EMPLOYMENT LAW - 2025/6

Module Overview

This course provides an opportunity for students following a Business Management HRM pathway, to acquire an understanding of the essential legal principles of Employment Law which regulate and underpin commerce and industry, with particular emphasis on the general awareness of the law necessary for those holding management positions.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

DALE Stephen (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

Students must have completed (Level 5) MAN2108 Business Law to qualify to gain entry to the Level 6 Elective Module, MAN3131 Employment Law. 

Module content

• The UK Legal Framework and Employment Law.


• Nature of the employment relationship and the Contract of Employment.


• Health and Safety in the Workplace.


• European and international perspectives underpinning Employment Law.


• Equality of treatment: sex, race, disability and other discrimination.


• Employment protection: pregnancy and maternity/ paternity rights.


• Regulation of Pay: entitlements to pay and the equal pay provisions.


• Termination of the contract: common law provisions and unfair dismissal under the provisions of the Employment Rights Act 1996.


• Redundancy and Transfer of Undertakings.


• Trade unions and the law of industrial action.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to measure progress and to provide feedback in a timely manner, in two individual assignments.

Thus the summative assessment consists of:

• The first module assessment is an individual assignment which is focused on the fundamental principles of UK employment law and the legal framework. The purpose of this is to provide an opportunity to consolidate and enhance the learning from early lectures/seminars and to give the student the opportunity to gauge their progress. 


• The second assessment which is also an individual assignment, is designed to enable students to demonstrate the ability to apply relevant legal principles to various employment issues and to consider appropriate strategies and legal remedies. This written assessment will require students to assemble an Employment Tribunal case from a relevant presented case study, of which students will then be required to demonstrably evidence a documented remedy, with supportive case law and a written resolve. 

Module aims

• To provide an understanding of the legal framework and the key principles of UK Employment law and appreciation of the importance of contemporary developments in Employment Law.
• To analyse employment law concepts and models and apply them in the context of rapidly changing business and legal environments.
• To endow students with the appropriate level of knowledge of the fundamentals of Employment Law to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities as a business manager or employer.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to develop the student’s appreciation, application and critical awareness of the key legal principles of Employment Law. 

The teaching and learning methods include the use of lectures to introduce the legal principles, supported by tutorials designed to develop the students’ appreciation, understanding and application of the principles relating to practical situations. Lecture notes will be made available and exercises included for discussion in both the lectures and seminars. 

The learning and teaching methods include: 

• 
  Lectures 
  


• 
  Seminars and class discussion 
  


• 
  Individual and supported group work 
  


• 
  Use of differing IT resources to underpin student learning. Including prescribed electronic texts and databases, 
  


• 
  (Westlaw, Lawtel and Lexis Library (Harvey on Industrial Relations, Halsburys Laws of England etc.)). 
  


• 
  Use of SurreyLearn VLE to support and underpin the learning outcomes and teaching methodology used. 
  

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN3131

Other information

Global and Cultural Capabilities  

Students will develop their ability of problem-solving skills whilst working in groups throughout the Semester, and to act effectively with other students from diverse backgrounds to develop their cultural intelligence, whilst broadening their geographical landscape, perspectives and interpretations, when engaging within this legal discipline. In addition, areas of jurisdictional law (e.g. Equality Act 2010), will engage with a wider understanding of application surrounding diversity, equality and the norms of both inclusion and social justice, whilst applying the relevant legal principles. 

Resourcefulness and Resilience  

This module empowers students critical thinking and the ability to develop a practical understanding of law with their peers, which both individually and within assigned group work enable the student to develop confidence, overcome challenges by supportive group and individual exercises, to reflection and change from their learning environment, which is directly shaped by the ongoing formative assessments and the summative coursework assessments. 

Employability – The module is designed to equip students with all the core competencies required of understanding and applying employment law across differing legal jurisdictions. Students will learn key competencies and transferable skills which are applied within differing business industries across UK, Europe and wider geographical countries.  The legal skills learned and applied, will enable students to analyse employment law both in theory and in practice whilst engaging within complex legal problems, which will be demonstrable through group work, assessments and the use of online legal databases, legislation and supportive case law.  The prescriptive approach within this subject, combined with the previous learned legal knowledge gained through MAN2108 Business Law, will support and sustain a high level of transferable skills, advocacy and knowledge for any future employment. 

Digital Capabilities 

Students will be engaged both individually and within groups to research, engage and work collaboratively using an array of different legal databases to solve simple and complex legal issues.  This includes the use of Lexis Legal Database, Westlaw UK, Lawtel, Harvey on Industrial Relations, Halsburys Laws of England. 

In addition, students will be expected to navigate and use the Virtual Learning Environment of SurreyLearn and other digital tools to support and underpin both the ongoing learning, preparation and weekly research and seminar presentations. 

Sustainability 

Students will develop an understanding, awareness and application of the jurisdictional law which embeds the best practices of employment law surrounding environmental sustainability which is underpinned by law. Wider applications of this will be addressed and evidenced through the legal framework of employment surrounding production, distribution and retail channels as defined by the Environment Act 2021. 

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.