A marketing executive has sued for discrimination of her 'philosophical beliefs', after she was refused time off work to attend a rock music festival. 

Sarah Sadler, 49, requested to use her annual leave to go to 2000 Trees Festival, an event she described as being of 'spiritual significance' to her - but her bosses refused. 

At an employment tribunal, Mrs Sadler argued she held a 'protected philosophical belief' that attending a music festival promotes 'human flourishing'.

Mrs Sadler, who was the marketing executive for the charity Arthouse Unlimited at the time, said she had a 'genuine belief in the importance of community, mutual support, authenticity, inclusion and shared responsibility', and that festivals create those environments.

Arthouse Unlimited, which supports disabled people, told Mrs Sadler she could not take time off to attend 2000 Trees Festival because they could not find cover for her shift. 

An employment tribunal dismissed her case - with a judge saying her belief was not protected by equality laws and that it was more akin to a 'lifestyle choice'.

Cancer survivor Mrs Sadler, from Surrey, also brought claims of disability discrimination related to how she was treated after emergency surgery, but lost that claim too.

Reading Employment Tribunal in Berkshire heard how Mrs Sadler started working at Arthouse Unlimited in June 2023 as the marketing executive until she was dismissed in June 2024.

Arthouse Unlimited is a charity that supports adults with disabilities to make artwork, which is then sold commercially. 

When Mrs Sadler started working for the charity, they were aware that she previously had stage three bowel cancer, which she had undertaken major bowel surgery for, followed by chemotherapy. She also suffered from PTSD. 

In December 2023, Mrs Sadler asked to have annual leave booked in for three days in July the following year to go to the 2000 Trees festival, a rock music festival in Gloucestershire. 

The 2024 line-up included rock bands Don Broco and The Gaslight Anthem. It also featured Bob Vylan, the artist who was mired in controversy at Glastonbury in 2025 after chanting 'death to the IDF' on stage. 

Mrs Sadler was told by Camilla Capel that she would not be able to take those days off because she was already taking several lengthy periods of leave and, as they were a small team, they would not be able to secure cover for those dates. 

Mrs Sadler said that the festival was of 'spiritual significance' to her, adding that the company's refusal to allow her to take those days off would make her think of finding a new job. 

At the tribunal, Mrs Sadler said she held a philosophical belief based on the festival. 

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.