Employment Law and Ethics
Marketing Dynamics
Marketing
Lesson Plan
Performance Objective
Students will know the responsibility of businesses to know and abide by workplace laws, trade regulations, and ethical
behavior that affects business operations. The students will apply ethical reasoning to a variety of workplace situations
in order to make ethical decisions.
Specific Objective
• Apply ethics to demonstrate trustworthiness
• Explain the nature of business ethics
• Demonstrate responsible behavior, honesty, integrity, and ethical work habits
• Defend the nature of human resources regulations
• Explain the nature of workplace regulations such as occupational safety and health administration and
statues such as the Americans with disability act
• Discuss employment relations
• Analyze alternative responses to workplace situations based on legal responsibilities and employer
policies.
• Evaluate alternative responses to workplace situations based on personal or professional ethical
responsibilities
• Identify personal and long-term workplace consequences of unethical or illegal behaviors
• Depict personal and long-term workplace consequences of unethical or illegal behaviors
• Investigate the most appropriate response to workplace situations based on legal and ethical
considerations
• Explain the most appropriate response to workplace situations based on legal and ethical
considerations.
Terms
• OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• FMLA – Family Medical and Leave Act
• FLSA – Fair Labor and Standards Act
Time
When taught as written, this lesson should take approximately 2-3 days to teach.
Preparation
TEKS Correlations:
This lesson, as published, correlates to the following TEKS. Any changes/alterations to the activities may result in the
elimination of any or all of the TEKS listed.
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1
130.347 (c) Knowledge and Skills
(32) Students will know the responsibility of businesses to know and abide by workplace laws, trade
regulations, and ethical behavior that affects business operations.
A) apply ethics to demonstrate trustworthiness
B) explain the nature of business ethics
C) demonstrate responsible behavior, honesty, integrity, and ethical work habits
D) defend the nature of human resources regulations
E) explain the nature of workplace regulations such as Occupational Safety and Health
Administration and statues such as the Americans with Disability Act
F) discuss employment relations
(33) The students will apply ethical reasoning to a variety of workplace situations in order to make
ethical decisions.
A) analyze alternative responses to workplace situations based on legal responsibilities and
employer policies.
B) evaluate alternative responses to workplace situations based on personal or professional
ethical responsibilities
C) identify personal and long-term workplace consequences of unethical or illegal behaviors
D) depict personal and long-term workplace consequences of unethical or illegal behaviors
E) investigate the most appropriate response to workplace situations based on legal and
ethical considerations
F) explain the most appropriate response to workplace situations based on legal and ethical
considerations.
Interdisciplinary Correlations:
English-English III
• 110.33(b)(1) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when
reading and writing
• 110.33(b)(13) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning,
drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text.
• 110.33(b)(21) Research/Gathering Sources. Students determine, locate, and explore the full range of
relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they gather.
Math-Algebra I
• 111.32(b)(1)(E). Interpret and make decisions, predictions, and critical judgments from functional
relationships.
United States Government
• 113.44(c)(8)(D) identify the purpose of selected independent executive agencies, including the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and regulatory commissions, including the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Food
and Drug Administration (FDA), and Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Occupational Correlation (O*Net - http://www.onetonline.org/)
Job Title: Human Resources Managers
O*Net Number: 11-3121.00
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2
Similar Job Titles: Human Resources Manager (HR Manager), Director of Human Resources, Human Resources
Director (HR Director), Employee Benefits Manager, Human Resources Vice President, Employee Relations
Manager
Tasks:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and
administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems.
Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure
compliance with legal requirements.
Advise managers on organizational policy matters such as equal employment opportunity and sexual
harassment, and recommend needed changes.
Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing
employees, and administering disciplinary procedures.
Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational
objectives.
Identify staff vacancies and recruit, interview and select applicants.
Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to
employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
Plan, organize, direct, control or coordinate the personnel, training, or labor relations activities of an
organization.
Represent organization at personnel-related hearings and investigations.
Administer compensation, benefits and performance management systems, and safety and recreation
programs.
