APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2014/2015

BIK 2930 Employment Law I

Responsible for the course
Sverre F Langfeldt

Department
Department of Accounting - Auditing and Law

Term
According to study plan

ECTS Credits
7,5

Language of instruction
Norwegian

Introduction
Most personal work conflicts are due to inadequate routines for avoiding such conflicts, and for how conflicts that do arise can be handled and solved. The result is often that the extent of the conflict increases and becomes more complicated. This is largely due to poor employer understanding of the basic principles of labour law, and causes major economic and personal problems for the parties.

Learning outcome
Acquired Knowledge:
Labour Law I gives the participants knowledge of legal regulation of employment, insights into legal methods, legislation and contracts in labour law, based on vital problems and theories of importance for the employer function. A thorough introduction is given to individual and collective labour law (tariff law), with an emphasis on the framework conditions for employment, wage and work conditions, the employer's management prerogative, and termination of employment due to the employee's conduct (dismissal, discharge, resignation on account of age, disability, etc. A crucial element in the course is an understanding of the connection between regulations, the employer's management prerogative and the practical organizing of important processes in labour law.
Acquired Skills:
Course participants shall be able to organize routines for handling labour law conflicts and be able to carry them out, with the aim of limiting the conflict to a reasonable level.
Reflection:
The course participants shall have a positive awareness of regulations and agreements that govern the relationship between the parties and respect these regulations and agreements.

Prerequisites
No particular prerequisites, but working life experience is a clear advantage, general admission requirements.

Compulsory reading
Books:
Fougner, Jan ... [et al.]. 2013. Arbeidsmiljøloven : lov av 17. juni 2005 nr. 62 om arbeidsmiljø, arbeidstid og stillingsvern mv. : kommentarutgave. 2. utg. Universitetsforlaget. Pensumrelevante deler
Langfeldt, Sverre Faafeng, red. Næringslivets lovsamling 1687- ... til Lov og rett for næringslivet. Siste utg. Universitetsforlaget : Focus forlag. Pensumrelevante lover. Obligatorisk oppslagsverk
Storeng, Nils H., Tom H. Beck og Arve Due Lund. 2014. Arbeidslivets spilleregler. 3. utg. Universitetsforlaget. Kapittel 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 44.

Other:
Arbeids- og Sosialdepartementet. 2005. Ot.prp.nr. 24 (2005-2006): Om lov om endringer i lov 17. juni 2005 nr. 62 om arbeidsmiljø, arbeidstid og stillingsvern m.v. (arbeidsmiljøloven). Dokumentet ligger tilgjengelig på Itslearning. Kap. 1, 2, 4, 5 og 6.
Arbeids- og Sosialdepartementet. 2005. Ot.prp.nr.49 (2004-2005): Om lov om arbeidsmiljø, arbeidstid og stillingsvern m.v. (arbeidsmiljøloven). Dokumentet ligger tilgjengelig på itslearning. Side 68-106, 122-150, 188-199, 222-240
Hovedavtalen LO-NHO. Avtalen ligger tilgjengelig på itslearning. Siste utgave
Langfeldt, Sverre F. 2014. Arbeidsrett (særtrykk av kapittel 9 i Lov og Rett for Næringslivet). Focus Forlag. Hele kapitlet
Utdelt materiale, herunder dommer og andre avgjørelser samt lovproposisjoner som legges ut på Itslearning


Recommended reading
Books:
Fanebust, Arne. 2013. Innføring i arbeidsrett : den individuelle del. 3. utgave. Universitetsforlaget. Hele boken. Til fordypelse
Fougner, Jan ... [et al.]. 2004. Kollektiv arbeidsrett. Universitetsforlaget
Fougner, Jan. 2007. Endring i arbeidsforhold : styringsrett og arbeidsplikt. Universitetsforlaget
Skarning, Nicolay. 2011. Sykefravær : nye arbeidsoppgaver, omplassering eller oppsigelse. Universitetsforlaget. Til fordypning
Skarning, Nicolay. 2013. Midlertidige ansettelser, innleie og vikarbyrådirektivet. Universitetsforlaget. Hele boken. Til fordypning

Course outline
1st session :
Sources of labour law. Recruitment process. Equal opportunity and
anti-discrimination. Employment conditions. The form and content of the employment contract.

2nd session :
Management prerogative and duty of loyalty. Wage terms. Collective labour law. Holiday and holiday allowance. Sick leave and sickness benefit. Leave of absence.
3rd. session :
Job protection regulation and termination of employment contracts. Dismissal,
suspension and discharge.

Computer-based tools
itslearning

Learning process and workload
The course duration is 40 lecture hours, organized in three 2-day sessions.


Examination
There is a 72-hour home exam at the end of the course, which may be answered by groups of up to 3 persons.

Examination code(s)
BIK 29301; 72-hour home exam, counts 100% of the course BIK 2930, 7,5 ECTS credits.

Examination support materials
All.

Re-sit examination
Re-sit at the next ordinary exam

Additional information
1st session - Labour Law - foundations and forms of regulation. Recruitment and employment
Objective
This session aims to give an introduction to the foundations and basic concepts of labour law, the sources of law and the function of labour law regulation in society and enterprises. A detailed review is given of the rules of law that concern employment and the types of employment that may be utilized. After the session, the participants shall have acquired knowledge of the basic rules for working terms, and the importance of such rules when employment contracts are to be entered into and handled.

Course outline
The foundations of labour law

• Regulations in labour law; legislation and contract forms
• Review of employment law regulation

• International conventions, EU and EEA law
• Laws and regulations
• Case law
• The tariff agreement and the personal employment contract
• The employer's management prerogative

• The aim and function of employment law regulation in society and enterprises.
• The employment law parties - employees and enterprises, organizations, authorities and courts of justice

• Recruitment, employment office
• Announcement and employment; differences between private and public enterprises
• Forms of employment (permanent employment, probation, temporary employment, temporary positions, trainees, fixed term)
• Hiring in and hiring out of manpower

• Requirements as to form when entering the contract and later amendments
• The factual content of the contract; Importance for the right to make later amendments

• The management prerogative as residual competence
• The management prerogative in practice
• The employee's subordination duty - resignation

• Tariff agreements - concept, forms and main effects
• Interaction between legislation and tariff agreements
• Wage determination and other working terms
• Society made up of organizations and tariff agreements, practical significance

• Tariff agreement parties -membership
• "Game rules" when entering into and amending agreements - negotiations, mediation and labour disputes
• The binding effects of tariff agrements; tariff commitment in practice
• Legal disputes and disputes of interest, labour peace guarantee and labour disputes
• The tariff agreement's "binding" effects - "invariability" and effect for employment contracts and enterprises
• The tariff agreement's effects after dismissal and closing-down

• Wage setting, wages and "fringe benefits"
• Types of wages and payment rules

• Holiday, holiday period and holiday allowance
• Sick leave, sick benefits
• Leave of absence

• Foundation and limits. The employer's management prerogative
• Limits to dismissal and discharge; practical approaches

• Resignation. Retraction
• Dismissal, suspension and discharge due to employee conduct
• Termination deadlines based on law or agreement
• General procedural rules; information and discussion
• Requirements as to form and their significance

• Substantive basis for dismissal, suspension and discharge. Case law.
• Employee's right to continue in the position after dismissal
• Conflict resolution; negotiations and legal proceedings
• Legal effects of lawful discontinuance
• Agreements on discontinuance and benefits etc. by resignations
• Indemnification by unlawful discontinuance