Faculty of Arts & Science 2016-2017 Calendar

Employment Relations, Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources

• Employment Relations Specialist | Employment Relations Major
• Employment Relations Courses

Faculty

Since 1965, the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources has brought together professors from many different disciplines and departments at the University of Toronto to teach and conduct research on all aspects of work, the workplace, labour markets and labour relations.  The CIRHR’s graduate programs rank among the best in North America and its faculty reflects the depth, breadth and diversity of our university. 

In 2013, the undergraduate Employment Relations and Human Resources Certificate programs became integrated with the graduate programs at the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources.  The continuing close relationship between the Centre and Woodsworth College helps to foster ongoing academic excellence for students enrolled in the Employment Relations program as they continue to benefit from the rich academic support services and facilities available at the College.  Woodsworth College remains the home of the Undergraduate Program Office and the Employment Relations Students' Association (ERSA).

The overarching goal of the undergraduate program in Employment Relations is to offer an interdisciplinary learning opportunity in which to study the ‘world of work and employment’ in a Canadian and global context from the perspectives of economics, history, law, management, political science, psychology and sociology.  The program provides students with a theoretical background and knowledge of current developments in the field that will serve as a basis for careers in employment relations such as: a Human Resources Generalist, Recruitment Specialist, HR Consultant, Employment Equity Officer, Training and Development Consultant, Corporate Trainer, Policy Advisor in the Ministry of Labour, Union Representative and Labour Relations Specialist. The undergraduate degree in Employment Relations is also a perfect platform from which to enter post-graduate programs in Industrial Relations and Human Resources, Law with a specialisation in labour and employment,as well as policy and labour studies programs.

Students are encouraged to use the resources available in both the CIRHR Library and Career Centre in order to investigate current labour market trends and career options in Employment Relations.    Students are also encouraged to explore the services offered by the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) which is Canada’s HR thought leader and the largest HR association in the country.   In Ontario, HRPA regulates the HR profession and issues the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation, the national standard for excellence in human resources management.  All of the course work requirements needed for CHRP are offered in the Employment Relations program.  

Detailed information on program requirements, application forms for IRE395/396/397 and other useful resources can be found on the Program Office website.

Program Office | Woodsworth College
119 St. George Street - Room 236 | Toronto ON M5S 1A9
416.978.5783
er@utoronto.ca
www.wdw.utoronto.ca

ERSA | Woodsworth College
119 St. George Street - Room 18 Bsmt | Toronto ON M5S 1A9
ersa.utoronto@gmail.com

HRPA | 150 Bloor St E #200 | Toronto, ON M4W 3E2
416.923.2324
http://www.hrpa.ca

Employment Relations Programs

Program admission:
This is a limited enrolment program and achieving the minimum mark thresholds does not guarantee admission to the Employment Relations specialist in any given year.

Requests for admission will be considered in the first request period only (April 1, 2016 - May 11, 2016).   Eligibility will be based on a student’s mark in the required courses listed below. The precise mark thresholds outlined below are an estimate of what will be required in the 2016 program admission cycle.  

Applying after first year:  Students may apply to this program after completion of at least four full-course equivalents which must include the following:  ECO100Y1(67%)/ECO105Y1(80%) and SOC101Y1(70%)/1.0 FCE (70% average) from SOC102H1/SOC103H1/PSY100H1.

Applying after second or third year:  ECO100Y1(67%)/ECO105Y1(80%) and 1.0 full course equivalent from SOC200+ level with a minimum 73% average. 

Notes:

1. Do not change your program of study after year 3 if you are required to complete your degree in four years.  It takes 2.5 years to complete the specialist program.  Course prerequisites and program requirements will not be waived.   
2. Due to the limited enrolment nature of this program students are strongly advised to enrol in backup programs.

How to request admission to the program:
There is one request period only (April 1 - May 11, 2016).  Application is made on-line using the Program Application Form (not ACORN).   The program code for the specialist is ASSPE1535.

Step 1: apply to program during round 1 (April 1 - May 11, 2016) using the Program Application Form
Step 2: enrol in backup programs (April 1 - May 11, 2016)
Step 3: check ACORN on June 30, 2016 to view the status of your requests
Step 4: if invited (INV status)->accept the invitation on ACORN (deadline to accept is August 3, 2016)
Step 5: if refused (REF status)->check the status of your backup programs and visit your Registrar's Office if you need assistance

For detailed information and instructions see Program Enrolment.

Program requirements:
These requirements apply to students admitted to the Specialist program in 2016.