Soft Skills: Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Coordinating, Active
Learning.
Accommodations for Learning Differences
It is important that lessons accommodate the needs of every learner. These lessons may be modified to
accommodate your students with learning differences by referring to the files found on the Special
Populations page of this website.
Preparation
• Review and familiarize yourself with the terminology, website links, and digital presentations.
• Teacher will have assignments and website information ready to distribute to students.
Instructional Aids
•
•
•
•
Textbook
Display for digital presentation, websites for assignments and class discussion
Instructor Computer/Projection Unit
Online Websites
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3
Introduction
The main purposes of this lesson are to help students understand
• Workplace regulations that affect employees and employers
• The effect of ethics and the law on various workplace situations.
ASK: Ask students if they can think of laws that might affect them in the workplace?
SAY: Explain that there are numerous laws that regulate the workplace, starting with how much you are paid, minimum
wage, to what happens when you get hurt at work, OSHA.
ASK: What is the standard that you would want to be treated by if you have a dispute at work?
SAY: Explain that most people want to be treated fairly and reasonably. This is called ethics and most people want to
have their side of the story heard and be treated with respect and fairness.
ASK: What standard do you use if you have to mediate disputes between friends?
SAY: The morals and values that you use to mediate disputes are part of the ethics that guide you. Employers have to
follow what they think is ethical, but they also have to follow the law. There are certain legal requirements that
employers have to abide by when dealing with the employees. These include workplace safety, hiring and firing, and
equal wages to name just a few.
Outline
MI
Outline
I. Employment Law
A. Constantly changing
B. Businesses responsible for knowing the law
II. Fair Labor and Standards Act
A. Minimum wage
B. Overtime pay
C. Restrictions for children under 16
D. Restrictions under 18
E. Restrictions under 16
III. Occupational Safety and Health Act)
A. Who regulated by OSHA
B. Requires safe workplaces
C. Inspections and investigations
IV. Workers Compensation
A. Long shore and Harbor Workers
Compensation Act
Instructor Notes
Teacher will lead the
discussion of material, using
multimedia presentations for
employment law and ethics.
Divide students into small
groups (2-3 members) and
assign the guided practice
presentation.
It is suggested that the
students present their
projects to the class.
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B. Energy Employees Occupational
Illness Compensation Program Act
C. Federal Employees Compensation Act
D. Black Lung Benefits Act
V. Employee Retirement Income Security act
(ERISA)
A. Who is covered?
B. Requirements
VI. Comprehensive Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA)
A. Purpose of COBRA
VII. Family and Medical Leave Act
A. Requires employers of 50 or more
employees to give up to 12 weeks of
unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible
employees for
1. Birth or adoptions of a child
2. Serious illness of a spouse, child or
parent
Teacher will move about the
classroom and will monitor
the students’ progress while
the students assume the role
of self-director.
Explain the importance
knowing and following all of
the laws that pertain to a
business for the human
resource manager. It is their
job to ensure that the
company is in compliance.
Ask the class if they know
what laws are applicable to
them as young people? Have
them discuss how those laws
have affected them at their
jobs.
Multiple Intelligence Guide
Existentialist
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Kinesthetic/
Bodily
Logical/
Mathematical
Musical/Rhythmic
Naturalist
Verbal/Linguistic
Visual/Spatial
Application
Guided Practice
Students will work in groups of three or four to research different laws pertaining to the workplace. Each group will
choose three laws to research and create a digital presentation to present to the class that explains:
•
•
The origin of the bill
What the bills intended purpose is
•
•
Major points of the bill
Impact the bill has on the workplace
Employment Laws:
• Davis-Bacon Act
• Federal Unemployment Tax Act
• Walsh-Healy Act
• Family and Medical leave Act
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• Older Workers Benefit
Protection Act
• Federal Insurance Contributions
• Railway Labor Act
Act Tax
Independent Practice
Employment Law and Ethics Case Study
• Norris-LaGuardia Act
• Wagner Act
• Landrum-Griffin Act
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5
Students will break into groups of three. One or two students can be the judges for the case study
presentations. The students will be given 30 minutes to prepare a response for the case study that is included
with this lesson. At the end of the 30 minutes they will present their role play with the judge(s). Once all of
the teams have completed their role play the groups will return for a class discussion. The teams will compare
and contrast how each team solved the case study and what they think went well and what needed to change.
