A marketing executive has brought a discrimination claim against her former employer after being denied annual leave to attend a rock music festival, which she said held spiritual significance for her.
Sarah Sadler, 49, wanted to take time off to attend the 2000 Trees Festival. She argued that her request related to a philosophical belief rather than simply a personal preference.
At an employment tribunal, Mrs Sadler claimed she held a protected philosophical belief that taking part in a music festival could promote “human flourishing”.
Mrs Sadler was working as the marketing executive for disability charity Arthouse Unlimited at the time. She said she genuinely believed in community, mutual support, authenticity, inclusion and shared responsibility, and felt festivals helped create spaces where those values could thrive.
Arthouse Unlimited, which supports disabled people, refused her request to attend the festival because it could not find cover for her shift.
The employment tribunal dismissed her case. The judge ruled that her belief was not protected under equality law and was instead closer to a “lifestyle choice”.
Mrs Sadler, a cancer survivor from Surrey, also claimed disability discrimination over the way she was treated following emergency surgery. That claim was dismissed as well.
The Reading Employment Tribunal in Berkshire heard that Mrs Sadler joined Arthouse Unlimited as a marketing executive in June 2023 and remained there until her dismissal in June 2024.
Marketing executive Sarah Sadler sued her former employer for discrimination after being refused time off to attend a rock music festival
Arthouse Unlimited is a charity that helps adults with disabilities create artwork, which is later sold commercially.
When Mrs Sadler began working for the charity, it knew she had previously been diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer. She had undergone major bowel surgery and chemotherapy, and also experienced PTSD.
In December 2023, she applied for three days of annual leave in July the following year so she could attend the 2000 Trees Festival, a rock event held in Gloucestershire.
The 2024 line-up featured rock acts including Don Broco and The Gaslight Anthem. Bob Vylan also performed; the artist later became embroiled in controversy at Glastonbury in 2025 after chanting “death to the IDF” on stage.
Camilla Capel told Mrs Sadler that the leave could not be approved because she was already due to take several lengthy periods off. As the charity operated with a small team, it would not be able to arrange cover for the requested dates.
Mrs Sadler responded that the festival had “spiritual significance” for her. She said the refusal made her consider looking for another job.
During the tribunal hearing, Mrs Sadler maintained that her connection to the festival reflected a philosophical belief.
The tribunal heard: “[Mrs Sadler] states that she holds a genuine belief in the importance of community, mutual support, authenticity, inclusion and shared responsibility.
“She believes that people flourish when they can participate in communities that value cooperation, creativity, equality and acceptance of difference. [Mrs Sadler] actively seeks out communities that reflect those values.
“Music and arts festivals are one means by which those beliefs find expression, but they are not the beliefs themselves.”
The statement continued: “[Mrs Sadler’s] attendance at the same annual festival over many years represents a significant and continuing manifestation of those beliefs in practice.
‘[Mrs Sadler] and her family’s attendance at the 2000 Trees Festival was therefore an expression of those beliefs and values.’
The tribunal was told that in January 2024, Mrs Sadler underwent emergency gallbladder surgery, and she was off work until the following month because she had a ‘flu-like’ illness afterwards.
She alleged she was pressured to return to work as soon as possible and not supported when she wanted to work from home. But the tribunal dismissed these allegations.
In February 2024, Mrs Sadler complained about not being allowed time off for the festival.
In an email to her bosses, she wrote: ‘It is with deep regret that if you cannot allow me three days – 10th/11th/12th July with seven months’ notice, I will have to start the process of seeking employment elsewhere.
‘To deny a leave request for a festival as referred to in the correspondence could be considered to be indirect discrimination and prejudicial.
‘The festival is an annual gathering which is of deep cultural significance to me. (Equality Act 2010).’
Mrs Sadler raised an unsuccessful formal grievance over the issue and how she was treated after her surgery.
She told the charity she wanted a ‘financial settlement’ which was refused and she was fired after she did not turn up to a meeting to discuss how to move forward.
Employment Judge Andrew Gumbiti-Zimuto dismissed Mrs Sadler’s claim that she had a protected philosophical belief.
He said: ‘[Mrs Sadler] seeks to advance a belief about human flourishing, namely that people flourish through participation in enduring communities characterised by inclusion, reciprocity, creativity and mutual responsibility.
‘[She] presents this proposition as a guiding principle by which [she] seeks to live rather than as a mere opinion.
‘However, the evidence relied upon to demonstrate that belief centres almost entirely upon attendance at a festival and participation in a particular social community.
‘The evidence demonstrates that [Mrs Sadler] values, and repeatedly participates in, that community and the activities associated with it.
‘That, without more, does not necessarily establish the existence of a protected philosophical belief.
‘In my view, the evidence does not sufficiently identify a belief independent of [her] participation in that community.
‘Rather, it describes a lifestyle choice and a strong attachment to a particular community.’
Judge Gumbiti-Zimuto added that her being refused holiday ‘had nothing to do with her philosophical belief’ and that it was an ‘operational’ decision.
Mrs Sadler lost claims of philosophical belief discrimination, disability discrimination, and victimisation.
Speaking after the tribunal, Mrs Sadler said that she was ‘extremely upset’ when she was denied the time off to attend the festival.
She said: ‘2000 Trees has been part of my life and my family’s life for many years. The importance of it to me is bound up with community, continuity, identity and belonging.
‘What was particularly difficult was feeling that the significance it had for me wasn’t understood. The case was never about believing that everyone should automatically be entitled to particular festival dates off work.
‘It was about the significance of these gatherings to me and the way my request and beliefs were treated. For me, these longstanding festival communities represent something much deeper than entertainment.’
She continued: ‘They are places of community and belonging where people come together around shared values, music, creativity and mutual support.
‘They have provided continuity through some extremely difficult periods of my life, including cancer and its aftermath, and they are particularly important to my family. They are places where I feel able to be myself and connected to a community.
‘That is why I described this as a philosophical belief rather than simply saying that I really like going to festivals.’
Mrs Sadler said that after her surgery she had wanted to return to work but it became ‘increasingly stressful’ for her.
On the tribunal, she said: ‘I was extremely disappointed by the judgement and I do not believe that it fully reflects the case I presented or some of the evidence that emerged during the hearing.
‘What I can say is that bringing an Employment Tribunal claim as a disabled litigant in person has been an extraordinarily demanding experience.
‘Whatever ultimately happens legally, I hope there can be some useful discussion about how disabled employees asking for flexibility and reasonable adjustments are supported at work, and about how accessible the Tribunal process itself is for disabled people representing themselves.’
Mrs Sadler now runs her own business, Integra Baby, a British baby-carrier brand.
