Maternity Leave Survey, 1985 [Canada]

The Maternity Leave Survey 1985 was conducted by Statistics Canada with the cooperation and support of Employment and Immigration Canada. Respondents from five of the six rotation groups of the Labour Force Survey were interviewed in February 1985. These respondents were given a supplementary survey called the Absence From Work Survey. This survey asked paid workers about absences from work lasting two weeks or longer; anyone having such an absence was asked detailed questions about their last two such absences. Respondents who said one of these last two absences was due to pregnancy were given an additional supplementary survey called the Maternity Leave Survey. This survey was undertaken in an attempt to find out more about: 1) how the work patterns of pregnant women have been affected; 2) how adequate the income support systems for women are (private and public) both before and after the birth of their child. Have these women experienced any difficulties in returning to work afterwards For women who have chosen not to return to the workforce, what are the reasons for their choice The Absence From Work Survey was designed to produce very specific estimates to be used for policy purposes by Employment and Immigration Canada. Other users of this and the Maternity Leave Survey data should be very careful in the interpretation of their estimates. The Maternity Leave Survey will not estimate the number of female paid workers on maternity leave during 1984. It will only estimate the number of female paid workers whose last absence or last two absences (of two weeks or more) from work include done due to pregnancy.

《1985年产假调查（Maternity Leave Survey）》由加拿大统计局（Statistics Canada）联合加拿大就业与移民局（Employment and Immigration Canada）实施并获得其支持。加拿大劳动力调查（Labour Force Survey）6个轮换组中的5个组的受访者于1985年2月接受访谈，并被纳入《缺勤调查（Absence From Work Survey）》补充问卷。
本次补充调查针对带薪劳动者，询问其是否存在两周及以上的工作缺勤情况；若存在此类缺勤，则需详细回答最后两次缺勤的相关问题。若受访者称其最后两次缺勤中有一次系因怀孕所致，则会被纳入额外的补充调查——《产假调查》。
本次调查旨在深入探究以下议题：1. 孕期女性的工作模式受到了何种影响；2. 女性在产前及产后所依托的私人与公共收入保障体系的充足性如何；3. 上述女性在产后重返职场的过程中是否遭遇过各类困难；4. 对于选择不再重返职场的女性，其做出该决策的具体原因是什么。
《缺勤调查》的设计初衷是生成精准的估算数据，供加拿大就业与移民局用于政策制定工作。其他使用该调查及《产假调查》数据集的用户，需对其估算结果的解读保持审慎态度。
需要特别说明的是，《产假调查》无法估算1984年全年处于产假状态的女性带薪劳动者总规模，仅能统计那些最后一次或最后两次（时长两周及以上）的工作缺勤中包含因怀孕导致的缺勤的女性带薪劳动者数量。