They will also discuss other alternatives to those presented and the impact that this has in the workplace.
Summary
Review
Employment law and ethics play a major role in the workplace. There are many laws that govern the
workplace, those that were covered here a just a small sample of all laws that employers are required to abide
by. However it is important that employers use ethics and morals when dealing with employees. The
implications of not following the laws can result in fines or even imprisonment if the violation is egregious
enough but ethics are also important. If an employer does not treat his employees or customers fairly it can
and will result in loss of good employees, customers and possibly their businesses.
Evaluation
Informal Assessment
Instructor should observe the work ethic of individuals involved in class discussions and the independent
practice activity
Formal Assessment
Students will be evaluated on their Employment Law Presentations and their Employment Law and Ethics
Case Study. Students will also be assessed on their use of the word processing skills and the neatness,
formatting, grammar and spelling of their resumes.
Enrichment
Extension
Business Law and Ethics Role Play
Students will use the DECA Business Law and Ethics role plays to explore additional ethical and legal situations. Sample
role plays can be found on the www.deca.org website, or can be ordered from DECA Images.
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Employment Law and Ethics
Marketing Dynamics
Marketing
Case Study Situation
You are to assume the roles of assistant managers at Laneco, a cardboard box manufacturing plant. A
employee of the plant was injured on the job running one of the machines. The plant manage has asked you
to give advice on whether or not the employee has a valid claim and how to proceed.
The employee, Greg Dubiel, 17 was severely injured while running a cardboard box bailing machine. Texas law
prohibits minors under the age of 16 from operating any power-driven machine and those under the age or 18
from operating power-driven machines listed in the statutes. While the equipment that Dubiel was operating
was not listed in the statutes, Dubiel argued that the bailing machine was similar to some of the machines
included in the lab and that Laneco had violated the statute. Laneco argues that since the machine was not
specifically listed in the statute that they have not violated the statute.
The manager (judge) has asked you to discuss the situation and then advise him/her about what course of
action Laneco should take. He/she is concerned since they have other employees operating this machinery.
Should they create a policy that employees under the age of 18 cannot operate any type of power-driven
machinery or are they safe to proceed as long as the machines are not listed in the statute?
You will advise the manager (judge) in a meeting to take place in the manager’s office. The manager (judge)
will begin the meeting by greeting you and asking to hear your advice.
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Employment Law and Ethics
Marketing Dynamics
Marketing
Business Law and Ethics Presentation Rubric
Name: _______________________________
Oral Presentation – 100 possible points (total points below X 2)
Topic Covered
Presentation
Audience
communication
Voice
Comments:
Excellent
Very Good
Case study was
covered in depth
with a workable,
logical solution
presented.
(20 pts)
Presentation well
planned and
coherent
(10 pts)
Case study was
covered with a
workable
solution.
(6 pts)
Communication
with audience
evident (eye
contact)
(10 pts)
Student uses
clear voice,
speaks up with
correct
pronunciation.
(10 pts)
Adequate
Case study
was minimally
covered,
solution was
not workable
(10 pts)
Presentation
Presentation
planned but not not planned
completely
well.
coherent.
(4 pts)
(6 pts)
Some attempt
Audience not
to
engaged with
communicate
speaker.
with audience
(4 pts)
(8 pts)
Most audience Student’s
members can
voice is lowhear report.
difficult to
(8 pts)
hear.
(4 pts)
Weak
Case study
was not
covered, no
solution was
presented.
(4 pts)
Presentation
planning not
evident.
(2 pts)
Points
Awarded
No eye
contactstudent reads
report.
(2 pts)
Student
mumbles,
speaks too
softly to hear
.(2 pts)
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