10.0 FCEs including at least 4.0 FCEs at the 300+ level including 1.0 FCE with the IRE course designator and 1.0 FCE at the 400-level.   Each course requirement is individual and cannot be used more than once.  A course taken on a CR/NCR basis may not be used to satisfy program requirements.

1. ECO100Y1/ECO105Y1 and SOC101Y1 (or 1.0 FCE from SOC102H1/SOC103H1/PSY100H1)
2. All of IRE240H1, IRE244H1, IRE260H1, IRE339H1; (IRE430H1, IRE431H1)/IRE430Y1
3. 1.0 FCE from Group A
4. At least 1.0 FCE from Group B
5. 0.5 FCE from Group C and D
6. Additional courses (excluding those already counted) from Groups C and D for a total of 10.0 FCEs.
7. Students may only use 1.0 FCE independent study and 1.0 FCE research participation toward the program requirements.

Group A: ECO321Y1/HIS263Y1/POL214Y1
Group B: ECO220Y1/IRE379H1/PSY201H1/PSY202H1/SOC200H1/SOC202H1
Group C: IRE444H1/IRE446H1/IRE447H1/IRE472H1
Group D: GGR221H1/HIS313H1/INI300H1/IRE332Y0/IRE344H1/IRE345H1/IRE346H1/IRE347H1/IRE348H1/IRE349H1/IRE367H1/IRE378H1/IRE395H1/IRE395Y1/IRE396H1/IRE397Y1/IRE432Y0/IRE493H1/IRE494H1/JGI216H1/MGT201H1/RSM222H1/RSM361H1/RSM392H1/RSM461H1/RSM464H1/SOC207H1/SOC317Y1/SOC366H1/SOC367H1/SOC439H1

Notes: 

1. Students who have completed ECO239Y1/ECO339Y1 may request to have the course counted toward the Employment Relations Specialist program.  Please email your request to er@utoronto.ca.
2. Non IRE courses:  Some courses offered by other departments may be available only to students who have completed specified prerequisites or who are enrolled in a program sponsored by the department offering the course.  Course enrolment conditions are listed in the Arts and Science timetable.  Course descriptions, prerequisites, corequisites and exclusions are listed in the Calendar.

Program admission:
This is a limited enrolment program  and achieving the minimum mark thresholds does not guarantee admission to the Employment Relations major in any given year.  Requests for admission will be considered in the program request period only (April 1, 2016 - May 11, 2016).  Eligibility will be based on a student’s mark in the required courses listed below. The precise mark thresholds outlined below are an estimate of what will be required in the 2016 program admission cycle.  

Applying after first year:  Students may apply to this program after completion of at least four full-course equivalents which must include the following:  ECO100Y1 (or ECO105Y1) and SOC101Y1 (or 1.0 FCE from:  SOC102H1/SOC103H1/PSY100H1).  It is expected that a combined average of 65% will be required for admission in 2016.

Applying after second or third year:  Admission will be determined by a student’s mark in ECO100Y1 (or ECO105Y1) and 1.0 FCE  SOC200+ level course. It is expected that a combined average of 70% will be required for admission in 2016. 

Notes:

1. It takes two years to complete this program.  Do not change your programs after year 3 if you are required to complete your degree in four years.   Course prerequisites and program requirements will not be waived.   
2. Due to the limited enrolment nature of this program students are strongly advised to enrol in backup programs.

How to request admission to the program:
There is one request period only (April 1 - May 11, 2016).  Application is made on-line using the Program Application Form (not ACORN).   The program code for the major is ASMAJ1535.

Step 1: apply to program during round 1 (April 1 - May 11, 2016) using the Program Application Form
Step 2: enrol in backup programs (April 1 - May 11, 2016)
Step 3: check ACORN on June 30, 2016 to view the status of your requests
Step 4: if invited (INV status)->accept the invitation on ACORN (deadline to accept is August 3, 2016)
Step 5: if refused (REF status)->check the status of your backup programs and visit your Registrar's Office if you need assistance

For detailed information and instructions see Program Enrolment.

Program requirements:
These requirements apply to  students admitted to the Employment Relations major in 2016.

7.0 FCEs including at least 2.0 FCEs at the 300+ level, 0.5 of which must be at the 400-level.   Each course requirement is individual and cannot be used more than once.  A course taken on a CR/NCR basis may not be used to satisfy program requirements.

First Year:
ECO100Y1 (or ECO105Y1) and SOC101Y (or 1 FCE from:  SOC102H1/SOC103H1/PSY100H1)

Higher Years:
1. All of IRE240H1, IRE244H1, IRE260H1; (IRE430H1, IRE431H1)/IRE430Y1
2. At least 0.5 IRE 300-level course from Group A
3. Additional courses from Groups A or B (excluding courses already counted) for a total of 7.0 FCEs

Note:  Students may only use  a 1.0 FCE independent study and a 1.0 FCE research participation toward the program requirements.

