Business Studies: OCR GCSE Labour Legislation

Step into the role of a real decision-maker with the Employment Law Case Simulator, an interactive, classroom-ready HTML activity that turns UK employment legislation into a fast, high-engagement learning experience. Learners choose between an Employee Perspective and an Employer Perspective, then work through realistic workplace dilemmas that mirror the kinds of issues they’ll meet in GCSE Business Studies. Each scenario unfolds like a case file, with key facts presented clearly before students make choices at decision points and immediately see the consequences of their actions, helping them connect legal concepts to cause-and-effect outcomes rather than memorising rules in isolation.

Designed to work brilliantly as a starter, this resource can be run on the board for whole-class thinking or used on devices for independent or paired discussion. Because students must commit to an option before the next stage appears, it creates instant “cold-call-able” moments: What would you do first, and why? What risks does this create? What counts as evidence? The branching structure makes it naturally self-differentiating, as learners can retry the same scenario to explore alternative pathways, compare outcomes, and improve their judgement without feeling “wrong” in a fixed, test-like way. It also supports retrieval practice from the outset by embedding helpful key term definitions at the point they are needed, so learners repeatedly encounter and apply vocabulary such as grievance procedures, ACAS early conciliation, tribunals, discrimination, protected characteristics, working time, and minimum wage compliance in context. 

Pedagogically, the simulator helps learners because it makes abstract law feel concrete and purposeful. It strengthens application and analysis by placing students inside the problem, forcing them to weigh not only what the law says, but how processes, evidence, and time limits shape real outcomes. It builds evaluation by highlighting trade-offs, such as quick settlements versus tribunal delays, or informal conversations versus formal procedures, and it encourages deeper business literacy by showing the employer’s perspective on legal risk, reputation, compliance, and cost. The result is a starter activity that doesn’t just wake the room up—it sets the tone for lesson-long thinking, discussion, and exam-quality reasoning.