Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The research aims, via a survey of mothers and fathers, to gather information on the provision of family-friendly working practices (including maternity and parental leave), and respondents' views, awareness and take-up of such measures. NatCen Social Research and The Policy Studies Institute have conducted a number of surveys of mothers on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions and its predecessors, in 1980, 1988, 1993, 1996, 2002 and 2009-2010. Of these, the 1993, 2002 and 2009-2010 surveys are currently held at the UK Data Archive (UKDA), under SN3716, SN5270 and SN7349 respectively. Two further surveys in the series have also been conducted, in 2005 and 2007, and will be deposited at the UKDA in due course.
Maternity and Paternity Rights in Britain, 2002: Survey of Parents The 2002 data are in a similar format to those gathered in the 1996 survey, and so help provide a time-series to allow the examination of the impact of legislative changes enacted in 1999. Similarly, the 2002 study will also serve as a baseline against which changes in opinions and behaviours may be tracked in the future (for example in the 2005 survey), following the implementation of reforms to maternity and paternity rights and benefits enacted in 2003. Fathers were first included in the 1996 survey, and were again surveyed in 2002. In addition to these considerations, the 2002 survey also explored women's engagement in the labour market during and following pregnancy.
Main Topics:
Mothers and fathers were surveyed separately. The questionnaires covered employment at the time of the child's birth; work before the birth; maternity leave; maternity pay; reasons mother works (or no longer works); awareness of work-related maternity and paternity rights; paternity leave; flexible working arrangements and leave entitlement at place of employment; current employment; demographic details.
Simple random sample
The sample comprised mothers who had given birth in January 2001 and their partners. Only women who
Postal survey
