HRMT19021 - Principles of Employment Relations

Showing: 2026 HE Term 2
General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit discusses the changing nature of employment relations. In this unit, you will assess the role of state, employers, unions and employees in employment relations within the context of a changing labour market. You will analyse the legal, political and economic framework within which employment relations take place. Contemporary issues will be highlighted and discussed.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 2
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 4
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the unit.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2026

Term 1 - 2027 Profile
Melbourne Online Sydney

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Literature Review or Systematic Review 50%
2. Case Study 50%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

Previous Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: Unit Coordinator reflection
Feedback:
The current textbook, published in 2018, provides a solid foundation in fundamental theories and concepts; however, its real-world examples and coverage of employment regulations are somewhat outdated.

Recommendation:
To ensure the continued relevance of the unit, it is recommended to replace or supplement the current textbook with a more recent publication, providing students with access to up-to-date examples, contemporary theories, and current references in employment relations.

Action Taken:
The textbook was updated in line with the previous recommendation, providing students with access to more contemporary content, examples and perspectives relevant to current employment relations practice.
Source: Student evaluations
Feedback:
Knowledge and skills

Recommendation:
Opportunities for guest presenters or sessions will be explored, and current real-world case studies will be embedded in the learning materials.

Action Taken:
Due to extenuating circumstances and temporary changes to the unit coordination arrangements, it was not possible to facilitate a guest speaker session during this offering. However, the inclusion of guest speakers and/or practitioner perspectives remains a priority and is planned for a future offering of the unit.
Source: Unit Coordinator reflection
Feedback:
Regular student communication and engagement

Recommendation:
Continue regular communication with students through consistent announcements across the teaching term. It is recommended that the Unit Coordinator provide an announcement at the beginning of each week outlining key learning activities, priorities and upcoming assessment requirements, with a brief end-of-week announcement providing reminders and information relevant to the week ahead.

Action Taken:
In Progress
Source: Unit Coordinator reflection
Feedback:
Opportunities for student self-assessment

Recommendation:
Incorporate short, low-stakes knowledge checks or quizzes into the unit site at appropriate points throughout the term. These would provide students with opportunities to check their understanding of key concepts, identify areas requiring further revision, and consolidate their learning prior to assessment tasks.

Action Taken:
In Progress
Unit Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Explain and analyse the role of the state, employers, unions and employees in employment relations.
  2. Assess the impact of changes in the labour market and in the legal, political and economic framework on employment relations.
  3. Identify and discuss contemporary issues in employment relations.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Literature Review or Systematic Review
2 - Case Study
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10