Employment Law

Author: Gwyneth Pitt

Price: £28.95

Edition: 7th Edition (September 2009)

ISBN: 978-1-847-03500-4

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Now in its seventh edition and only seventeen years since its first, many academics and students will be familiar with Gwyneth Pitt's Employment Law.  It quickly became, and remains, a well-regarded text providing both an accessible and reliable account of employment law.  This new edition is no exception.

Written by a highly respected academic in this area of law, Employment Law is separated into fourteen chapters: introduction; equality law; employment status; the contract of employment; collective bargaining; statutory employment protection rights; pay; discipline and dismissal; redundancy and transfer of undertakings; freedom of association; trade unions and their members; industrial action (which forms two chapters); and health and safety at work.  This is a very pragmatic approach to the material and largely works well.

Pitt's written style is very readable: whilst the text can be somewhat daunting due to the lack of footnotes and the fullness of the text, her style ensures pages are quickly covered and understood.  To my mind, however, footnotes could improve the readability of the text and also give readers an excellent starting point for further research.  Pitt does, however, manage to superbly explain fairly complex issues of law including, in particular, the problematical Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006.  Similarly, new statutes and case law (including the Employment Act 2008 and OBG Limited v Allan [2007] UKHL 21) are seamlessly interwoven into the text.

Whilst this seventh edition of Professor Pitt's Employment Law comes only two years since the last, the developments in this fast-moving area of law show a clear need for it.  It is therefore extremely welcome.  Its written style, being both academically stimulating and largely accessible, is excellent.  This, coupled with its thorough updating to include the latest statutory and case-law developments, is likely to mean it will continue to be a favourite amongst students for years to come.  Users of this text may also consider buying Pitt's complimentary cases and materials text.

Reviewed on 1 January 2010

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