Departmental Notes
Subject Code for Employment Relations: EMPR
Subject Code for Industrial Relations (Graduate Studies): MIR
World Wide Web Address: https://www.queensu.ca/employment-studies/
Professor and Director, Employment Relations Programs: Robert Hickey
Departmental Office: Robert Sutherland Hall 209
Departmental Telephone: 613-533-3105
Departmental Fax: 613-533-2933
Undergraduate Office E-Mail Address: empr@queensu.ca
Employment Relations Undergraduate Chair: Glenda Fisk
Coordinator of Graduate Studies: Jacoba Lilius
Overview
The study of employment relations has a long tradition at Queen’s. Programs offered at both the graduate and undergraduate levels provide a broad foundation for students entering the world of work and include courses in labour-management relations, labour and employment law, conflict management and negotiations, economics, human resources management, organizational behaviour, and labour policy.
There are two undergraduate level programs in Employment Relations: a Certificate in Employment Relations and the Employment Relations BA General/Minor. The two programs differ primarily in the number of credits required, the resulting credential, and who is eligible.
The Certificate in Employment Relations requires completing 15.00 units and can be completed fully online (by completing five (5) online courses) or through a combination of online and in-class courses (to total five (5) courses). It is open to current undergraduate degree students at Queen’s University as well as to current and new part-time students.
The BA General/Minor in Employment Relations requires completing 30.00 units and is open to current undergraduate degree students at Queen’s University. The Minor Plan in Employment Relations, in combination with a Major Plan in another subject, and with sufficient electives, will lead to an Honours Bachelor Degree. The Employment Relations General Plan, with sufficient electives to total 90.00 units will lead to a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Advice for Students
The Certificate and the BA General/Minor in Employment Relations open a number of possible career paths in both the public and private sectors and compliment a wide range of careers in other disciplines such as business, policy, and labour law. Below are some considerations when choosing which program to pursue.
The Certificate in Employment Relations program can be taken either in conjunction with a degree program, in which case the Arts and Science regulations concerning limited double counting of courses apply; or the Certificate can be earned as a stand-alone credential. New part-time students for the Certificate need to meet existing admission criteria for certificates. New part-time student applicants can also enter the Faculty of Arts and Science as non-degree students and, if they meet Arts and Science eligibility criteria for progression to a degree program, can enrol in the Certificate program at a later date. All students enrolled in the Certificate in Employment Relations program need to meet the Faculty of Arts and Science progression criteria.
Whether the BA General/Minor in Employment Relations is taken in conjunction with a Major degree program or the General plan, the appropriate Arts and Science regulations concerning completion of degree plans apply. The BA in EMPR will normally be completed in three years of full-time study. All students enrolled in the BA General/Minor in Employment Relations program need to meet the Faculty of Arts and Science progression criteria.
Note: Students wishing to take a course at the 200- or 300-level, for which they lack the stated prerequisites, may appeal to the Course Instructor to have the prerequisites waived.
Faculty
For more information, please visit: https://www.queensu.ca/employment-studies/people-directory/all-faculty
- Richard Chaykowski
- Glenda Fisk
- Robert Hickey
- Jacoba Lilius
- Dan Samosh
- Bradley Weinberg (on sabbatical)
Courses
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Identify and describe the core academic fields which study and inform the practice of employment relations.
- Describe the role of Human Resource Management in organizations.
- Assess the contributions of organizational behavior to the practice of employment relations.
- Describe the characteristics of employment relations in unionized workplaces.
- Identify the sources of labour and employment legislation.
- Describe the key features of workplace policies and governance in Canada.
NOTE Also offered online, consult Arts and Science Online (Learning Hours may vary).
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Demonstrate effective and appropriate verbal and written communication skills in professional workplace settings.
- Identify barriers to effective communication and strategies to overcome those barriers.
- Apply knowledge of interpersonal behaviours to work effectively in teams.
- Describe strategies for building and maintaining professional relationships.
- Explain the role and importance of communication and interpersonal skills to promote inclusion and equity in diverse workplaces.
NOTE Only offered online. Consult Arts and Science Online.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Discuss the systems framework for studying and analyzing employment relations.
- Describe the legal framework governing union certification procedures and union-management relations in Canada.
- Discuss the function and role of unions in contemporary Canadian society.
- Describe the various management strategies related to unionized workplaces.
- Discuss the role of the collective agreement in unionized workplaces.
- Describe the impacts of unionization on employees and firms in Canada.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives, theories, and concepts in the field of labour and employment relations.
- Identify and describe the main developments in the historical evolution of management practices, Canadian labour history, and labour law.
- Identify and critically interpret the legal principles, employment laws, and workplace regulations which govern employment relations in Canada.
