Download Course Outline - Pima Community College

Course Content Form
PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Effective Term: Fall 2015
HRS
102
Human Resource Law
Credit Hours: 3.00
Lecture Periods: 3.00
Lab Periods:
Description:
Legal issues associated with human resources management. Includes hiring, personnel practices, wages and
hours, taxes employee benefits, family and medical leave, health and safety, illegal discrimination, workers with
disabilities, and termination. May also include issues associated with independent contractors, unions, and
lawyers and legal research.
Course Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
1.
Describe how various state and federal laws affect the employment relationship, including statues
concerning discrimination, a safe and healthy workplace, and wage and hour basics.
2.
Identify key provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act and Americans with Disabilities Act.
3.
Identify advantages and disadvantages of offering employee benefits and how related tax laws affect
employers.
4.
Explain the role and advantages of adopting an employee handbook.
Performance Objectives:
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
1.
Describe the legal protocol; set out by many state and federal laws and court decisions, for every phase of
the employment relationship, including the hiring process.
2.
Explain how creating or having an existing employee handbook can help the employer and employees
reach an amicable resolution, and if needed, help the company defend itself in legal proceedings.
3.
Describe statutes and laws concerning wage and hour basics, and potential problem areas.
4.
Explain how the tax laws affect the employer and how the pieces of the tax system fit together.
5.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of offering employee benefits; which benefits will the federal
tax laws allow the employer to deduct as a business expense.
6.
Describe what the Family and Medical Leave Act means to the employer and the employee.
7.
Discuss the federal and state laws and local ordinances that require the employer to make the workplace
save and healthy. List some of the advantages to the employer to keep the workplace safe and healthy.
8.
Elaborate on the different laws that prohibit discrimination (and the many types of discrimination) in the
workplace.
9.
Describe what the Americans with Disabilities Act means to the employer.
10. Discuss the issues that an employer must be aware of concerning terminations and preventing possible
wrongful termination claims.
11. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of hiring independent contractors; how they differ from
employees, and discuss the legal issues of which an employer should be aware. (Optional)
12. Describe the issue of Unions in the workplace and basic workers' rights, as well as employers' rights.
(Optional)
13. Discuss cost-effective ways employers can use lawyers and other legal resources available to employers.
(Optional)
Outline:
I.
Hiring
A.
Legal guidelines for hiring employees
B.
Job descriptions
C.
Job advertisements
D.
Job applications
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
E.
Interviews
F.
Testing
G. Investigations
H.
Making a job offer
Personnel Practices
A.
Employee files
B.
Employee handbooks
C.
Employee performance reviews
D.
Disciplining employees
Wages and Hours
A.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) coverage
B.
Pay requirements
C.
Calculating pay
D.
Calculating work hours
E.
Keeping records
F.
Child labor
G. Payroll withholding
Taxes
A.
Employer identification numbers
B.
Federal employment taxes
C.
Self-employment taxes
D.
Tax deductions for salaries and other expenses
E.
Independent contractors
F.
Statutory employees
Employee Benefits
A.
Healthcare coverage
B.
Retirement plans
C.
Other employee benefits
Family and Medical Leave
A.
Who is covered
B.
Reasons for taking a leave
C.
Scheduling leave
D.
Temporary transfer to another job
E.
Substituting paid leave
F.
Advance notice of leave
G. Certification
H.
Health benefits
I.
Returning to work
J.
Related laws
K.
Enforcement
Health and Safety
A.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
B.
Getting help
C.
State OSHA Laws
D.
Hazardous chemicals
E.
Workers' compensation
F.
Disease prevention
G. Tobacco smoke
H.
Drug and alcohol abuse
I.
Repetitive stress disorder
Illegal Discrimination
A.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
B.
Sexual harassment
C.
Age
D.
Pregnancy
E.
National origin
F.
Gay and lesbian workers
G. State and local laws
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
Workers with Disabilities
A.
The Americans with Disabilities Act
B.
Businesses that are covered
C.
Who is protected
D.
Exceptions to coverage
E.
Providing reasonable accommodations
F.
Financial assistance
G. Health and safety standards
H.
Medical exams
I.
Enforcement
Termination
A.
Wrongful discharge cases
B.
Guarding against legal claims
C.
Guidelines for firing employees
D.
Investigating complaints against workers
E.
Alternatives to firing
F.
The firing process
G. Heading off trouble
H.
Final paycheck
I.
Continuing health insurance
J.
Unemployment compensation
K.
Protecting your business information
L.
Handling post-employment inquires
Independent Contractors (Optional)
A.
Comparing employees and independent contractors
B.
The IRS rules
C.
Workers automatically classified as employees
D.
State laws
E.
The risks of misclassification
F.
Hiring independent contractors
Unions (Optional)
A.
The National Labor Relations Act
B.
Unionizing a workplace
C.
Employer rights and limitations
D.
Making unions unnecessary
Lawyers and Legal Research (Optional)
A.
Getting help
B.
Paying a lawyer
C.
Resolving problems