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3. Required Text Books and Reading Material

The “Employment Relations” Reading Material provided by the instructor.

4. Tentative Session Plan

Session Number	Topics/Activities	Reading/case list etc.
01	Introduction to Employment Relations	Regulating the Employment Relationship: An Analytical Framework
02	Intent of Offer and Acceptance of Offer	At IIT Mumbai, Job Letters Turn into Pink Slips A Position Statement on Rescinded and Deferred Employment Offers
03	Rescinded / Deferred Job Offers / Detrimental Reliance	The Functions of Profit
04	Employment at Will / Notice Period / Cause for Exit	No Cause, No Notice When Employers Should and Should Not Use Employment Contract
05	Employment Bond / Training Bond / Overseas Assignment Bond	Training Bond Story of Jet Airways and Jan Peter
06	Training as a Trade Secret	Sanctity of Contract and Public Interest – A Case on Regulating Employment Relations in Indian Airline Industry
07	Breach of Contract and Remedies	Nature of Exchange and Regulating Exchange
08	Regulating Employment Relations	Internal, External and Mixed Regulation of Employment Relations
09	Copyright, Patents, Work for Hire Contract and Promissory Estoppel	Open Source Development and Ownership issues
10	Assignability / Transfer of IPR	UpaidVs Satyam
11	Ownership, Authorship, Moral Rights Regulation	New Copyright Bill
12	Employment Contract, Intellectual Property Rights and Trade Related aspects of IPR (TRIIPS)	Trouble in E-Topia: Knowledge as Intellectual Property
13	Trade Secrets as IPR and Protection of Trade Secrets through Non-Disclosure Agreement	Trade Secret: A Secret to Unveil
14	Introduction to Restrictive Covenants	Hypercompetition: Pepsi Vs Coke
15	Freedom of Occupation Approach	Article 19 (G) Constitution of India and Indian Contract Act Sec (27)
16	Covenant per se in Invalid Approach / Presumption Against Enforcement Approach / Bad Faith Approach	The Enforceability of Restrictive Covenants in Involuntary Discharge Cases
17	Balancing Equities Approach and Freedom of Contract Approach	The Enforceability of Restrictive Covenants in Involuntary Discharge Cases
18	Non Solicitation Restrictive Covenant and Non Disclosure Restrictive Covenant	Who is a Customer and Whose Customer? The Story of American Express Bank Ltd.
19	Exclusivity Agreement and Non Solicitation Agreement	Partners for Life: The Story of Wipro Biomed and Beckman Coulter
20	Employee Non-Solicitation Agreements	The Story of Apple, Google, ABN Amro, SKS Microfinance

5. Evaluation
A) ER Storytelling Activity (15%)

Each student would be pre-assigned one or two stories to be narrated in the class together with one or two of his/her classmates. The storytelling exercise would be evaluated based on quality of preparation, creativity, coordination and ability to illustrate the core issues by highlighting the moral of the story (5%). Each studentisrequired to update the details related to ER activity within a reasonable time, say not later than 3 to 4 days after the completion of the theme, through the form provided in the course web for the above purpose (10%).


B) Quiz (25%)

There will be three online quizzes conducted during the term. It will have multiple choice / true or false, objective type questions which are drawn from the readings, instructor’s presentation, and any other relevant material provided through email and course web. The average score for all the quizzes will be considered for the final grade. The guidelines for the quiz will be provided through email / course web.

C) ER Exercise (20%)

The purpose of ER Exercise is to promote “Collective Learning” and a team of four to six members, depending on the nature of assignment, will be formed for this purpose. The guidelines for ER Exercises will be given through email / course web.

D) End-Term Examination (40%)

The End-Term will be aclosed book exam evaluating the understanding of concepts and theories learned in the ER course.

E) Course Involvement (± 10 Marks)


Course involvement scores would be based on the overall assessment any initiative, like contributing a story to ER course based on one’s experience, to enrich the course design, content, process and outcome. Please note that unauthorized absence / late coming, late submission of assignments like ER storytelling update through Google Form, unauthorized use of mobile phones in the class, or any other misbehavior would warrant negative scores.

· Students are expected to be punctual for the classes and come prepared for the class by going through the stories and readings assigned for the class. Please note that you are permitted to attend the classes in your own section only and any request for attending classes with other section(s) will not be entertained, especially when such requests are made on-the-spot and / or after being absent in your session. You are required to focus on the class discussion and not to use your mobile phone or laptop or tablet or any other electronic gadget unless you are authorized to do so. Unauthorized “Digital Gazing” during the class would not only warrant negative scores for course involvement but you would be forced to leave the classroom. Further, you are expected to adhere to the guidelines given for ER Activities, Quizzes, Assignment, and End-Term. All evaluation components are closed book unless it is explicitly specified as open book by the instructor. Bringing Reading materials, Power Point Presentations, any electronic gadget including laptop and mobile phone to the exam hall would disqualify the students from appearing for the component. Malpractice in ER components such as Quiz, ER Exercise and End-Term would invite “F” in the whole component or even in the entire course depending on the circumstances.