Module manager: Rachael O'Connor
Email: R.E.OConnor@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
Discovery students must have taken LAW1076 An Introduction to Law: What is Law? Incoming Study Abroad students must have taken Contract Law at their home university.
| LAW1035 | Contract Law |
| LAW1076 | Introduction to Law |
This module is not approved as a discovery module
The world of work has transformed in recent decades, impacted by a multitude of factors including technological developments and discoveries, global health pandemics and changing social identities and attitudes, alongside other social, political and economic shifts. Meanwhile, the law has often struggled to keep up pace with these changes and their implications for the regulation of workplace relationships, resulting in greater precarity, inequalities and exploitation amongst many workers. This makes the study of employment law and policy in the context of modern forms of working a critical area of study for any student interested in issues of equality and social progress and the role of law in achieving these aims.
The module takes a reflective, interdisciplinary approach to the study of workplace relationships. It explores modern forms of work and industrial relations through a socio-legal lens. Across the module, we explore questions which are critical to workplace relations, including whether employment law is currently fit for purpose and how it might be further developed.
The module draws upon case law, legislation, policy materials, research and theories of law and social justice. Students will be expected to engage multi-modally with academic and practitioner literature and content concerning work, rights, and responsibilities developed in other disciplines within the social sciences and beyond in accordance with the module’s law-in-context approach.
Students are also required to engage in critical self-reflection throughout the module. Any student – as a current or prospective employee, employer, activist, or advocate – will find this module intellectually engaging and relevant.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. evaluate the impact of employment law and related materials to gain insights into how workplace relationships operate within broader societal contexts;
2. identify the significance of a range of legal concepts, values, principles and rules connected to employment law within broader cultural and societal debates;
3. employ appropriate research methods to conduct independent legal research on a range of employment law related topics, integrating a diverse range of law and non-law sources.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
Critically reflect on personal and professional growth, discussing how personal values influence decisions and interactions
Apply critical thinking to analyse complex legal issues, demonstrating creativity in problem-solving
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Seminar | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 179 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 21 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
179
A formal formative assessment opportunity will be provided for the summative assessment task, which is specifically pedagogically aligned to that task. As part of this, each student will receive feedback designed to support the development of knowledge and skills that will be later assessed in the summative task.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Coursework | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 14/05/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team