Psychology and Labor Law

Content

Please note that the course unit GEST-S3001 (Human Resources Management) is a prerequisite for DROI-S3702.

The course is divided into two parts: a Psychology component and a Labour Law component.

Psychology component

The Psychology component introduces the key concepts needed to understand how individuals construct and experience their reality at work. It explores the self in context, the dynamics of perception and social influence, as well as the psychological foundations of well-being, motivation and change.

Through these topics, students examine how cognition, emotion, identity and diversity influence behaviour within organisations, and how psychological understanding can contribute to ethical, inclusive and sustainable management.

This part is taught in English.

Labour Law component

Following a general introduction to labour law—its concept, origins, functions and defining characteristics—the course covers two main areas:

• Collective labour law: the relevant actors, collective bargaining and collective labour agreements, as well as employee participation and representation within the undertaking;
• Individual labour law: the essential elements of the employment contract, its formation, performance, suspension and termination.

The course also addresses two cross-cutting topics: non-discrimination law and occupational health and safety law.

These classes will encourage students to reflect on the role of law in fostering human development.

This course is part of the Sustainable Development initiative of the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, within the “Socially Sustainable Organizations” pathway

The main objective of this course is to enable students to develop a better understanding of key concepts in psychology and labour law that are essential for engaging with the world of work. These concepts will help students better understand themselves and others, with a view to developing better relationships in the workplace and in their everyday lives.

Additional objectives are to:

• introduce students to psychology and law;

• encourage students to explore the links between psychology and law.

By the end of the course, students should be able to demonstrate a sound command of the main concepts and lines of reasoning covered during the course.

Specific objectives of the Psychology component

The Psychology component aims to enable students, when faced with concrete organisational situations, to:

a. identify the main psychological processes that influence behaviour at work;

b. explain how these individual and collective mechanisms shape processes within organisations;

c. analyse and propose actions or interventions that foster more inclusive, ethical and sustainable working environments.

Specific objectives of the Labour Law component

The Labour Law component aims to enable students, when faced with a simple practical situation, to:

a. identify the relevant legal issues;

b. set out, accurately and rigorously, the main legal principles and rules applicable to the situation;

c. apply those rules to the concrete situation.

The course also aims to develop students’ ability to reflect critically on the role of law within organisations and, more generally, in the world of work, and to explain the rationale underlying the principles and institutions of labour law.

This reflection forms part of the Human Development pathway of the Sustainable Development educational initiative developed within the Bachelor’s programme in Business Engineering.

Connaissances et compétences pré-requises ou co-requises

Cours "co-requis "

1. Lectures

2. Group work (project)

Références, bibliographie et lectures recommandées

Additional Readings

Psychology component

This course does not rely on a textbook; instead, weekly learning materials will consist of carefully selected short articles, academic readings, and multimedia resources relevant to each topic.

Labour Law component

The textbook by J. CLESSE and F. KEFER (Manuel de droit du travail, 2nd edition, Brussels, Larcier, 2026) may be consulted if needed, but its purchase is not compulsory. A copy is available at the library of the Faculty of Law and Criminology.

Students are, however, required to obtain a Labour Law Code / collection of legal texts, available from the PUB.

Support(s) de cours

• Université virtuelle

Informations complémentaires

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• Université virtuelle

Contacts

Professors

Inmaculada Macias Alonso (Psychology)
inmaculada.macias.alonso@ulb.be

Vanessa De Greef (Law)
Vanessa.de.greef@ulb.be

Teaching Assistants

Philippe Ribue (French-speaking group)
philippe.ribue@ulb.be

Maria Spiliotopoulou (English-speaking group)
maria.spiliotopoulou@ulb.be

Campus

Solbosch

Méthode(s) d'évaluation

• Examen écrit
• Evaluation continue
• Examen oral
• Travail de groupe

Examen écrit

Evaluation continue

Examen oral

Travail de groupe

Assessment

• The examination will be written for both the Psychology component (2 hours) and the Labour Law component (3 hours).
• The instructor reserves the right to invite any student to an additional oral interview in order to verify their personal command of the content submitted in the examination, particularly where inconsistencies in the examination prevent the instructor from properly assessing the student’s level of knowledge and skills.
• Students may take the examination during the January examination session (Law) or the May/June examination session (Psychology), and subsequently during the August examination session. The Psychology instructor will, however, explore whether part of the assessment may be organised as continuous assessment and will inform students in February if this is the case.
• In accordance with the learning objectives, the examination is designed to assess students’ command of the main concepts and lines of reasoning covered during the course.

Specific requirements for the Psychology component

The examination will be written and will last 2 hours. The examination material consists of all topics covered during the lectures.

Specific requirements for the Labour Law component

The examination will be written and will last 3 hours. The examination material consists of all topics covered during the lectures, as well as the compulsory readings.

The examination questions will assess students’ ability to accurately present, apply and explain the material taught during the course. Students must be able to work with the statutory and regulatory texts covered in class.

During the examination, students may consult the statutory and regulatory texts covered in the course. It is strictly prohibited to add any written notes or annotations to these texts. Any breach of this rule may result in academic and disciplinary sanctions. Highlighting and underlining are permitted. Post-it notes or tabs indicating only the titles of the relevant legislative texts are also allowed.

In both components of the course, students will be required to complete additional group assignments relating to sustainable development. These assignments will contribute to the calculation of the final grade. See below.

Construction de la note (en ce compris, la pondération des notes partielles)

Calculation of the Final Grade

• The final grade will consist of 50% of the grade obtained for the Law component and 50% of the grade obtained for the Psychology component.

• During the second examination session, students are required to retake only the examination component that they failed during the first session.

The final grade is equal to the average of the two individual grades if both grades are equal to or higher than 10/20, or if both grades are below 10/20.

If one grade is equal to or higher than 10/20 and the other is below 10/20, the final grade will be equal to the lower of the two grades. This rule is intended to encourage students to engage fully with both components of the course and to prevent them from neglecting either component.

For example, if a student obtains 16/20 in Law and 2/20 in Psychology, the final grade will be 2/20. If the student obtains 16/20 in Law and 10/20 in Psychology, the final grade will be 13/20.

During the second examination session, students are required to retake only the examination component that they failed during the first session. The final grade is calculated according to the same rules.

The calculation of the grades for the Psychology and Law components is set out separately below.

Psychology

Session 1

• Written examination: graded out of 20; 40% of the Psychology grade.

• Weekly assignments: graded out of 20; 40% of the Psychology grade.

• Group practical assignment carried out as part of Seminars 1 and 2 within the “Socially Sustainable Organizations” pathway: 20% of the Psychology grade.

Session 2

• Written examination: graded out of 20; 40% of the Psychology grade.

• The grades obtained for the weekly assignments will be carried over from the first session. It will not be possible to complete, retake or improve these assignments during the second session.

• The grades obtained for the group assignments will be carried over from the first session. It will not be possible to complete, retake or improve these assignments during the second session.

The final Psychology grade will be calculated using two alternative weighting methods:

• written examination: 40% / weekly assignments: 40% / practical assignment: 20%; or

• written examination: 80% / practical assignment: 20%.

The weighting that produces the more favourable grade for the student will be applied.

Law

Session 1

• Written examination: graded out of 20; 80% of the Law grade.

• Practical assignment, “Socially Sustainable Development in Organizations”: the written group report is graded out of 20 and accounts for 20% of the Law grade.

Session 2

• Written examination: graded out of 20; 80% of the Law grade.

• The grade obtained for the group assignment will be carried over from the first session. It will not be possible to complete, retake or improve the assignment during the second session.

Langue(s) d'évaluation

• anglais