Module: LAW5100-20 Employment Law

Level: 5

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Steve Goulton

Module Tutor Contact Details: s.goulton@bathspa.ac.uk

1.Brief description and aims of module:

This module explores employment or labour law in three broad themes: Legal implications of the ‘life’ of an employment contract, from its creation to its end; rights and obligations of employees and employers in individual cases; and the law as it deals with collective matters.

It will be of value to almost anyone; from those who might wish to ‘manage’ employment law matters day-to-day (like managers, or those in Human Resources departments) through those who wish to deal with employment law issues (as a lawyer, or perhaps as an arbitrator or negotiator), to those who might be employees now or in the future.

In this module, you will be able to demonstrate the following graduate attributes:

Will be employable: Equipped with the skills necessary to flourish in the global workplace, able to work in and lead teams;

Will be creative: Able to innovate and to solve problems by working across disciplines as professional or artistic practitioners;

Will be critical thinkers: Able to express their ideas in written and oral form, and possessing information literacy.

2.Outline syllabus:

Topics covered might include:

The ‘life’ of employment contracts: Employment status, types of ‘worker’, migration, express and implied (employment) contract terms, regulation of dismissal and resignation; Individual rights and responsibilities: Pay, working time, equality and discrimination, job security, business reorganisations, work-life balances, health and safety;

Collective rights and responsibilities: Collective redundancies, trade unions and collective bargaining, industrial action.

3.Teaching and learning activities:

You will be taught by way of 1x 1-hour lecture and 1x 2-hour seminar each week. Lectures will introduce and explore substantive subjects as specified above. Seminars will include a variety of activities including class discussion, scenario analyses, role-play, written and research exercises and other formative activities.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: Essay

• Description: Oral advice via client meeting

• % Weighting: 50%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: Exam

• Description: Exam (2 hours)

• % Weighting: 50%