- Apply the theoretical and practical aspects of human resource management to formulate strategies that will enable organizations to achieve both operational and strategic goals related to the organization's human resources.
- Explain and evaluate the key assumptions on which human behaviour in organisations is currently managed and assess the effect of these ideas on employee attitudes and actions.
- Critically analyze and evaluate the key processes of labour relations at the workplace level and their relationships to the institutions governing workplace relations.
- Identify and explain the main elements of industrial relations policy and apply core theories from labour economics to assess the overall structure and functioning of labour markets.
NOTE Only offered online. Consult Arts and Science Online.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Compare the legal obligations and processes for unionized and non-unionized workers.
- Identify and interpret employment laws and workplace regulations.
- Critically analyze current and evolving areas of the law (e.g., family status).
- Develop a sound understanding of the role of human rights in the modern workplace.
- Explain and evaluate an employment contract.
NOTE Only offered online. Consult Arts and Science Online.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Compare and contrast the different types and models of conflict and the implications of these differences for strategies to manage conflict.
- Apply models of conflict to analyze underlying causes and generate an approach to solving conflict.
- Collaborate and communicate with peers to produce a joint outcome.
- Explain specific negotiation styles and strategies, including the context and purpose in which they are used.
- Identify and explain how the various types of conflict management or dispute resolution mechanisms are used in organizations.
- Provide constructive feedback to others on areas of strength and opportunities for improvement in skills and strategies related to managing conflict.
NOTE Only offered online, consult Arts and Science Online (Learning Hours may vary).
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Carry out a job analysis and develop an understanding of its foundational importance for all human resource management activities.
- Appraise the effectiveness of recruitment strategies.
- Critically evaluate the role of employment tests in the selection process.
- Discuss approaches to orient and train new employees.
- Identify the components of an effective performance management system.
- Propose strategies to strengthen employee motivation and morale.
NOTE Only offered online, consult Arts and Science Online (Learning Hours may vary).
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the evolution and roles of labour policy in Canada over the past century.
- Critically evaluate the main features and elements of contemporary workplace policy in Canada, including the major legislation and government programs that relate to employment relations and work.
- Interpret the main types of employment legislation and their core elements, and explain how they affect employees, employers, and employment relations.
- Identify the main types of government labour market and workplace programs and analyze their main features, intended purpose, and expected effects.
- Apply the key principles of workplace policies and governance that are relevant to employment relations and work.
NOTE Only offered online, consult Arts and Science Online.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the current perspectives/concepts on the relationship between equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.
- Describe the identify legislation, policies, and core standards of equity and inclusion in human resource management and labour practices in Canadian workplaces.
- Examine and analyze the concept of identity, relationships across differences and bias, and equity of opportunity in organizations and how they relate to organizational issues or opportunity.
- Analyze and discuss, with a variety of stakeholders, how privilege, biases, and stereotypes influence opportunities and effectiveness in the workplace and how workplace-based issues are related to attaining fair and equitable workplace outcomes for individuals and employers.
- Examine the role of leadership in creating and sustaining workplace equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Evaluate work cultures and identify practices that support and engage all employees and recognize how human resources management and labour relations policies and practices can affect and determine equity outcomes.
- Critically evaluate current practices used in companies and propose strategies to enhance workplace equity, diversity, and inclusion.
NOTE Also offered online, consult Arts and Science Online (Learning Hours may vary).
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Analyze and explain individual, interpersonal and group behaviour in organizations using key theoretical frameworks.
- Describe and access the basic elements of organizational structure and evaluate their impact on organizational effectiveness.
- Describe and access the basic elements of organizational culture and evaluate their impact on organizational effectiveness.
- Explain how to influence change in organizations.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Discuss sufficient accounting and financial theory for effective participation and influence within senior management team of an organization.
- Communicate and collaborate effective with the professional Financial Managers of an organization.
- Differentiate between financial accounting and management accounting and apply these two different types of accounting correctly to the financial management of an organization.
- Record financial events and utilize this data to generate the four main statements within financial accounting.
- Develop complex employee compensation budgets inclusive of wages, employee benefits, and pensions.
- Analyze financial statements using common financial ratios.
- Explain the Present Value of money concept and demonstrate why it is essential for long-term financial planning and pension calculations.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.
NOTE Commerce and Law students should consult their home faculty before registering in this course.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Identify and apply theories and concepts from the field of labour and employment relations to work-related issues.
- Discuss the role of collective agreements in unionized workplaces.
- Describe how workers and unions contribute to the design and implementation of work strategies and outcomes, including sustainable work and I-EDIAA.
- Analyze and interpret collective agreement language and clauses.
- Interpret employment laws and work regulations that shape employment relations in the Canadian context.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.
