Outline

Overview

The regulation of employment affects every business enterprise. Compliance with the laws impacting on employment is a vital component of business management. The aim of this unit is to introduce students to the legal and regulatory frameworks that underlie all employment practices (employee management, treatment and performance, as well as hiring and dismissals). The unit is designed to develop students' awareness of regulatory compliance issues that arise from employment practices and is taught in the context of the challenges faced by modern businesses in managing employees. The unit focuses on key areas of substantive employment regulation including Anti-Discrimination Law, termination of employment, freedom of association, and employment privacy. Discussion topics include: indirect discrimination, workplace harassment (including sexual harassment), bullying, and unfair dismissal; as well as various sports and entertainment case-studies. International employment law standards, public sector employment, and employment ethics are also addressed.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	Completion of at least 24 credit points of study including CLAW1001 or CLAW2214
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Giuseppe Carabetta, giuseppe.carabetta@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam (Open book)	Final exam 2,000 words max (1,000 per question)	40%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Discussion forum Presentation & Written task	20%	Multiple weeks	50 minute (max) presentation
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research paper Written task	30%	Week 09 Due date: 30 Oct 2020 at 18:00	1500 words max
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Participation and engagement Participation	10%	Weekly	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ? = Type C final exam ?

Assessment summary

Participation and engagement: Students are expected to attend all discussion forums but marks are not awarded for mere attendance. Students are expected to prepare for each forum and to be ready and willing to engage in discussion by, for example, answering questions put to the group or providing examples for a point under discussion. It is expected that students make positive contributions to the learning experience and respect the views of all students including students from diverse cultural and other backgrounds.
Discussion forum: Each discussion forum will be led by up to four students in a randomly selected group. Each group will be assigned one or more pieces of reading material and will address a series of questions. Students will be given a reasonable amount of time to prepare for these forums. Students will be required to submit a written summary of the results of their research and answers to the questions two days before the presentation as a group. Full details, including the discussion forum schedule, will be provided on Canvas.
Research paper: Students must locate a current issues item relating to one of the seminar topics and write a research paper on the topic. The paper should give a detailed account of the reported dispute or events and include a clear explanation as to how the issues it raises relate to topics discussed in seminars. The paper should give an outline of the relevant facts and students’ view as to how the law applies to the facts as reported. Further details, including the assessment criteria, will be provided on Canvas.
Final exam: In this exam students will be required to answer two questions designed to examine understanding and reflection based on wide reading, not mere regurgitation of material. Students will evaluate or analyse rather than merely describe. All questions will take the form of essay-style questions. Full details, including the assessment criteria, will be provided on Canvas.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas. If you have any questions about the assessments, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction; A Business law perspective of employment regulation	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 02	Legal categorisation of employment relationships: employees vs contractors	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 03	Sources of employment regulation	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	The application of international employment law standards	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 05	The application of anti-discrimination laws	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 06	The application of wrongful & unfair dismissal laws	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 07	The application of privacy laws	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 08	The application of freedom of association laws	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 10	The application of contract law	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 11	The application of torts law	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 12	The role of equitable doctrines	Seminar (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Details on required readings, including required readings for the Student Discussion Forums are provided in the Topic and Reading guide – See Canvas. All discussion forum readings, are available via the Library E-Reserve on Canvas. All material covered in the readings complements the classes/seminars and seminar topics.

Any additional seminar materials, class discussion questions and/or additional readings for each topic will be provided via Canvas.

Interactive seminar slides containing questions & gaps that you fill in during seminars as a result of the seminar discussions, will also be provided.

Vodcasts are used in this unit for additional guidance.

Canvas provides the online learning support for this unit. You should ensure you have access to this facility early in the semester and should check it regularly for course announcements and documents – though, again, please note that Canvas is not a substitute for classes/seminars or seminar content.

An online discussion forum will be available for the major assignment on the Canvas site. This can be used to clarify questions relating to the assignments.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

The prescribed text for is:

A. Stewart et al, Creighton and Stewart's Labour Law, 6th Ed, The Federation Press, 2016.

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. identify and analyse legal and compliance issues about employment regulation law arising from given fact situations and real-world context
LO2. resolve problems by applying the relevant law, evaluating the possible solutions and developing arguments to support their conclusions
LO3. Locate and select relevant sources using libraries, the web and other online research facilities.
LO4. manage, analyse, evaluate and use legal material and information
LO5. communicate about the law, orally and in writing, to a professional standard
LO6. appreciate the ethical and professional dimensions of their conduct beyond the classroom
LO7. work with people from diverse backgrounds with inclusiveness, open-mindedness and integrity and manage the dynamics of working within a group environment.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Additional information

Business School Policies

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

CLAW3207: Legal Regulation of Employment

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect