We study properties of the simply connected sets in the complex plane, which are finite unions of domains convex in the horizontal direction. These considerations allow us to state new univalence criteria for complex-valued local homeomorphisms. In particular, we apply our results to planar harmonic mappings obtaining generalisations of the shear construction theorem due to Clunie and Sheil-Small [‘Harmonic univalent functions’, Ann. Acad. Sci. Fenn. Ser. A. I. Math.9 (1984), 3–25].