Rights and responsibilities in the workplace
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain my basic rights and responsibilities at work and know what to do if something goes wrong.
Key learning points
- Workers have legal rights such as fair pay, rest breaks and protection from discrimination.
- Employees are expected to follow rules, be punctual and treat others with respect.
- Unsafe or unfair treatment at work should be reported using clear steps.
- Support is available from managers or Human Resources (HR).
- A respectful and safe workplace depends on everyone understanding their rights and responsibilities.
Keywords
Rights - the freedoms and protections everyone is entitled to, like safety, equality and free speech
Responsibilities - the actions we are expected to take to respect others and follow the law
Common misconception
You only get rights at work when you become an adult.
Young workers have specific legal rights, including maximum working hours, rest breaks and protection from unsafe conditions or discrimination. This applies to weekend or holiday jobs.
Teacher tip
You might want to link this lesson to any work experience or career events your setting might offer.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What do you think the term 'discrimination' means in a workplace context?
Q2.Match each scenario with what type of behaviour it represents.
being responsible and reliable
supporting team members
following workplace procedures
showing respect to others
Q3.If you saw someone being bullied at work, what do you think would be the best first step?
Q4.With rights come responsibilities, like following laws and others’ rights.
Q5.Which of these is a practical safety strategy you could use if you were walking home alone and started feeling unsafe?
Q6.What is the main responsibility that comes with having freedom of speech?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is a legal right for all workers?
Q2.Which action shows someone acting responsibly at work?
Q3.Match the word to the definition.
the freedoms and protections everyone is entitled to
the actions we are expected to take to respect others
when people are treated unfairly or differently due to characteristics
Q4. has rights in the workplace.
Q5.If something goes wrong at work, what is usually the first step?
Q6.HR stands for ...
To help you plan your 10 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Rights and responsibilities in the workplace, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Rights and responsibilities in the workplace, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 RSHE (PSHE) lessons from the Communities: Why is respect, understanding and compassion important? unit, dive into the full secondary RSHE (PSHE) curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.