Medium4 marksStructured
Human resourcesGeneralEmployment LawHuman Resources

AQA GCSE · Question 01.12 · Human resources

State and explain two employment laws.

How to approach this question

For each of the two laws:\n1. State the name of a specific piece of employment legislation (e.g., Equality Act, National Minimum Wage Act).\n2. Explain what the law requires businesses to do or not do.

Full Answer

1. **Law:** The Equality Act 2010 (1 mark). \n**Explanation:** This law makes it illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee or job applicant based on protected characteristics such as age, gender, race, or disability. This applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, pay, and promotion opportunities (1 mark).\n\n2. **Law:** The National Minimum Wage Act 1998 (1 mark). \n**Explanation:** This law sets a minimum hourly rate of pay that almost all workers are entitled to. The rate varies depending on the worker's age. This protects workers from exploitation and ensures they receive a fair wage for their work (1 mark).
Employment law is a body of law that governs the employer-employee relationship. It is designed to protect the rights of workers and ensure fair treatment. Key examples include:\n- **The Equality Act 2010:** Prohibits discrimination, harassment, and victimisation based on nine "protected characteristics" (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex, sexual orientation).\n- **The National Minimum Wage Act 1998:** Establishes a legally binding minimum wage per hour, with different rates for different age groups.\n- **The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974:** Places a duty on employers to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare at work of all their employees.

Common mistakes

✗ Not naming a specific Act of Parliament. Just saying "a law about pay" is not enough for the first mark.\n✗ Giving a vague explanation. For the Equality Act, you need to mention discrimination or protected characteristics.

Practice the full AQA GCSE Business Paper 1

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