Introduction
The first time I taught an undergraduate course in employment and labour law I went around the class of 50 students and asked them to say if they had held jobs and if so, what kind? The first assignment in the course asked them to write about a workplace conflict that they had experienced or observed, and tie it to the course readings.
I noticed some patterns in the papers that I received: non-payment during training periods, confiscation of tips, promises made on hiring that turned out not to be true. By and large, these were vulnerable young employees. Much of the work they had done was part-time, contract, temp, or other forms of tenuous work. The subject that I had found most concerning was their experience around health and safety in the workplace.