Work-Life Balance Study, 2006: Employees' Survey

In 2000, the Government launched the Work-Life Balance Campaign, targeting employers to promote the benefits of flexible working for all employees. Although this campaign was not specifically aimed at parents or carers, the legislation restricted rights to apply for changes in the hours, timing or place of work to those employees with caring responsibilities. <br>
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The then Department for Education and Employment (later the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and now the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)) carried out the first <i>Work-Life Balance Survey</i> (WLB1) in 2000 (held at the UK Data Archive under SN 4465). It was used to assess how far employers operated work-life balance practices and whether employees felt that existing practices met their needs. The first survey was followed up in 2003 by a second survey, a two-part survey of employees and employers (WLB2) (held under SNs 5079 and 5080) and by a third wave in 2006 and 2007 (WLB3) (held under SNs 7028 and 5787). The fourth employee survey was carried out in 2011 (held under SN 7112) and the fourth employers survey was completed in 2013 (held under SN 7775).<br>
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The main aims of the WLB3 Employees' Survey were to:<ul><li>establish the extent to which employees perceive the provision of work-life balance practices as inclusive</li><li>ascertain the demand for work-life balance practices</li><li>assess take-up of work-life balance practices including reasons for non-take-up (e.g. impact on job security and promotion)</li><li>ascertain employee views on the detrimental effects of flexible working</li><li>establish the extent to which work-life balance practices meet employee needs, including their views on the feasibility of their employer extending these arrangements</li><li>establish how, and to what extent, employees are informed of, and are involved in, the development and implementation of the various work-life balance arrangements, including whether there are procedures in place for taking their views into account</li></ul>