LW251-6-SP-CO:
Employment Law and Practice

The details
2021/22
Essex Law School
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Monday 17 January 2022
Friday 25 March 2022
15
26 November 2021

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

(none)

Module description

This is a module with a strong practical emphasis. In terms of theory, it examines employment relations including the contract of employment, the employment relationship including its termination, and the application of complex employment law and regulation.

An important component of the module revolves around the operation of the Employment Tribunal: it will look at the practicalities involved in settling workplace disputes and bringing a claim to an Employment Tribunal and communicating with the client regarding their claim.

Module aims

This module broadly aims:

1. To introduce students to the practical application of employment law, the settlement of workplace disputes, the prohibition of discrimination insofar as it relates to the workplace, the termination of the employment relationship, and the requirements of bringing a claim to an Employment Tribunal.
2. To explore the express and implied terms of the contract of employment, changes to terms and conditions of employment, changes to staff handbooks, information and consultation.
3. To develop students' knowledge of bringing claims before an Employment Tribunal and to develop their skills in drafting tribunal forms and advocacy before a tribunal.
4. To place the module in its social, economic, political, historical, philosophical, moral and cultural context. This includes reference to the influence of European directives and case law on the UK.

Module learning outcomes

On completion of this module the students should be able to:

1. Critically evaluate the practical application of employment law
2. Critically evaluate the operation of the contract of employment with reference to employment law and the wider social, economic, political, historical, philosophical, moral and cultural context within which employment relations operate.
3. Apply skills of drafting and advocacy to a simulated Employment Tribunal claim.
4. Critically evaluate the impact of employment law on the recruitment and engagement of employees and a typical workers.

Module information

The module will provide the student with an understanding of the employer/employee relationship, as well as its social, economic, political, historical, philosophical, moral and cultural context.

An important component of the module revolves around dispute resolution. Therefore, the module will deal with practicalities involved in settling workplace disputes and bringing a claim to an Employment Tribunal and communicating with the client regarding their claim.

The module will enhance students` employability by, inter alia, developing interviewing, negotiation, advocacy, drafting, team working, problem solving, practical legal research, and office skills; as well as applying rules of procedure.

Learning and teaching methods

This module is taught through a mixture of weekly live webinars, pre-recorded videos, and tutorials. Each week, the module teaching team will first produce and make available on Moodle two 25-minute pre-recorded video lectures. The module teaching team will then deliver a weekly live 50-minute webinar in which they further explore key legal concepts and answer your questions about the topics. These lectures and webinars will subsequently be available online through Moodle so that you can re-watch them as part of your independent study. Alongside this, there will be five bi-weekly 50-minute small group tutorials. The module teaching team will also produce and make available on Moodle short guidance notes. These notes will introduce the material to be covered in the lectures, webinars and required readings. The notes will also contain tips designed both to help you navigate the material to be covered in the lectures and webinars and to equip you to analyse the required readings. You will be expected to have completed the required readings in advance of your tutorials. Your tutorials will enable you to discuss the material covered in lectures, webinars and the required readings, obtain feedback on your pre-class preparation and deepen your understanding of key concepts. To help you prepare in the best possible way for your tutorials, you will be completing regular small assessed activities to enable you to reflect upon and track your progress, understand what you are doing well, and give you clear feedback to help you manage your studies and your progress.

Bibliography

This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   LW251 - Written Submission: Employment Tribunal Written Submissions and Client Letter    60% 
Practical   LW251 - Oral Submission: Employment Tribunal    20% 
Practical   LW251- Tutorial Preparation    20% 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Niall O'Connor, email: n.oconnor@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Niall O'Connor, Dr. Ugochukwu Obibuaku and Brontie Ansell
Law UG Education Administrators - lawschoolug@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
No
No
Yes

External examiner

Dr Panagiotis Kapotas
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 150 hours, 20 (13.3%) hours available to students:
130 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

 

Further information
Essex Law School

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