Employment Relations: Welcome and overview

Developing an understanding of the framework of New Zealand employment relations will help your work in the business sector and your own employment situation. You will learn how to successfully negotiate employment agreements and resolve employment problems. These are useful skills in any job.

As a graduate, you will be desirable for these reasons:

1. Describing New Zealand employment relations is useful when managing staff. It can also help you decide on your career path because you will know which fields within employment relations and business interest you.
2. Explaining issues affecting New Zealand employment relations sharpens your analytical skills. You will be well placed for a position in human resources or as an employment advisor. You will also be better able to manage your own workplace issues.
3. Accurately describing the nature of employment agreements makes you useful to management and other staff. Knowing the essential components of agreements will help you meet your and your organisation’s needs.
4. Analysing procedures for negotiating employment agreements enables you to contribute to the process and ensure positive outcomes.
5. Analysing dispute and grievance resolution procedures sharpens your problem-solving skills and will assist in risk management both for yourself and your organisation.

After completing this course, you will understand the major players in this field and the context they operate in. You will have up-to-date knowledge and an understanding of the big picture, as well as skills in negotiation and problem solving. These are precious tools that are vital to a successful career.

You will meet the first two learning outcomes by completing the activities in section four – assessing a workplace. These activities include videos and quizzes, a web hunt, collaborative tasks, research in the filing cabinet, and mobile phone calls.

When you complete the activities in section five – negotiating employment agreements – you will meet the next two learning objectives. These activities include videos and quizzes, an agreement builder, collaborative tasks, research in the book shelf, and mobile phone calls.

Your last learning objective will be met by completing the activities in section seven – grievances and disputes. These include videos and quizzes, a collaborative task, research in the book shelf, and mobile phone calls.

You will find supporting materials in sections one, two, three, and six. These sections contain the history radio, future newspaper, address book, and course overview. These provide a context for the course and are particularly relevant to learning outcomes one and two.

Here is a visual mind map of the course that you can use to map your progress:

Employment Relations Course Map