Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The main aim of the study, undertaken by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) was to provide a statistically representative picture of the steps employers take to meet the child parenting needs of their employees. The survey collected information on: employers' awareness of the new statutory leave entitlements introduced under the Employment Relations Act 1999; employers' current leave provision for working parents; employers' provision of flexible working arrangements for employees who are parents; employers' perceptions of the impact of these arrangements. The survey findings informed the DTI's 'Work and Parents: Competitive Choice Review', published in December 2000.

Main Topics:

Topics covered in the dataset include: organisation, administration and personnel policy; personnel records kept on maternity, paternity, parental, annual and sick leave and cover planning; arrangements for flexible working including part-time, term-time and homeworking; maternity leave, pay and retraining/return-to-work incentives; arrangements for emergency time off for child care and other family commitments; government employment policy and how improvements could be made to assist employers to support parents and provide adequate work-life balance arrangements.

Quota sample

quotas were set on size (based on numbers of employees at the workplace), sector (based on the Dun & Bradstreet Standard Industrial Classification - SIC) and region. Full details of sampling and other methodology are included in the documentation.

Telephone interview

Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI)