Understanding Employment Law and Case Law - HR Assignment

Course Learning Outcomes:  Explain the laws that govern the employee and employer relationship including statutory rights, contractual rights, due diligence and health and safety regulations.

EES  Communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in the written, spoken, and visual form that fulfills the purpose and meets the needs of the audience.  Locate, select, organize, and document information using Canadian information from a variety of sources. Manage the use of time and other resources to complete projects.  Take responsibility for one’s own actions, decisions and consequences. 

Assignment Background: In Chapter 13, you learned about the three regimes of employment law and about the importance of case law.  As judges decide on individual cases, the rules for HR practitioners and for organizational change, so it is very important for HR practitioners – and for managers in general – to be aware of case law.  This assignment will reflect your understanding of the reading and lecture material and demonstrate your ability to communicate your ideas and report on relevant information related to the theory.    

Assignment Details:

• Find a description of a case related to one of the topics of employment law discussed in Chapter 13 (e.g. dismissal, privacy rights of employers). The case must be Canadian and have been decided within the last ten years.  You are not required to read the actual record of the court’s decision (although you certainly may do so if you want to).

Here are some suggested sources for finding relevant cases:

• Canadian HR Reporter. Canadian Employment Law Today. This is behind a pay wall, but you have access to it through the campus library.
• Employment law blogs are a good source of case summaries with commentary. The easiest way to find them is to do a Google search.

There is a link to a video about using these search strategies in DC Connect.

• Answer the following questions:
• In your own words, describe the issue in the case discussed in your article. Be sure to include the name of the specific case (it will something like Smith v ABC Corp.)  What did the judge decide and why?
• Do you agree or disagree with the decision? Why?  Does the decision seem appropriate, given what you have learned in this class?
• What are the implications of this decision for HR practitioners? Based on this case, are there any policies or procedures that you would want to review or possibly change?
  

Assignment submission: All assignments are to be submitted to the Assignment folder in DC Connect on the due date on or before 11:59:00pm.  Late assignments will be penalized 20% per calendar day up to 3 days after which a mark of zero will be assigned and it will not be accepted.   “LATE” is defined at 12:00am and each subsequent 24-hour period thereafter for 3 days.

Format:

• Maximum 3 pages, double spaced and 1" margins
• Full sentences, paragraphs NO bullet points, subheadings may be used to divide each section for clarity
• Must cite all sources in APA Format (both IN TEXT and on a References page); please see the Durham College APA Guide for correct format and visit a SALS for workshops (in person or on line) on proper citation of materials if required.