said.

There were also complaints of Mr Sharma not clocking off when he left the store, instead asking a subordinate employee to clock him off at the end of his shift time when he had actually left the store earlier.

He pretended to faint during an interview with Coles over his dismissal.

During the investigation he behaved aggressively, swearing and yelling at a woman looking into the allegations.

“When she had finished reading him the findings on each of the allegations she says he aggressively and erratically yelled out 23 incoherent allegations against numerous employees and managers,” Commissioner Williams said.

“Her impression was that the applicant was himself now making an allegation against everyone whom the applicant believed had made allegations against him.”

In a subsequent meeting with Coles in September 2021, Mr Sharma “threw himself onto the floor” and pretended to faint.

“He had his eyes closed and was not speaking,” Commissioner Williams said.

“(The) belief was that he had thrown himself onto the floor on purpose and had not genuinely fainted.”

In his evidence, Mr Sharma denied contacting employees in an “aggressive and intimidating manner” after he was fired.

He also said he didn’t remember asking employees to change his wife’s contracted hours, directing staff to come into the store when they were not rostered on and making “disparaging” remarks about store materials celebrating NAIDOC Week or supporting members of the LGBTQI community.

“As well as not remembering, the applicant also denied making inappropriate comments to staff members about their race, sexuality or gender identity,” Commissioner Williams said.

“The applicant denies swearing at team members, threatening team members, pressuring them to stay at work, directing them to do personal tasks for him, requiring them to close the store in his absence or behaving aggressively towards them.

“He denies threatening team members with losing their jobs for making complaints about him or changing their rostered hours for complaining.”

Commissioner Williams ultimately found Mr Sharma’s evidence to not be credible and that he was evasive and “reluctant to concede reasonable propositions”.

Originally published as Ex-Coles manager pretended to faint after being sacked for misconduct, intimidating employees