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ARTICLE · 22 SEPTEMBER 2026

Augustine v Data Cars Ltd: Increased Protection For Part-time Workers

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The Supreme Court has clarified the scope of protection for part-time workers under the Part Time Workers Regulations 2000, ruling that part-time status need only be an effective cause—not the sole cause—of less favourable treatment. This landmark decision in Augustine v Data Cars Ltd significantly lowers the bar for part-time workers to establish discrimination claims and requires employers to reassess their workplace policies and practices that may disproportionately impact part-time staff.

United KingdomEmployment and HR
Phil Crowe
Phil Crowe
Mollie Wilkinson
Mollie Wilkinson

Applying the same requirements to part-time and full-time staff may not always be lawful following a recent Supreme Court decision. We explain the decision and its implications for employers.

In Augustine v Data Cars Ltd, the Supreme Court has confirmed the scope of the protection provided by the Part Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 (PTWR).

Regulation 5(2) of the PTWR provides that part-time workers are protected from being treated less favourably by their employer than comparable full-time workers, where:

(a)    the treatment is on the ground that the worker is a part-time worker

(b)    the treatment is not objectively justified.

The Supreme Court considered what “on the ground” meant and clarified that part-time workers need only demonstrate that their part-time status was an effective cause of the less favourable treatment. There is no requirement for the part-time status to be the sole cause of the less favourable treatment for a

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