LW6017 - Employment Law

You will learn through lectures, workshops, directed learning and independent learning. There will be directed learning and pre-workshop tasks for you to work through in advance of the workshop sessions to ensure active participation. Workshops will also offer the opportunity for peer and tutor feedback. The learning will also be supported by resources provided through the E-Learning Portal Site.

Directed learning will centre on preparation for lectures and workshop tasks and will include guided reading using electronic reading lists, self-evaluative tasks as well as opportunities to engage with your tutor and fellow students. Knowledge will be consolidated through a range of learning activities that will include extended reading, research and reflection.

Independent learning will centre on you identifying further reading and research to provide deeper/broader knowledge and understanding of the subjects covered in employment law.

You will be provided with detailed formative feedback during workshop tasks from peers and workshop tutors. You will also benefit from detailed written formative feedback following one workshop and this feedback, along with the oral feedback, can be used in the preparation of subsequent module assessments on the programme. You are therefore able to demonstrate self-reflection and reflective practice within the module and on the programme as a whole, with feedback of appropriate quality and the positive application of formative feedback on learning.

The University is well-placed to support you in learning and research with an excellent library and teaching facilities, access to on-line legal databases and resources and appropriate software.

This module is designed and will be managed by your designated Module Tutor who will be responsible for guiding you in your engagement and learning on the module. There will be a dedicated module team of lecturing staff who will carry out the lectures and workshops. All relevant materials and instructions will be accessible on-line through the module eLP site, maintained by your Module Tutor, who will also provide updates on issues of current legal significance. Extensive use is therefore made of the eLP at module level to provide lecture and workshop materials, make announcements and to highlight recent developments in the law. You may communicate with your Module Tutor in person, by e-mail or telephone and are encouraged to make contact if you encounter any difficulties relating to any aspect of the module.

Academic support is also available through summative and formative feedback on assignments. At programme level you will be supported by the Programme Leader who will provide pastoral support throughout the module and the programme as a whole.

The Programme Administration and Student Liaison teams are responsible for the non-academic administration of the module, such as organising the assessment schedule, returning your marked assessments and recording your marks. They will contact you throughout the duration of your module with details about the assessment other issues.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

By the end of this module:
• You will be able to recognise and apply some of the current theories and themed critical scholarship at the forefront of the areas covered in the employment law syllabus
• You will develop knowledge and understanding of how substantive law operates to regulate the employment relationship in the context of practice and recognise ambiguity and deal with uncertainty of the law in a practical context.
• You will develop a systematic and in depth knowledge and understanding of key aspects of substantive employment law areas and be able to demonstrate detailed and coherent understanding in that area.
• You will be able to consolidate and apply your knowledge and understanding of employment law to complex legal problems involving the employment relationship and to further extend your understanding so as to find solutions and construct sustainable and evidenced arguments.
• You will conduct research which will enable you to accurately identify relevant legal issues, retrieve and evaluate accurate, current and relevant information from a range of appropriate sources including primary sources.

Formative assessment will be achieved by preparation of work prior to workshop sessions which will build on lecture materials and directed learning which will be followed by group discussion and oral tutor led feedback during workshop sessions. Written feedback will be provided after one of the workshop sessions on work handed in and there is an opportunity for a mock assessment prior to the summative assessment.

Summative Assessment will be undertaken on an individual basis by way of an open book online 24 hour examination which constitutes 100% of the marks for this module. The exam aims to assess your knowledge and understanding of substantive employment law in a practical context enabling you to consolidate and apply that knowledge and understanding to complex legal problems.

The specific nature of the assessment may vary and may include essay and legal problem questions. Assessment criteria are provided to enable you to understand what is expected of you and how you will be judged on your performance.

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Employment law issues are rarely out of the news. The employment relationship is one of the most significant relationships individuals will have. This module examines the laws regulating the employment relationship at a time of dramatic change as employers demand an increasingly flexible workforce. This module will guide you through a variety of legal issues including the establishment and content of the contract of employment; the laws governing pay, job security and dismissal. We also consider the employer/employee relationship in the context of a business re-structure. Great Britain is an increasingly diverse society and equality issues are becoming central to the study of employment law. Consequently, there has never been a more important time to study this politically relevant, interesting and dynamic area of law from both a personal and career perspective. You will be assessed by examination only which will consolidate your knowledge and understanding of employment law.