Employment Law

READ THE LINKED ARTICLE: ANATOMY OF AN EMPLOYEE BY James Marson, published in the Web Journal Of Current Legal Issues, Vol 19, NO 3 (2013)

See also the UK.Gov website Employment Status.

Business interests are global. National boundaries no longer limit the scope of an enterprise. Each nation with which one does business – directly or indirectly – adopts and abides by its own laws of the workplace. Our aim is not to become expert in those laws – it is enough to attempt compliance with our own statutes, case law, administrative regulations and executive orders. We can, however, learn from comparing and contrasting our laws of the workplace with those of other nations. For example, are there predictive trends, such as in the area of child labor? What workers’ rights do we perceive we protect more effectively? What rights might we better protect? How do these laws affect worker hiring and organizational productivity? The Anatomy of an Employee article discusses British employment law, which may include laws governing the European Union (EU), but holds parallels to American employment law and insights into issues that we must address as Human Resource professionals.

Research is an integral part of the assignment. You begin by identifying and discussing classifications of workers under each country’s legal system. Then you will select four areas of law or specific employment laws (one from each country) addressing the same topic (for example, disability accommodation or family leave). Next, compare and/or contrast each of the four pairs. How are they similar or different? From one of the pairs select the law (U.K. or U.S.) you would prefer to apply in the workplace and why you made that selection. Finally, discuss how the law you have chosen would influence your hiring decisions and workers’ productivity.

1.Your introductory section will address generally employment status and the definitions and/or classifications of employees and independent contractors in each country.

2.Identify four specific laws or categories of law you will compare and/or contrast.

3.Compare and/or contrast each of the four pairs.

4.Select one of the four areas of law in which you would favor applying the U.S. law or a U.K. law, and the reasons for your decision.

5.Discuss the effect the law you have selected would have on hiring decisions and workers’ productivity.