Can an employer refuse to hire you because you dye your hair red?  Should employers be able to that, or should the ‘law’ stop them from doing this?

Can your employer cut your pay without your agreement?  What can you do about it, even if it is not allowed?

Does your employer need a reason to fire you?  Should they need a reason?

Why are employers required to pay ‘minimum wage”?  Does that law help workers?

Why do women earn 70 cents on the dollar compared to men?  Should the law try to ‘fix’ this?

And do we even need employment regulation at all?  What if we didn’t have an employment standards act or a human rights code?  Who would benefit from that?

These are the questions we explore in Employment Law.  You’ll learn the ‘law’.  But equally important, you will be challenged to think about why we have law, who benefits from it, and whether different laws would more effectively achieve public policy objectives, whatever they may be.  Keep an open mind and come prepared to about the role of ‘law’ in a modern society….and its effectiveness in achieving its aims.

The Blogs You Will Need

This is the course blog for the on-line section of Professor Doorey’s Employment Law course, HRM 3420, at York University.  You should book mark this page, along with my main blog, Doorey’s Workplace Law Blog, where I regularly post stories directly related to the course materials.  All of the materials you’ll need for the course are found here, including the outline, handouts, and links to video lectures and lecture notes.

The Lectures

A new lecture will be posted each Tuesday afternoon.  It is your responsibility to watch the lecture and complete the readings.  I recommend you not fall behind.   The first lecture will be posted on January 4th.