Candlar v Awin t/a Crest Upholstery [2021]

The claimant was employed as an upholsterer with the respondent from May 1999 until May 2020.  He was the only full-time upholsterer with the respondent for much of his 20 years’ service. The issue arose in early 2020, when the claimant approached the respondent asking for a reduction in his working hours to allow him to care for his child and father-in-law. The central issue in this claim is a factual dispute between the parties as to what occurred during this conversation and a subsequent conversation on 20 February 2020.  

The claimant’s contention was that he asked for a reduction from 37.5 hours per week to 3 mornings per week. This was not agreed to by the Respondent,