Labor Law Practice Course

Lesson 1 • Origins and Evolution of Labor Law

Traces labor law from early common law doctrines to modern statutory frameworks. Provides historical context essential for interpreting current regulations.

Lesson 2 • Constitutional Basis for Labor Regulation

Examines how constitutional provisions authorize labor legislation and limit government power. Grounds students in the legal authority underlying all labor statutes.

Lesson 3 • Sources of Labor Law

Identifies statutes, regulations, case law, and contracts as primary sources. Students learn to locate and prioritize applicable legal authority.

Lesson 4 • Key Regulatory Agencies and Their Roles

Maps the agencies that enforce labor law and their jurisdictional boundaries. Students understand how enforcement authority is divided and exercised.

Lesson 1 • At-Will Employment and Its Exceptions

Defines at-will employment and the statutory and common law exceptions that limit it. Sets the baseline for understanding termination rights and risks.

Lesson 2 • Contract Modification and Termination

Addresses how employment contracts are lawfully amended or ended. Students apply consideration and notice requirements to real-world scenarios.

Lesson 3 • Restrictive Covenants

Examines non-compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements. Students assess enforceability standards and draft balanced restrictions.

Lesson 4 • Offer Letters and Implied Promises

Identifies how informal communications create binding obligations. Students learn to review pre-hire documents for unintended contractual commitments.

Lesson 1 • Overtime Calculation and Exemptions

Details overtime thresholds, regular rate computation, and exemption criteria. Students apply tests to classify workers and calculate owed pay.

Lesson 2 • Wage Payment and Deduction Rules

Covers lawful deduction categories, pay frequency mandates, and final pay timing. Students design compliant payroll policies and correct unlawful practices.

Lesson 3 • Minimum Wage Requirements

Explains minimum wage floors, tip credits, and subminimum wage rules. Students identify applicable rates and common employer errors.

Lesson 4 • Hours Worked and Compensable Time

Defines what counts as compensable work time, including travel and on-call periods. Students audit timekeeping practices for hidden wage liability.

Lesson 1 • Inspection, Citation, and Contest Process

Walks through agency inspection procedures, citation types, and employer response options. Students prepare for inspections and evaluate contest strategies.

Lesson 2 • Safety Program Design and Training

Guides development of written safety programs and required employee training. Students build program components that satisfy regulatory and practical standards.

Lesson 3 • Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment

Teaches systematic methods for identifying and evaluating workplace hazards. Students produce written hazard assessments aligned with regulatory expectations.

Lesson 4 • General Duty and Specific Standards

Explains the general duty clause and industry-specific safety standards. Students identify applicable standards for diverse workplace settings.

Lesson 1 • Protected Classes and Coverage

Maps statutory protected characteristics and employer coverage thresholds. Students determine which laws apply to a given employer and workforce.

Lesson 2 • Reasonable Accommodation Obligations

Covers accommodation duties for disability and religion under applicable statutes. Students engage in the interactive process and assess undue hardship claims.

Lesson 3 • Harassment and Hostile Work Environment

Defines actionable harassment and employer liability standards. Students draft anti-harassment policies and evaluate complaint investigation procedures.

Lesson 4 • Disparate Impact Theory

Analyzes facially neutral policies that produce discriminatory outcomes. Students conduct statistical analyses and evaluate business necessity defenses.

Lesson 1 • Contract Administration and Grievances

Explains collective agreement interpretation and the grievance-arbitration process. Students draft grievances and prepare arbitration submissions.

Lesson 2 • Collective Bargaining Obligations

Covers mandatory, permissive, and illegal bargaining subjects and good faith duties. Students prepare bargaining proposals and evaluate impasse options.

Lesson 3 • Employee Rights to Organize

Defines protected concerted activity and the right to form or join unions. Students identify lawful and unlawful employer responses to organizing activity.

Lesson 4 • Unfair Labor Practice Charges

Identifies employer and union unfair labor practices and the charge process. Students analyze fact patterns to spot violations and advise on remedies.

Lesson 1 • Health and Welfare Benefit Plan Compliance

Covers plan document requirements, continuation coverage, and nondiscrimination rules. Students audit plan documents and correct common compliance deficiencies.

Lesson 2 • Retirement Plan Fiduciary Duties

Explains fiduciary standards, prohibited transactions, and plan governance. Students evaluate plan investment menus and identify fiduciary breach risks.

Lesson 3 • Family and Medical Leave Entitlements

Covers eligibility, qualifying reasons, and notice requirements for protected leave. Students process leave requests and manage intermittent leave administration.

Lesson 4 • Other Statutory Leave Obligations

Surveys military, jury duty, voting, and other mandated leave types. Students identify applicable leave laws and integrate them into unified policies.

Lesson 1 • Reduction-in-Force Selection and Compliance

Guides lawful selection criteria for workforce reductions and adverse impact review. Students build defensible RIF matrices and document selection rationale.

Lesson 2 • Progressive Discipline Systems

Builds structured discipline frameworks that document performance and conduct issues. Students draft discipline policies that withstand arbitration and litigation scrutiny.

Lesson 3 • Mass Layoff Notification Requirements

Explains advance notice obligations triggered by plant closings and mass layoffs. Students calculate notice periods and identify covered employment actions.

Lesson 4 • Lawful Termination Procedures

Identifies procedural steps that reduce wrongful termination exposure. Students conduct pre-termination reviews and prepare separation documentation.