BTF5060 - Work and the law - 2019

Postgraduate students either working in or aspiring to work in business in Australia are faced with a regulatory environment that governs the world of work. This unit introduces students to the different legal regulations that provide for rights and obligations of workers and employers. Topics include the Australian employment law system, the employment relationship, awards, workplace agreements, enterprise bargaining, industrial action, general protections, termination of employment and equal opportunity and discrimination law. In seminars students will gain a practical understanding of the legal rules in these topics by applying the law to practical problems and exploring legislation, cases, awards, collective workplace agreements and individual employment contracts.

The learning goals associated with this unit are to:

1. understand the key features of the system of employment regulation in Australia
2. understand the employment relationship in Australia in the context of the interplay between legal rules found in legislation, common law and statutory instruments
3. describe the key legal rules that govern individual and collective employment relations in Australia
4. illustrate the practical implications of employment law by identifying emerging issues in the media, the workplace and case law
5. apply the legal principles from relevant cases to hypothetical scenarios.

Within semester assessment: 40% + Examination: 60%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information