HRER811:

The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.

HRER 811: Labor and Employment Law II

(3 credits) Advanced topics in labor and employment law; such areas as the National Labor Relations Act, immigration, safety/health, employee privacy, social media, and alternative dispute resolution. 

Prerequisite: HRER 501

Overview

Welcome! In HRER 811, you will continue to acquire skills that enable HR professionals to deal effectively with governmental regulation of the workplace. We’ll think about these issues in the context of two major subject areas.

The first is labor law, such as the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which applies to private sector employers, and the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute, which applies to federal public sector employment. While labor law is understood to govern unionized workplaces, as we’ll see in this class, it also has much broader application. The other major area we’ll cover is employment law, a product of federal, state, and local legislation, regulations, and the common law. We’ll also review emerging international standards and norms that impact both labor and employment law as the result of the globalization of the economy and the workplace. This course is premised on the view that a skilled HR professional needs to be conversant with all of these topics.

Our study will be divided equally between labor and employment law, with learning reinforced by weekly quizzes and essay question activities and one group discussion forum. On the labor law side, we start with the NLRA, giving particular attention to how it impacts nonunion workplaces. We finish this part of the course by looking at public sector labor law in both the federal and state context.

In the second half of the course, we delve into topics that we couldn’t explore sufficiently in HRER 501: Labor and Employment Law, including occupational health and safety, whistleblowing, multinational employers, international labor law, immigration-related laws, social media and privacy law, the techniques of workplace investigation, and the growing use of alternative dispute mediation (ADR).

This course also includes a seminar paper requirement. As part of Lesson 9, you’ll be asked to identify a labor- or employment-related topic that you’d like to study in more detail. Some students select a topic to better understand an issue that came up in this or another course. Others choose an issue that they’ve not yet studied because it piques their interest. And still others pick a topic related to their own workplace. Just in case nothing springs to mind, we’ll provide some topics for you to consider. The only requirements are that the topic relates strongly to employment or labor law and that it interests you. Then, we’ll ask you to research the topic, submit a proposed seminar paper outline as part of Lesson 11, and ultimately submit the paper itself in the week of Lesson 14, with no other assignments due that week.

This course strives to balance concept and practical application. And we try to keep in mind what, for most students and teachers in HR, is an article of faith—namely, that employees are the distinctly human factors in the modern enterprise. As such, our workplace laws must deal with the full range of strengths, weaknesses, gifts, and needs of people. We are lucky to be studying in such a fascinating field. We hope you enjoy it.

Course Objectives

After successfully completing this course, you should be able to do the following:

• Achieve legal compliance while at the same time successfully advancing human and labor relations objectives.
• Keep pace with the globalization of production, labor, and workplace law.
• Grasp legal subjects having everyday impact—such as the rules governing employee rights under the National Labor Relations Act, safety and health, employee privacy, and social media policies.
• Improve your skills in investigating, diagnosing, and mediating workplace disputes.
• Demonstrate an ability to apply and share newfound knowledge on workplace laws of special interest to you.

Required Course Materials

Additional Readings: Will be posted in PSU Library E-Reserves.

Library Resources

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

• access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
• borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
• get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
• much more. 

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service.  The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.

Activites

Commentary

Each week, you should read the course commentary located in the lesson module and any additional commentary your instructor provides. They are part of the required reading for the course.

Quizzes

Most lessons include multiple-choice and true-or-false questions. You may use the assigned reading, your notes, external sources, and so on, but no collaboration is permitted.

Essay Assignments

Most lessons include activities in which you will be asked to prepare 750–1,000-word responses to essay questions. You may use the assigned reading, your notes, external sources, and so on, but no collaboration is permitted.

Group Forum Discussion

This course includes one group forum discussion.

Seminar Paper

You will be expected to write a seminar paper on a subject relevant to the course. You may choose the topic, subject to approval by the instructor. The paper should be approximately 3,000 words, not including tables, references, and so on. The American Psychological Association (APA) citation style should be used for this paper. Review the resources for APA Style.

NOTE: Prior to turning in your paper, you must run it through Turnitin. It is recommended that you do this a few days before the deadline in case it turns up any problems with your paper. To do so, you will use the information your instructor will provide to access their services. Then, follow the instructions to download your paper to First Submission. It sometimes takes several minutes for the program to analyze your paper. Eventually you should see your Report. The Report should include a percentage score and a color code. If the color is green or blue, you are OK. If it is yellow or red, click to see comments. The report should indicate where your text is too similar to a publication. If the program turns up passages of more than one or two lines, this needs correction; you will need to paraphrase them and cite the source, indicate they are quotations and cite the source, or remove these passages.

Final Exam

The final assignment is designed to help you examine information you've studied and illustrate your understanding of various aspects of labor and employment law. You may use any materials from the course or external sources to complete this assignment, although it must be entirely your own work with no collaboration with others.

Technical Specifications

If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!

As a Penn State student, you have access to LinkedIn Learning, your one-stop shop for video tutorials on Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and countless other topics—all free to active Penn State faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students. Take tutorials to help with coursework, learn techniques for your own projects, and boost your résumé with tech skills.

If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the HelpDesk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!

Course Schedule

Unless otherwise noted, all assignments are due by noon Eastern Time (ET) on the Monday after each lesson's time frame.

Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).

PART I - LABOR LAW

PART II - EMPLOYMENT LAW

You will have access to all online content for 1 year from the date the course begins except for e-reserve materials, which will close at the end of the semester. If you wish to be able to access e-reserve materials after the course ends, please download them or print them.

Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

Grading

The World Campus follows the same grading system as the Penn State resident program. The grades of A, B, C, D, and F indicate the following qualities of academic performance:

A = (Excellent) Indicates exceptional achievement
B = (Good) Indicates extensive achievement
C = (Satisfactory) Indicates acceptable achievement
D = (Poor) Indicates only minimal achievement
F = (Failure) Indicates inadequate achievement necessitating a repetition of the course in order to secure credit

Grading Scale

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate and Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.

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Academic Integrity

Disclaimer

Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.