This module will introduce you to business and employment law within the legal system of England and Wales. You'll explore the nature of business structures, with particular emphasis on corporate organisations and their internal and external regulations. The module will also explore employment relationships through the study of law, policy and practice, and the practical application of legal principles in connection with simulated case scenarios. By the end of the module, you'll have an understanding of how business and employment law affect individuals and their impact on society.
What you will study
The module aims to provide you with the opportunity to explore and develop your interest in business and employment law within the legal system of England and Wales. It will focus on business structures, including corporate organisations and their internal and external regulation, together with the nature of the employment relationship.
By the end of the module, you should have an understanding of what these aspects of business and employment law mean for individuals and society. You'll be able to explain what the law is in the areas studied and how it affects individuals connected to the organisation. You'll also be able to identify how these aspects of business and employment law affect others and recognise where the law is failing to protect the vulnerable or to enable social justice, fairness or equal opportunities in society.
Studying this module will provide you with the opportunity to:
gain knowledge of business law within the legal system of England and Wales by focusing on business structures, including corporate organisations, and their internal and external regulation.
gain knowledge of the nature of the employment relationship by exploring contracts of employment, their termination through wrongful and unfair dismissal, employment tribunals, and the effect of discrimination against workers based on their protected characteristics.
gain knowledge of, and assess how business and employment law affect and impact on individuals and groups in society generally
start becoming an independent learner, and develop other associated and transferable skills and attributes
develop legal, cognitive and practical skills, and apply those skills to specific simulated scenarios.
Entry requirements
If you are new to study at university level, or are returning after some time, we recommend that you first study an OU level 1 law module such as Criminal law and the courts (W111) or Civil justice and tort law (W112), unless you are a graduate entry student.
If you are studying this module as part of the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (LLB) (R81) or Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (graduate entry) (LLB) (R82), then you will need to have studied or be studying on a presentation of Public law (W211) before enrolling on W240.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
Preparatory work
You might find the following resources useful in preparation for this module:
12 introductory steps to law
Law Toolkit
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
guiding you to additional learning resources
facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated forums.
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Assessment
Course work includes:
2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
1 Interactive computer-marked assignment (iCMA)
End-of-module assessment
What's included
You will have digital access via Law Trove to Company Law, 3rd edition (Roach, L.), Smith & Wood’s Employment Law, 17th edition (Smith, I. and Warnock, O.), and a module website, which includes:
electronic copies of the module textbooks
a week-by-week study planner
module -specific study materials
audio and video content
assignment details and submission section
online tutorials and forums, and tutor support.
Computing requirements
Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer with at least 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core processor (2.4 GHz minimum speed). It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
Operating systems – Windows 11 or the latest supported macOS.
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
Software – Any additional software will be provided or is generally available for free.
If you have a disability
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying W240 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
Future availability
Business and employmentlaw starts once a year – in February.
This page describes the module that will start in February 2027.
We expect it to start for the last time in February 2030.