This course is designed to expose students to some of the most topical and interesting issues in law, work and technology. Topics to be covered may change from time to time, and may include the following: philosophical foundations of law, work and technology; classification of workers in the modern economy; automation of work; algorithmic management; employee conduct and technology; workplace surveillance; organising in the digital age; collective bargaining, technology and platform work.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Critically analyse issues concerning work and technology and their legal regulation
- Critically analyse and evaluate the law in the context of public policy challenges posed by work and technology issues
- Plan and execute the outcomes of independent research and critically reflect on the material in an extended piece of writing
- Formulate and communicate solutions to complex legal and regulatory problems
Other Information
Students must rely on the approved Class Summary which will be published on the Programs and Courses site approximately two weeks prior to the commencement of the course.
Indicative Assessment
- Critical response to readings (40) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Research essay or law reform submission (60) [LO 1,2,3,4]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
- Classes offered in non-standard sessions will be taught on an intensive base with compulsory contact hours (approximately 36 hours of face to face teaching). The course will also require advanced preparation through assigned readings. In total, it is anticipated that the hours required for completion of this course (class preparation, teaching and completion of assessment) will not exceed 120 hours.
- Classes offered during semester periods are expected to have three contact hours per week. Students are generally expected to devote at least 10 hours overall per week to this course.
Click here for the LLB Program course list
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable. Labour Law is not a prerequisite for this course. Furthermore, there is almost no overlap with the current Labour Law course (the only exception being a minor aspect of the 'classification of workers in the modern economy' topic). Students who have studied Labour Law will be able to enrol in Law, Work and Technology.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Students must rely on the approved Class Summary which will be posted to the Programs and Courses site approximately two weeks prior to the commencement of the course. Alternatively, this information will be published in the Program course list when known.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 34
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $5280 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6360 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.