Employment law and practice
On this page
|
|
|
|
|
| 3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown.
Summary
This course considers the distinction between employees and other persons who carry out work. It looks at the characteristics of a contract of employment and issues relating to claims for breach of contract, unfair dismissal and redundancy. It also examines discrimination legislation relating to employment rights, and how the law has developed ‘family-friendly’ rights to employees. This course will be of interest if you’re seeking to develop your experience and understanding, or if you’ve taken Understanding law (W200), as it builds upon skills developed in that course. The course deals principally with the law of England and Wales.
Course content
This is a 30-point course suitable for study if you have an interest in the area of employment law and practice, or as part of the free-choice element of the LLB. W221 is for you if you already have a good knowledge of the English legal system and method, and may be of particular interest if you have taken Understanding law (W200) or Rules, rights and justice: an introduction to law (W100), which introduces you to the English legal system but not to online legal research.
The course considers the development and characteristics of the modern employment relationship. It explores the rules that have developed to distinguish an employee from other workers, the formation of the contract of employment, terms of a contract of employment, the consequences of a breach of the contract of employment and the available remedies. The course considers claims for wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal and statutory redundancy. Also covered are the statutory rights of individual employees such as protection from different forms of discrimination and the provision of family-friendly rights. Employment law is heavily influenced by the EU and social policy and their impact on the growth of this dynamic area is also considered. In addition to this knowledge and understanding you will be provided with the opportunity to develop a range of associated skills including:
- the basic principles of drafting the terms of a contract of employment
- organise and assimilate legal, numerical and factual material and provide reasoned advice about such material
- problem solving by identifying material facts and legal issues, applying legal principles and exceptions to find solutions
- distinguish similar factual situations by reference to legal principles
- identify issues which require researching and use paper and electronic primary and secondary legal resources.
Entry
This is a Level 2 course and you need study skills required for this level of study, which may have been obtained either from Level 1 study with The Open University or from equivalent work at another university.
The course assumes that you already have knowledge and understanding of the English legal system, so we strongly advise you to take Understanding law (W200) first, as it builds upon the skills developed in W200. Alternatively Rules, rights and justice: an introduction to law (W100) introduces you to the English legal system.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Outside the UK
Please note that this course is only concerned with the law of England and Wales.
Qualifications
W221 is an optional course in our
- BA (Honours) Business Studies (B04)
- BA/BSc (Honours) Nursing Studies (B47)
- BSc (Honours) Nursing Practice (B53)
This course may count towards your LLB degree as part of the free-choice element. It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The written course material is available in a comb-bound format. The course materials (excluding text books) may be available on CD-ROM in Adobe (PDF) format. Some components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. You will need to spend time using a personal computer and the internet. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Two course manuals, a case book. Access to a website that offers resources for and news about the practice of Employment Law, and access to legal databases for research purposes.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor with whom you can communicate by email, telephone and post, who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. Your tutor will also run online tutorials that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to take part in. You will probably have about 25 hours of such tuition.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
The end-of-course assessment (ECA) is a project. Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete it all. The substitution rule will not apply for this course.
Professional recognition
If you are intending to use this course as part of the free choice for the LLB, and you hope to enter the Legal Professions, you should read carefully our Recognition leaflet 3.13 Law. There are different entry regulations into the legal professions in England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. You should read the Recognition leaflet as it is your responsibility to ensure that you meet these requirements.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in November 2010. We expect it to be available at the same time once a year.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Business and Management and Law.
Study explained
- Course
- - a module of study that can count towards a qualification.
- Credit points
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Level
- - indicates how difficult a course is. Undergraduate study starts at Level 1.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
Student Reviews
Although the manuals are, as with all OU courses, easy to work with, I found the course material misleading in ...
Read more
The W221 Course Team is disappointed to learn that this student was not satisfied with their study experience on the ...
Read more
I really enjoyed this course. The materials were clear and well structured. The emphasis on researching legal databases to find ...
Read more
Course satisfaction survey
See the satisfaction survey results for this course.
Got a question?
Contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service
Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90
Browse the prospectus
Request a print prospectus
Share
This PageThe University wishes to emphasise that, while every effort is made to regularly update this site, the material on it is subject to alteration or amendment in the light of changes in regulations or in policy or of financial or other necessity.