The right to rest and other employment laws

Title separator

Vocabulary - employment law

employment law English

photo of the author Leanne |

LESSON OVERVIEW

In this lesson students learn vocabulary related to the topic of employment law, watch a video about a new law passed in Portugal and share their views on employment regulations around the world.

B1 / Intermediate
B2 / Upper Intermediate75 minStandard LessonPremium Plan
Unlock these lesson worksheets with the Premium subscription

WARM-UP & VOCABULARY

The lesson begins with an activity in which students share their opinions on a statement: You should work to live, not live to work. Then, they get a list of vocabulary related to the topic of employment law (e.g. sick pay, minimum wage, sabbatical) and match the words and expressions with their definitions. Afterwards, students read some employment rules and regulations from around the world (e.g. regarding parental leave, career break, etc.). Then, they complete the gaps with the vocabulary introduced in the previous exercise. Next, they compare the regulations with the ones from their countries and decide if any of the laws they read about are useful and could be adopted by their country. 

VIDEO & DISCUSSION ON EMPLOYMENT LAW

Before watching a video about the right to rest law passed in Portugal, students predict what the law might be about. Then, they watch the video to see if their predictions were right. While watching the video for the second time, students need to complete some gaps with the information from the video. After that, they share their opinions on the right to rest law. This activity is followed by a multiple choice task in which students learn some more words useful when talking about employment law (e.g. sue for, penalize for, hefty fine). The lesson ends with a task which gives students plenty of opportunities to reflect on rules and regulations for employers and employees. Students come up with ideas on how to improve policies of overtime, annual leave, and similar, both in their company and on a national level. They can do the activity in groups, or simply exchange the ideas with a partner. 

WORKSHEETS

0

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. [email protected]

    Hello!
    This is a great lesson for 2 reasons:
    1. I’m Portuguese and it’s really great to see my country featured in an English Lesson Plan. Thanks!
    2. The rhythm of the lesson is perfect. The vocabulary sections are clear, formative and relevant. Great Stuff!
    Cheers!
    filipe

    1. Leanne

      So happy to hear you’ve enjoyed this one! Thank you.

      1. [email protected]

        Thanks for the hard work. I’ve used it several times and always to great results. Cheers.

  2. jpbruce

    This was a really interesting lesson, it prompted a lot of discussion. In fact it took me two lessons (2 hours) to get through the material! – but I think I had a particularly talkative class.
    Thanks!

    1. Leanne

      Great! Plenty of scope in this one then! Thank you.

  3. Crack Business English School

    Got plenty of mileage out of it in discussion. Stds loved it!
    Thank you.
    Barry

    1. Leanne

      That’s great to hear. Thank you.

  4. Aya Tougui

    Can I only receive the lesson if I have a premium account?

    1. Stan

      Yes, that’s correct! You either have to be a Premium or an Unlimited subscriber to get this lesson.

  5. bea102

    Hi, a big thanks for this lesson!! A very interesting topic and great vocabulary. I used it in 4 different groups of advanced adult learners and everyone enjoyed the conversation about employment laws in various countries. Well structured too, it flows really well. I turned the slide on improving employment laws into a negotiation role-play and my students loved it! Thanks 🙂

    1. Justa

      Hi! Thank you so much for the feedback! We’re really happy that the lesson worked so well with your students 🙂

    2. Leanne

      Very happy to hear that it worked well for you! Thank you for the feedback. 🙂

  6. Julia Hohush

    Thanks a bunch! Looking forward to more lessons regarding laws! 😉

    1. Justa

      Hi Julia! Just to let you know, we’ve just published a lesson plan that you might find useful. You can find it here 🙂

  7. [email protected]

    Thank you, The lesson was very interesting. Enjoyed it!

    1. Justa

      Thanks for the comment 🙂

  8. Caroline Aparecida Vaz de Araujo Medeiros

    This lesson is great! Such an interesting and real life topic. I loved it.

    1. Justa

      Happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂

  9. Emelda

    Very interesting lesson, my students loved it.

    1. Justa

      Thanks! We’re happy it’s useful 🙂

  10. conordaly

    Good lesson, I desperately need more materials about labour laws, especially for B2 level.

    1. Justa

      Thanks for the comment! You might also check out these two lessons: here and here

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
phrases to make requests
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

I was wondering if… (making requests)

Business General

With this lesson, students talk about ways to make requests. They watch a funny ad and discuss requests at work. Students also practise phrases to make requests and do a role play activity.

Unlimited Plan Show
phrases to talk about leadership
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

The art of leadership

Business

With this lesson, students talk about job satisfaction and practise vocabulary to discuss leadership! They also watch a video about creating a good work environment, read a text about organisational structures and share ideas on addressing workplace challenges.

Unlimited Plan Show
ESL lesson about crowdfunding
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

When crowds fund your project

Business

With this lesson, students talk about funding sources, address scepticism and watch a video about common myths of crowdfunding. They also explore vocabulary, analyse successful crowdfunding campaigns and create their own projects.

Unlimited Plan Show
ESL lesson about teamwork
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

All for one and one for all

Business

With this lesson, students engage in the exploration of teamwork. They discuss the importance of teamwork, explore vocabulary to talk about the topic, watch a video and discuss useful tips about how to create better teams.

Premium Plan Show
ESL lesson about subscriptions
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Members only! Subscription models

Business Lifestyle

With this lesson, students talk about subscription models, explore vocabulary and discuss their personal experiences and opinions. They also watch a video featuring advice on how to manage subscriptions and discuss real-life services.

Premium Plan Show
speaking lesson about career change
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

Changing careers

Business

With this speaking lesson, students navigate the territory of career changes. They discuss job market trends, as well as benefits and challenges of transitioning careers. They also talk about important skills and watch a video about a woman who changed careers.

Unlimited Plan Show
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Critical Reading Club 30 min / 45 min
Loading

The golden age of podcasting

Business

Explore the fascinating field of technology and podcasts with this lesson! After reading an article, students discuss the use of AI in podcasts, practise vocabulary to talk about the topic and discuss their ideas if they launched a 100% AI-generated podcast.

Unlimited Plan Show
job interview tips
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Flipped Lesson 60 min
Loading

Ace your next job interview

Business

Dive into the realm of job interviews with this lesson. Students practise job interview vocabulary, watch a video for tips, talk about what can make an interview successful and learn about the STAR approach for responding to interview questions.

Unlimited Plan Show
talking about priorities
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Prioritizing and to-do lists

Business Lifestyle

With this insightful lesson, students practise vocabulary to talk about priorities, watch an explainer video about the Eisenhower Matrix and discuss time management. They also give advice on how to organize tasks.

Premium Plan Show
Show more lessons

Questions

Title separator

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there’s no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won’t be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).

Read more FAQ
Title separator

ESL Brains

Forgot password?
or continue with
Don't have an account? SIGN UP