The focus is on the employment relationship, including its formation, operation, and termination; and the statutory 'overlay' and regulation of what is still, in many respects, a private relation founded on contract but affected by status.

Specific themes and topics include:

- the contract's formation, operation, and termination
- employment "status" as a gateway to employment rights
- express and implied terms, and "incorporation" of terms, and collective bargaining as a means of shaping the employment bargain
- the duties and responsibilities of employees and employers at common law and by statute, part-time worker's rights
- workplace change, and business reorganisations
- termination of employment, including the two main remedies of wrongful dismissal and unfair dismissal
- redundancy, transfers of employers' undertakings, and insolvency
- EC Law and ECHR human rights aspects of employment.
- discrimination in its various forms, and the law's responses.

Students have the opportunity to attend sessions to discuss Employment topics (eight one-hour sessions in total), including sessions led by students themselves, for example when they are engaged in small group project work (Total: 8 Hours)

As prescribed by the professional bodies, the CPE 8th subject is a largely self-managed part of the programme. By the start of Semester 2 participants must have identified an area of research in which they are interested from a list of approved topics, or in an area in which they have interests (and which must be approved). They then research that topic, and produce a coursework assignment (maximum 5000 words in length).

Students are encouraged to discuss their work with each-other throughout the year, and to use the seminar sessions to discuss their research, and share the results of their work with other participants. Otherwise, study time focuses on directed and self-managed reading and research (192 study hours in total).

Support is provided throughout the programme by the module leader.

Collins, H, Ewing, K, and McColgan, M Labour Law Text and Materials, 2nd Edition, or later if available. Hart, Oxford
Deakin, S and Morris, G (2005) Labour Law, 2nd edition. Hart, Oxford.
Duddington, J. Employment Law. Pearson (2nd ed, or later edition if available)
McColgan, A. Discrimination Law: Text & Materials. Oxford: Hart Publishing.
Painter, R.W. and Holmes, A. (2008, or latest edition if available). Cases and Materials on Employment Law, London: Oxford University Press.
Painter, R.W. & Puttick, K. (3rd ed, or later edition). Employment Rights, 3rd Ed. London Pluto Press.

Well stocked law library
Internet resources on general and specialist data bases
Appropriate texts, legislation (including EC and ECHR sources), and case law

An ASSIGNMENT length 5000 WORDS weighted at 100%.

Details:- Assessment is by coursework assignment (maximum 5000 words, assessing learning outcomes 1-4), submitted at the end of the CPE programme.