Event held in Auckland in April 2019 was designed to educate Kiwis about the Sikh religion.

A Kiwi Sikh has won a landmark legal ruling and been awarded $14,000 in damages after an employment tribunal in the United Kingdom found he was discriminated against over a "no-beards" policy at one of London's most prestigious hotels.

Raman Sethi, 34, moved to London from the Bay of Plenty and hoped to fund his overseas travel by picking up temporary work at hospitality agency Elements Personnel Services.

However Sethi was told he would be unable to work at Claridge's, one of London's premier five-star hotels, due to their policy of not recruiting staff with facial hair.

​Sethi launched a costly legal action against Elements which involved him having to travel back to the UK to attend hearings in person, costing him around $5000 in airfares, accommodation and legal fees.

He presented an email from Claridge's, reading: 'No pony tails, no facial hair... please ensure none of that here at Claridge's'.

Elements tried to claim that it was a policy forced on them by Claridge's.

Employment judge Holly Stout ruled Elements' "no-beard' policy was discriminatory and placed Sikhs at a particular disadvantage.

SUPPLIED Raman Sethi's lawyer hopes Sikhs will feel empowered to challenge no-beard policies.

Awarding Sethi $14,000 in compensation, with $10,000 for hurt feelings, Stout said the agency had not in fact consulted the hotels as to whether they would make religious exemptions for beards.

Sethi, however, doesn't believe he'll ever see that money.

Stuff spoke to him in the back room of his Whakatāne grocery store Te Teko Suppa Market, with floor to ceiling L&P boxes in the background.

Sethi said despite the expense and hardship, he'd do it again in a heartbeat.

"It was never about the money for me. We have to address this as a problem."

SUPPLIED Raman Sethi is an avid traveller, pictured here at Fort William in Scotland.

​Sethi said at his initial induction meeting with Elements he told them straight away he would not be able to shave his beard.

"I thought they'd understand. I was wrong," he said.

He also said he believed he would be considered for other non-food handling roles.

"It was clear it's not just health and safety, that hurt me more," he said.

"It just felt like they were using health and safety as a shield."

SUPPLIED Raman Sethi faced discrimination for having a beard after moving to London.

He said he'd been rejected for roles before due to his beard, but decided to fight this time as he had the email evidence to back his case.

He teamed up with lawyer Mukhtiar Singh, a fellow Sikh, who was equally determined to call out the discrimination.

"He could relate to it on a personal level. He saw the hunger, I wanted to fight."

SUPPLIED Raman Sethi, right, pictured outside an employment tribunal in London with his lawyer Mukhtiar Singh.

In a statement from the UK, Mukhtiar Singh said Sethi had felt "duty-bound" to fight back against the "no-beards" policy.

"The case is important because it shows that a no-beard policy will be subject to close scrutiny by the tribunals and courts in order to be satisfied that there is a legitimate aim and if so whether the policy is a proportionate means to achieve that aim.

"When courts have considered no-beard policies before, the cases have tended not to support Sikhs, but in my view this decision demonstrates a wider awareness of the importance of uncut hair to many Sikhs.

"Employers will need to explore making exceptions, for example, wearing a net if handling food as well understanding that beards can be well-groomed if that is a legitimate aim. Sikhs should feel empowered to challenge no-beard policies.

"The case was not one where Mr Sethi was pressing for compensation: indeed he travelled from New Zealand for the final hearing. He was deeply hurt by the decision not to recruit him and, like many Sikhs, felt duty-bound to fight for justice. It was a pleasure to represent him.

"I would also add that I do not think this would spell the end of no-beard policies being applied to Sikhs. As a discrimination lawyer I regularly see inequalities. However, this case will certainly put many employers on notice and they will be well advised to review any no beard policies and how they apply them.

BENN BATHGATE/STUFF Raman Sethi has moved back to Whakatāne where he owns a grocery store.

"In terms of recovering the compensation, Mr Sethi and I were not motivated by money. I note the comments that some of the hotels have made in response and I suspect they may think twice about using the agency. I would urge the director to do the honourable thing."

Sethi was sanguine about the prospect of never seeing the cash, and he said it still felt good to have won.

"It's good to see the hotels are talking about it, the industry too."

Sethi is planning to sell his grocery store and continue with his travels, with Canada his next stop.

Claridge's was first opened in the well-heeled central London suburb of Mayfair in 1856, and has hosted high society events, including Prince Charles and Lady Diana's 1981 wedding reception and the Queen and Prince Philip's 40th wedding anniversary bash.