Work-Life Balance Study, 2003: Employers' Survey

<P>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</P>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>
<br><br>The aims of the second Work-Life Balance Study were two-fold: <br>
<li>firstly, to monitor change since the 2000 Work-Life Balance baseline study (held under SN 4465) by collecting data on (a) employer provision of work-life balance practices and policies, (b) employee take-up of, and demand for, these initiatives, and (c) the impact of employers’ provisions (including costs and benefits);</li><br>
<li>secondly, to establish a robust baseline for future evaluation of the provisions brought in under the Employment Act 2002.</li><br>
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The findings of the research will be used to track changes since the first study and assess the impact of new legislation governing leave entitlements and employers’ flexible working practices on different cross-sections of the population.<br>
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The employers' survey objectives included: <br>
<li>employers' attitudes to work-life balance;</li><br>
<li>employers' awareness of statutory leave entitlements and new working parent legislation;</li><br>
<li>requests for flexible working made to employers;</li><br>
<li>provision of, and eligibility for work-life balance practices and leave arrangements; and<br>
<li>impact of work-life balance practices.</li><br>
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The Employees' Survey is held under SN 5079.<br><br><B>Main Topics</B>:<BR><br>The dataset contains the responses of employers to questions which were based on meeting the aims of the research, covering the following topics:<br>
<li>general background information about the establishment</li><br>
<li>general work arrangements at the establishment</li><br>
<li>overtime work at the establishment</li><br>
<li>whether hours worked can be varied</li><br>
<li>leave arrangements</li><br>
<li>role of line managers and supervisors</li><br>
<li>childcare arrangements</li><br>
<li>impact of flexible working practices and leave arrangements</li><br>
<li>consultation of employees and promotion of flexible working practices and leave arrangements.</li>