This course provides an overview of labor and employment law in several countries representing different approaches to regulating the relationship between labor, capital, and the state. By exploring labor and employment laws that are rooted in different histories, political economies, and sociocultural and legal systems, students will develop a broader understanding and deeper appreciation of the fundamental labor/management issues confronting modern industrial societies, including the E.U., the U.S., Canada, and South Africa. Issues explored in a comparative framework include individual and collective contracts, wages and benefits, working hours and leave entitlements, protections from discrimination and unfair dismissal, the right to organize and bargain collectively, and redress of grievances.  In an era of global supply chains, decentralized production, and the increasingly rapid and transnational movement of capital, goods, information, and people, it is important for students of labor to develop a comparative and international perspective on the laws that govern labor relations.

At the end of this course, students will be able to: 

1. describe the sources and substance of international labour standards; 
2. identify and explain common issues in labour laws, including individual and collective contracts, wages and benefits, working hours and leave entitlements, protections from discrimination and unfair dismissal, the right to organize and bargain collectively, and redress of grievances; 
3. identify the primary sources of national labour law in at least four countries; 
4. research the labour laws of different countries; 
5. discuss and evaluate variations in labour laws among various countries; and 
6. provide a comparative analysis of the labour laws of different countries to advise a corporate client.

Students are expected to attend all class sessions and are encouraged to participate actively.

ONU is dedicated to providing an equitable educational experience for all enrolled students. Universal course policies applicable to all courses can be found at the following link: https://my.onu.edu/registrars_office/policies. This website includes:  

• Academic Dishonest Policy
• Academic Accommodations Policy
• Health and Safety Policy
• Title IX Policy
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

• 70%: Each student will take the role of a lawyer in a Chinese company that manufactures a product of the student’s choosing. The company wants to build a factory outside of China, and is looking to you for guidance on evaluating the labour laws of two countries for purposes of deciding which country to locate the factory in. The student will choose two countries to compare, one of which must be a country discussed in this course (Canada, the U.S., the E.U. (or a specific country in the E.U.), or South Africa) and one of which must be a country (not China) not discussed in this course. The student will research the labour laws of the country not covered in this course, and write a ±2000-word memorandum to an executive in the company advising the executive on the labour laws of the two countries.
• 30%: Class attendance and participation.
• Bonus: Each student will prepare and present to the class a 10-15-minute PowerPoint presentation on the labour laws of the two countries the student has chosen for her/his memorandum. Students may, if they choose, form groups of up to three students and create a single group presentation. These presentations will occur on the last three class periods of the course. Students who prepare and present this PowerPoint will receive up to 10 additional points (on a 100-point scale) toward the final grade.

Reading assignments will be distributed to students in the form of PDFs. PowerPoint slides will be distributed after each class.

Email or WeChat me any time you would like to set up a time to talk or videoconference.

• 18 March: Introduction to the course; regulatory challenges; the International Labour Organization.
• 25 March: International labour standards.
• 1 April: South African labour law – guest Hilary Mofsowitz will be available to answer questions.
• 8 April: Canadian labour law – guest lecturer Christopher Albertyn will be available to answer questions.
• 15 April: European labour law – guest lecturer dr Izabela Florczak will be available to answer questions. 
• 22 April: American labour law.
• 29 April: American labour law.
• 6 May: Georgian labour law and the Europeanization of Georgia Private Law – Giorgi Amiranashvili will be available to answer questions.
• 13 May: Mediating employment disputes in Hong Kong; cross-cultural mediation –Mylene Chan will be available to answer questions.
• 20 May: Student presentations.
• 27 May: Student presentations.