NOTE Commerce and Law students should consult their home faculty before registering in this course.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Describe key legal principles in labour and employment law.
- Apply critical thinking to analyze workplace issues and problems from a legal perspective.
- Describe how organizations address legal obligations in employment relations.
- Develop legal arguments to support workplace decisions.
- Apply legal frameworks to analyze workplace equity.
NOTE Negotiation Exercise Package: estimated cost $28.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the fundamental theories, concepts, and processes of negotiation.
- Practice negotiation strategies and tactics to increase confidence and ability to negotiate effectively.
- Develop reflection and diagnostic skills to critically assess and identify improvements for future negotiation performance and outcomes.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Articulate the components of high performance work systems and detail their relationship to individual and firm level performance.
- Discuss how high performance work systems align with other functional areas of business strategy.
- Calculate the economic benefits associated with adopting high performance work strategies.
- Make evidence-based recommendations regarding the development and implementation of human resource policies and practices.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the purpose and key characteristics of a compensation system.
- Describe the implications of behavioural frameworks for designing effective reward systems.
- Define the major types of pay systems and discuss their advantages, disadvantages, and applicability.
- Explain the key reasons for pay equity and the general process for compliance with pay equity legislation.
- Discuss the managerial considerations in designing compensation systems and nonmonetary reward programs.
- Apply key concepts and techniques to solve workplace problems and develop compensation strategies.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.
NOTE Commerce and Law students should consult their home faculty before registering in this course.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Apply concepts and analyze human resource management issues from an evidence-based perspective.
- Highlight contemporary theories and practices as related to human resource management.
- Plan and design talent management strategies that align with organizational objectives.
- Discuss the strengths and limitations of various human resources practices.
- Evaluate the contributions human resource management makes to individual and organizational performance.
- Explain how to develop and support equitable, diverse, and inclusive HR practices and policies.
- Recognize how legislation, technology, changing economic conditions, labour force dynamics, and other external factors influence human resource management.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Define and describe key employee attitudes and their relationship to organizational performance.
- Choose evidence-based tools to assess employee attitudes.
- Describe the drivers of employee attitudes.
- Apply knowledge of these drivers to make evidence-based recommendations for enhanced employee attitudes.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the development of modern models of health and safety management.
- Explain the connections between employment relations systems and practices and workplace health and wellness.
- Describe the legislative and regulatory framework governing workplace health and safety.
- Outline the roles and responsibilities of employer, employees, unions, and government agencies under occupational health and safety legislation.
- Use hazard recognition and assessment tools to identify physical, chemical, and psychosocial hazards in the workplace.
- Draw on knowledge concerning hazard control, safety training, and employee work behaviours to outline how to implement an effective workplace health and wellness program.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.
NOTE Commerce and Law students should consult their home faculty before registering in this course.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Identify systemic barriers encountered by members of equity deserving groups in the workplace.
- Reflect on the role of personal and social identity in shaping employee experience.
- Articulate targeted approaches to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
- Develop an understanding of the complexity of identity.
- Apply tools and methods to challenge stereotyping and discrimination.
- Propose approaches to benefit inclusion in teams, organizations, and society.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Describe how HR analytics supports evidence-based business decisions, aligns to company goals and enhances the HR function in organizations.
- Identify and interpret critical internal and external human resource metrics.
- Apply quantitative analysis to understand trends and indicators in human resource data.
- Identify various approaches to qualitative analyses that are relevant to the field of HR.
- Communicate critical insights from workforce and organizational data.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.
NOTE Commerce and Law students should consult their home faculty before registering in this course.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Recognize and describe the role organizations have in promoting meaningful work and worker well-being.
- Assess interpersonal dynamics relevant to team development, decision-making, communication, and conflict management.
- Apply organizational theories to the practice of workplace management.
- Discuss drivers of various employee attitudes and performance-related behaviours.
- Increase self-awareness through personal reflection on career goals and work values.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Develop project management skills with regard to defining scope of work, deliverables, and client relations.
- Identify and work to address contemporary Employment Relations issues facing real organizations.
- Apply knowledge and skills from Employment Relations coursework to suggest evidence based strategies for workplace interventions.
- Refine teamwork, conflict management, and interpersonal communication abilities.
- Gain experience working and collaborating with diverse others in the classroom and community space.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Build an understanding of the various components of the research process.
- Locate high quality research on a topic of interest.
- Develop skills related to reading, interpreting, and applying research findings.
- Understand how published research from a variety of methodological and epistemological perspectives shapes an evidence-based approach to the practice of Employment Relations.
- Hone skills related to the writing of a research-based review paper.
- Articulate how their research topic influences the nature of work and how such work may be experienced from a variety of diverse viewpoints.