Group A: IRE339H1/IRE346H1/IRE347H1/IRE348H1/IRE367H1/ /IRE378H1/IRE379H1
Group B: ECO220Y1/GGR221H1/HIS313H1/INI300H1/IRE332Y0/IRE344H1/IRE345H1/IRE349H1/IRE395H1/IRE395Y1/IRE396H1/IRE397Y1/IRE432Y0/IRE444H1/IRE446H1/IRE447H1/IRE472H1/IRE493H1/IRE494H1 /JGI216H1/MGT201H1/PSY201H1/PSY202H1/RSM222H1/RSM361H1/RSM392H1/RSM464H1/RSM461H1/SOC200H1/SOC202H1/SOC207H1/SOC317Y1/SOC366H1/SOC367H1/SOC439H1/

Notes: 

1. Students who have completed ECO239Y1/ECO339Y1 may request to have the course counted in the Group B category.  Please email your request to er@utoronto.ca.
2. Non IRE courses:  Some courses offered by other departments may be available only to students who have completed specified prerequisites or who are enrolled in a program sponsored by the department offering the course.  Course enrolment conditions are listed in the Arts and Science timetable.  Course descriptions, prerequisites, corequisites and exclusions are listed in the Calendar.

Employment Relations Courses

SII199H1  Why We Work:  Understanding Work Through the Prism of Art & Culture
Why do we work? What does work mean to the average person? These questions are not as straightforward as they appear. We work for the bulk of our lives and most of our days are spent with coworkers who are neither family nor close friends, but we often fail to realize how self-defining work really is. This speaks to work’s centrality but also to its invisibility in reflective discourse. Through “popular” representations of work, however, (such as in story-telling, cave paintings, hieroglyphs, music, writing, painting, television, film, video games, etc.,) we can begin to better understand the meaning of work and how this has changed over time. Readings in anthropology and employment relations plus film and art criticism will help us explore these questions from an interdisciplinary perspective; assignments will encourage students to reflect on their own experience of work. Developing strong analytical and communication skills is an important goal of the course.
Breadth category: 3 Society and Its Institutions

Note:  First-Year seminars are designed to provide first-year students with the opportunity to work closely with an instructor in a class of no more than twenty-four students.  Each Seminar focuses on specific disciplinary or interdisciplinary issues, questions or controversies of particular interest to the instructor, and introduces the students to the excitement of discovery inherent in academic work at the University of Toronto. In addition, students are encouraged to develop their ability to think analytically and to express ideas and logical arguments clearly and coherently, both orally and in writing.    

Not all courses are offered every year.  Please check the timetable for the list of current course offerings.  Students without course prerequisites will be removed at any time they are discovered.  Course enrolment conditions are listed in the Arts and Science timetable.  Course descriptions, prerequisites, corequisites and exclusions are listed below.

An introduction to the study of the world of work and employment, the history and development of employment relations, its central theories and concepts; the behaviours, outcomes, practices and institutions that emerge from or affect the employment relationship; contemporary issues and comparative employment relations systems.

Introduction to the institutions, issues and legislation affecting the employment relationship in the public and private sectors in Canada, with emphasis on collective bargaining. The economic and political environment, history of the labour movement, union organization, certification, contract negotiation, strikes, dispute resolution, contract administration and grievances.

Introduction to the nature of organizations and the behaviour of individuals and groups within organizations, including topics such as culture and diversity, reward systems, motivation, leadership, politics, communication, decision-making, conflict and group processes. Not recommended for students in Commerce programs.

Topics in Employment Relations offered in an international setting. The content may vary from year to year. 
2016 Summer Abroad (Italy) Topic: Cross Cultural Perspectives on Leadership. 
For more information check the Summer Abroad website.

This course is designed to provide students in the Employment Relations program with knowledge of how the labour market affects the employment relationship. The basic tools of labour economics are developed and applied to various issues of organizational and government policy such as: the incentive effects of compensation arrangements, government income support programs, and minimum wage policy; the determinants of preferences for hours of work including job-sharing, overtime and retirement; the impacts of unions on compensation and productivity; public-sector employment and alternatives to the right to strike; discrimination in employment on the basis of gender and race as well as related government policies such as pay and employment equity.
Note:  IRE339H1 will not count towards an ECO program.

Topics vary from year to year, but the objective of the course is to discuss current employment relations issues and their economic, legal, political and social implications.

Topics vary from year to year, but the objective of the course is to discuss current employment relations issues and their economic, legal, political and social implications. 

