Employment Agreements Matter

Overview

This is lesson 2 of 6 in Workplace Rights Ready. Students examine a simplified employment agreement for a 15-year-old café worker, building on prior learning about entering the workplace and preparing to recognise information that supports fair, safe participation in employment.

Learning intentions

• WALT recognise the key information an employment agreement should contain.
• WALT explain why a written agreement protects both the worker and the employer.
• WALT use an agreement and checklist to identify missing or unclear information.
• WALT formulate a useful question to ask before signing an agreement.

Success criteria

• I can locate at least five key details in an employment agreement.
• I can explain why written agreements are important.
• I can identify one question a new worker could ask before signing.
• I can identify a clause that may need clarification or legal advice.

Curriculum links

• Social Sciences learning: understand how workplace systems, rules, and relationships influence people’s rights, responsibilities, and participation.
• Social Sciences learning: use evidence from a real-world context to make informed decisions and communicate explanations.
• Commerce learning: identify and explain options and consequences relevant to an organisation’s financial and stakeholder decision-making.
• Key competencies: managing self; thinking; using language, symbols, and texts; relating to others; participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and connection. Teacher displays the question, “Would you sign a job agreement if it did not say how much you would be paid?” using the opening scenario slide, then briefly revisits the previous lesson and explains that written agreements make expectations clear. Student privately chooses “sign”, “do not sign”, or “not sure” and gives one reason verbally, by pointing, or by writing.

2. 5–12 min · Teacher modelling. Teacher opens the key information slides and introduces the simplified café agreement and colour-coded checklist in the employment agreement investigation worksheet. Model one clause, such as pay, by locating it, highlighting it in the agreed colour, and explaining: “This matters because the worker knows what they should receive and the employer knows what they have promised.” Student watches, then identifies the pay amount or points to it.

3. 12–20 min · Guided practice. Teacher completes one further clause jointly with the student, such as hours or duties, using a think-aloud: “What information is here? Why would both sides need to know this?” Student helps locate the information, selects the matching colour, and completes the corresponding checklist entry with support.

4. 20–32 min · Independent investigation. Teacher asks the student to examine selected clauses in the agreement and complete the checklist, offering a conference rather than requiring public responses. Student locates and colour-codes job title, pay, hours, leave, duties, trial or probation information, and problem-solving procedures, recording a short reason for at least five details. The student may answer by pointing, speaking, dictating, or recording.

5. 32–40 min · Missing information challenge. Teacher uses the challenge and discussion slides to present three gaps or unclear statements in a sample agreement, such as “paid regularly”, “reasonable hours”, or no process for raising a problem. Student identifies what is missing, explains why it matters, and writes, says, or records one question a new worker could ask before signing.

6. 40–45 min · Review and exit response. Teacher revisits the success criteria on the plenary slide and gives a brief individual exit response: “One important agreement detail is ___ because ___; before signing, I would ask ___.” Student completes the response in writing, orally, by pointing to prepared choices, or through an audio recording.

Resources

• the employment agreements introduction and teaching deck
• the employment agreement investigation worksheet
• Simplified, fictional NZ café employment agreement for a 15-year-old worker
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Accessible agreement version with one clause per line
• Glossary of workplace terms
• Headphones or audio recording device
• Teacher answer model and partially completed checklist

Assessment

• During modelling and guided practice, check whether the student can distinguish agreement details from explanations of why they matter.
• Review the checklist for at least five accurately located details and listen for an explanation connected to protection, fairness, clarity, or responsibility.
• Use the exit response to assess whether the student can explain the importance of written agreements and form a relevant question before signing.

Differentiation

• Provide a completed model, then a partially completed checklist before expecting independent responses. Complete only selected clauses if sustained reading is difficult.
• Use bold headings, one clause per line, generous spacing, left-aligned text, no justified text, plain language, and an audio version for dyslexic learners.
• Pre-teach terms such as employment agreement, pay, leave, probation, duties, and problem-solving procedure using the glossary and repeated examples.
• Accept pointing, selecting, speaking, dictation, or recorded answers. Allow private teacher conferencing and thinking time to support social anxiety and low confidence.

Extension

• Compare two sample clauses, such as a clear pay clause and an unclear hours clause, and explain which better protects both parties.
• Identify one clause that may require clarification or legal advice, justify the concern, and propose a precise question the worker could ask.