Labor and Employment Law Professional Program (Pre-Pay Discount 10%)

Labor law operates under a different logic than employment law. It focuses on collective rights, organizing activity, bargaining obligations and the rules of a represented workplace. Designed for HR professionals and managers, this online course builds practical operational fluency in unionized environments. You’ll learn what changes when employees are union-represented or engaged in organizing efforts and how to navigate day-to-day decisions without creating avoidable conflict or legal risk.

Through applied scenarios and interactive learning, you’ll learn how to anticipate union touchpoints, manage grievances and collaborate effectively with labor relations professionals and counsel—especially when issues intersect with employment law. You’ll also examine how labor law frameworks interact with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), grievance procedures and past practice.

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to identify bargaining and meet-and-confer obligations, recognize union-related risks and communicate effectively in a represented environment. This course prepares you to operate confidently in unionized environments while minimizing legal risk and supporting effective labor-management relationships.

Learning Outcomes

• Differentiate labor law from employment law and explain how collective rights, union representation and organizing activity shape workplace practices and decision-making
• Identify organizing and protected concerted activities and apply legally compliant employer responses
• Determine when bargaining or meet-and-confer obligations apply and assess how management actions may trigger bargaining obligations
• Interpret and apply Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) provisions to manage workplace issues and support dispute resolution, including arbitration readiness
• Recognize and assess labor relations risks, including unfair labor practices, and communicate effectively in unionized environments while navigating intersections with employment law

Skills You Will Gain

• Communication in unionized workplaces
• Grievance management and response
• Labor relations risk identification
• Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) interpretation
• Documentation for labor relations processes

Who Should Enroll in this Course

The primary audience is working HR professionals and workplace practitioners, including managers and employee relations partners—who need foundational competence in identifying and responding to workplace legal issues. The program is not designed for attorneys or as preparation for legal practice, and it does not equip participants to provide legal advice or substitute for consultation with qualified counsel.

Course Format and Pacing
This is an online remote learning course delivered through UC Davis CPE’s learning management system, Canvas.

Workplace disputes don’t resolve themselves; they require the right approach and the skills to manage them effectively and fairly. Designed for HR professionals and workplace practitioners, this online course builds foundational skills for identifying and responding to workplace disputes, with a focus on practical, real-world applications.

Learn core concepts in workplace mediation and arbitration, including when each approach is appropriate, how to prepare, key ethical and confidentiality considerations and how to build durable agreements. You’ll also explore investigations and grievance handling as resolution pathways, with an emphasis on procedural fairness, documentation quality and stakeholder management.

In a capstone project, you’ll integrate concepts to develop a comprehensive resolution plan that outlines the appropriate process, key participants, preparation steps and communication strategy. This course prepares you to manage workplace conflict with confidence while reducing organizational risk and supporting fair, effective outcomes.

Learning Outcomes

• Evaluate workplace disputes and select appropriate resolution pathways (e.g., informal resolution, mediation, arbitration, investigation, or grievance) based on risk, complexity and context
• Apply core principles of mediation and arbitration, including preparation, confidentiality, standards and effective participation strategies
• Conduct and assess workplace investigations and grievance processes using principles of procedural fairness, appropriate scope and high-quality documentation
• Develop effective and durable resolution agreements and communication strategies, including clear settlement terms, implementation planning, stakeholder management and conflict-sensitive communication
• Integrate dispute-resolution concepts into a comprehensive resolution plan, identifying processes, roles (HR, legal, neutrals), preparation steps and strategies to prevent recurring conflict

Skills You Will Gain

• Dispute-resolution process selection
• Mediation and arbitration preparation
• Workplace investigations and grievance handling
• Conflict communication and stakeholder management

Who Should Enroll in this Course

The primary audience is working HR professionals and workplace practitioners, including managers and employee relations partners—who need foundational competence in identifying and responding to workplace legal issues. The program is not designed for attorneys or as preparation for legal practice, and it does not equip participants to provide legal advice or substitute for consultation with qualified counsel.

Course Format and Pacing

This is an online remote learning course delivered through UC Davis CPE’s learning management system, Canvas.

Many professionals require an understanding of the many labor and employment laws that impact the workplace in California. Designed for human resource professionals and labor leaders, this course focuses on labor-management relations, including laws concerning collective bargaining in both the private and public sectors. Through interactive learning focused on student participation, learners are exposed to procedures and regulations governing the filing of unfair labor practice charges and the rights and duties of both labor and management in collective bargaining. By the end of this course, students will understand federal and state laws regarding wages, anti-discrimination, employee leave and other laws applicable to California’s workforce.

Learning Outcomes

• Examine the history of employment law in the United States and explain the difference between federal and state employment law.
• Understand various unfair labor practices and identify how to file and defend an unfair practice charge.
• Comprehend the fundamental aspects of state and federal anti-discrimination laws and their applicability to employer actions.
• Learn the human resources interface regarding the regulation of drugs and alcohol in the workplace, employee privacy, technology, e-mail and free speech.

Skills You Will Gain

• Case analysis and legal research
• Hiring and background checks
• Lawful termination
• Labor relations

Course Format and Pacing
This fully online course is delivered through Canvas, UC Davis CPE’s learning management system, and includes approximately 30 hours of instruction. Content is presented through a combination of pre-recorded lectures and mandatory live Zoom sessions every week with the instructor.