An understanding is developed of how essential elements of the human resource planning process support organizational goals and strategies. Topics such as environmental influences, job analysis, forecasting human resource needs and ascertaining supply, succession planning, downsizing and restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing, and strategic international issues are examined.

The role of training and development initiatives in organizations. Students acquire the knowledge and skills to conduct a training needs assessment, identify training objectives, explore strategies to increase the transfer of training, design and deliver a training activity using various training methodologies, and evaluate its effectiveness.

The principles, legal issues, and emerging trends affecting the recruitment process and selection of staff in organizations.  Development of recruitment strategies, assessment of applications for employment, interviewing candidates, and the role of testing and measurement of competencies in making hiring decisions.

Topics vary from year to year, but the objective of the course is to discuss current employment relations issues and their economic, legal, political and social implications. 

The theory and process of developing and administering compensation systems. Through the core compensation principles of efficiency, equity, consistency and competitiveness we consider such topics as: job analysis, job evaluation, pay levels and structures, pay for performance, benefits, and compensating special groups of workers.

The influence of legislation, the labour market and collective bargaining on health policies and programs in the workplace. The rights and responsibilities of employers, employees, unions and governments for the regulation and promotion of workplace health and safety; and the implications of evolving demographic, economic, and social factors.

An introduction to fundamental quantitative and qualitative research methods to enable students to critically evaluate and conduct research in the labour field.  The class will explore data-driven, analytical approaches to managing human resources using basic metrics, analysis, and interpretation of information that link human resource initiatives to various indicators of organizational performance.

Independent study under the direction of a faculty member.  Open only when a faculty member is willing and available to supervise. Application form is due one week before the start of term. Consult the program website for additional information. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Independent study under the direction of a faculty member.  Open only when a faculty member is willing and available to supervise. Application form is due one week before the start of term. Consult the program website for additional information. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Credit course for supervised participation in a faculty research project. Offered only when a faculty member is willing and available to supervise. Consult the program website for additional information. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Credit course for supervised participation in a faculty research project. Offered only when a faculty member is willing and available to supervise. Consult the program website for additional information. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

The course will focus on the law governing employment in a non-unionized workplace.  Specifically, it will cover every phase of the employment relationship from hiring to termination and beyond and the rights and obligations of employers and employees as developed by the Courts and under employment-related statutes (namely the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and the Human Rights Code.)  The course will also cover provisions from the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The course will focus on the laws impacting unionized workplaces.  It will cover every phase of the Ontario Labour Relations Act, 1995 (the “LRA”) from union organizing, certification, negotiation and bargaining, collective agreement arbitration, retention of bargaining rights and decertification and termination of bargaining rights.

Advanced topics in Employment Relations offered in an international setting. The content may vary from year to year.   Offered by the Professional & International Programs Office.

An advanced seminar examining contemporary issues in the employment relations and human resources field. Topics vary from year to year, but the objective of the course is to discuss current issues and their economic, legal and social implications.

This course examines the various elements of the consulting process and the interpersonal skills required to build trust, influence others, contract with clients, and establish and maintain strong working relationships.   This seminar may include a compulsory learning format component using a service-learning placement with a community-based agency or organization.  Consult the current timetable for details.

An advanced seminar exploring significant developments in organizations, and the challenges and opportunities facing professionals in the employment relations field. Emphasis is placed on developing problem solving and critical thinking skills and examining theories and concepts of employment relations.

Resolving conflicts constructively is a challenge faced by all organizations and most individuals. This course will cover fundamentals of the negotiation process and conflict resolution. This course will apply multiple cases and simulations providing students with several opportunities to build their skills.

This course introduces students to sociological approaches to work and industrial relations. Students are introduced to classical theories and then these perspectives are applied to analyze current labour market and employment relationships. The objective of this course is first to demonstrate how an understanding of industrial relations can be informed and enriched by classical and contemporary sociological perspectives. Second, it is to enable students to familiarise themselves with sociological perspectives so that they can compare and contrast, support or oppose, distinct approaches to industrial relations and the nature of work. This will facilitate a critical view of the theories that will be explored and applied in the course.

This course will focus on grievance arbitration and examine both procedural and substantive issues, including the scope of arbitration, pre-arbitration and arbitration processes and select issues in arbitration – discipline and discharge, contract interpretation, disability accommodation, privacy and discrimination.

Advanced topics vary from year to year, but the objective of the course is to explore theories, concepts and emerging issues in Employment Relations and their impact on internal and external environments.

Advanced topics vary from year to year, but the objective of the course is to explore theories, concepts and emerging issues in Employment Relations and their impact on internal and external environments.