Work-Life Balance Study, 2013: Employers' 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><br>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> The fourth <i>Work-Life Balance Survey of Employers</i> was carried out between June and August 2013 and was designed to add to the time-series data on the attitudes and behaviours of employers in relation to assisting work-life balance for their staff. It covered the period following the Work and Families Act 2006, over which time there were additional and significant changes in the regulatory landscape including the extension of the right to request flexible working to parents of older children (2009) and Additional Paternity Leave Regulations (2010). In addition to rights such as statutory holiday entitlement and rights to paternity, maternity and parental leave, this legislation meant employees with children under the age of 17 (18 and under if disabled) and co-resident carers had a right to request flexible working. Other changes included the introduction in 2011 of additional paternity leave and pay, which enabled fathers to take up to 26 weeks of additional paternity leave. In addition, there were Coalition Government commitments on flexible parental leave and the extension to all employees of the right to request flexible working: Consideration was also being given to providing support to individuals who have a temporary need for flexibility.<br><br>