Nil

Access to a PC (with use of CD ROMS) is necessary

- Access to the Internet

- Access to hard-copy formats of texts, materials, and other guidance, such as government information, Explanatory Notes to legislation, etc

The focus of this award is on a mix of independent as well as directed study, but with opportunities to undertake a range of collaborative work with other participants on line - for example in preparing advice-related, and transactional tasks.

Contact Hours (30) on this module means on-screen hours engaging with the on screen study materials in the course documents, course information sections of the module.

Independent Study (120) means your on-line and off-line activity, including work in the course documents, course information, and discussion forums and assignments sections of the module. It also includes further relevant background and developmental reading and research. Preparation and engagement with the discussion forums, self-assessment exercises, tasks together with assessment preparation and completion.

The VLE Blackboard will provide a structured framework for the delivery of this module.

Course Information. This section provides students with important module overview information for students.

Course Documents. This contains all the study materials separated into sections, each section being further broken down to contain the module materials and exercises.

Discussion Board: Students through regular engagement in the forums within the discussion board will facilitate interactive, asynchronous discussion on the exercises/tasks, which support and develop through critical analysis, student learning and allow for formative assessment of individual progress.

The Blackboard assessment features will be utilised for the multiple choice assessment component.
In some sections there may be no formal assessment of work undertaken, but there will be ?questions? for consideration, or other tasks to complete. Feedback will be provided.

Participants are encouraged to communicate with the tutor and fellow students using e-mail or the discussion forum and to do so if there are matters needing assistance or support.

As this is a distance learning award, participants will need to adopt a disciplined approach to study and work, for example by ensuring that activities, tasks, and assignments (whether formally assessed or not) are completed within specified time limits and discussion with other participants may need to be undertaken within specified time frames.

Web-based material will be utilised to support all aspects of the module, providing links to latest Government information and latest case law and legislation.

This module is concerned with Employment Law and peoples' rights at work. It is a development module in that it builds upon the knowledge and more basic understanding and skills acquired in the level one module. It addresses a range of issues relating to the problems people commonly experience at work, including aspects relating to the operation of contract terms and statutory rights to employment protection.

It focuses on:

- The nature of the employment relationship
- The employment contract, its form, sources, and operation
- The 'wage-work bargain', and specific aspects of its operation (including wage regulation, tax credits, and interruptions in wages)
- Individual and collective employment rights, and the statutory employment rights regime, including discrimination and human rights issues
- Workplace change and changes to employment contract terms (including the impact of collective agreements): and 'responses' to changes requiring advice on options
- The importance of key terms, including implied terms like and 'trust and confidence'
- Unfair dismissal, including constructive dismissal (and 'alternatives')
- Redundancy
- Advising on employment disputes; and issues relating to representation of employment clients
- The advocacy role of advisors.

1. Students are required to write 3 short 200 word essays on a range of topics relating to the contract of employment, its formation and operation; and statutory regulation of the employment relationship, assessing learning outcome 1 (25%)

and

2. A case study assignment (2000 words), assessing learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 (75%).

Formative Assessment - Tutor feedback will be provided via the online seminar discussion forums and also during the module via email and telephone responses to tasks and exercises.

The student must achieve an aggregate score of at least 40% overall when part one and two are added together, in order to pass the module.

- Painter, R.W. and Puttick, K. (with Holmes, A. E. M) Employment Rights 3rd Edition London: Pluto Press (2004) ISBN 0 7453 2125-9

- Painter, R.W. and Holmes, A.E.M. Cases and Materials on Employment Law, London: Oxford University Press (2004). ISBN 10-0-199284490

Reference may also be made to the following texts on specific aspects:

- On discrimination law, McColgan, A Discrimination Law: Text and Materials (Oxford: Hart Publishing). ISBN 01903307139

- On collective labour issues/unions, Morris, G. and Archer, T. Collective Labour Law (Oxford: Hart Publishing). ISBN 1-841113-096-6