Syllabus: OCR - GCSE Business
Module: 3. People
Lesson: 3.7 Employment Law

Introduction

In OCR’s GCSE Business specification, Unit 3.7 on Employment Law sits within the broader “People” theme. This topic equips students with the foundational understanding of how legal frameworks protect employees and govern the relationship between workers and employers. It’s directly syllabus-aligned and crucial for developing real-world literacy in workplace rights and responsibilities. For schools seeking curriculum-aligned lessons that connect learning with life beyond the classroom, this is a plug-and-play topic with high engagement potential.

Key Concepts

Students should understand:

• The purpose of employment law – safeguarding employee rights and ensuring fair treatment in the workplace.

• Key legal areas including:

  • Health and safety regulations

  • Equal pay and anti-discrimination provisions

  • National minimum wage

  • Employee rights around contracts, holiday, parental leave, and redundancy

• Impact on businesses – compliance costs, policy development, staff training, and dispute resolution

• Consequences of non-compliance – legal action, reputational damage, and financial penalties

These points are directly outlined in the OCR specification and provide clear teaching targets.

Real-World Relevance

This topic links tightly to current affairs and student experiences. Use examples like:

• The 2023 Deliveroo and Uber tribunal decisions, which reinforced the rights of gig economy workers to receive fair pay and holiday entitlement.

• Major retailer equal pay lawsuits (e.g. Tesco, Asda) as case studies for gender pay disputes.

• Recent government reviews on hybrid work and flexible contracts, which bring employment rights into sharper focus for younger generations.

Bringing in local employer policies or union campaigns can also personalise the topic for students.

How It’s Assessed

OCR uses a range of command words that teachers should explicitly teach:

• Explain – state, define and contextualise

• Analyse – build logical chains of reasoning

• Evaluate – balance arguments and reach justified conclusions

Students may encounter questions like:

• “Explain one reason why employment law is important for businesses.”

• “Analyse how the national minimum wage might affect a small business.”

• “Evaluate the impact of employment law on employee motivation.”

Answers should blend theory with real or hypothetical examples. Encourage practice using case studies or mock policies.

Enterprise Skills Integration

Employment law offers a great entry point for active learning:

• Decision-making: Students could role-play HR managers deciding how to respond to changes in law (e.g. raising minimum wage).

• Problem-solving: Scenarios involving workplace conflict or legal grey areas help build reasoning.

• Communication: Presenting a company policy pitch or employee induction plan can develop persuasive writing and speaking skills.

• Ethical reasoning: Debates on zero-hours contracts or gig work challenge students to weigh up legal, moral and commercial implications.

If using Enterprise Skills’ Business Simulations, this topic naturally integrates into HR decision points around staffing policy and resource allocation.

Careers Links

This unit supports Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5 and 6:

• Benchmark 4 (Curriculum links to careers): Draw direct connections to HR, law, and management.

• Benchmark 5 (Encounters with employers): Invite in a local HR professional or union rep to discuss workplace rights.

• Benchmark 6 (Workplace experiences): Use virtual work experience platforms or review real job contracts as an in-class activity.

Relevant pathways include:

• Human Resources

• Employment Law

• Industrial Relations

• Health & Safety Compliance

• Trade Union Support Roles

Teaching Notes

Tips for delivery:

• Start with what students already know – contracts, part-time work, job ads.

• Use real contracts or anonymised policies as discussion tools.

• Visualise changes over time (e.g. timeline of major employment law milestones).

• Link to personal finance units (wages, tax, pensions) for a cross-topic hook.

Common pitfalls:

• Students often confuse rights and responsibilities – be clear on both.

• Overgeneralising “all employers are bad” or “laws always help” – use balanced examples.

• Failing to apply context in answers – keep practising short scenarios.

Extensions:

• Research project on a landmark UK employment law case.

• Design an employee handbook section for a start-up.

• Simulate an employment tribunal – assign roles for judge, claimant, employer.

This unit offers a strong opportunity to “bring learning to life” while preparing students for both assessment and adulthood. And crucially, it’s built for real classrooms.