Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
The Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS) Time-Series Dataset 1980-2011 is derived from the data collected in the interviews with the main management respondent in each of the cross-section surveys in the Workplace Employment Relations Survey series (1980, 1984, 1990, 1998, 2004 and 2011) and the 1991 Employers' Manpower Skills Practices Survey (a follow-up to the 1990 WIRS). The dataset contains consistently defined variables (where possible) for data items that are present in the 1998, 2004 or 2011 surveys and at least one other previous cross-section survey in the series. Taking a topic such as the presence of a multi-issue joint consultative committee (Questions: DJOINT and DISSUES), similar questions were first identified in each of the 1980, 1984 and 1990 surveys. The 1991 EMSPS also served as a source of data in instances where an issue was not covered in WIRS90 but was covered in EMSPS. If the questions that were found across the series were considered sufficiently similar to permit the compilation of a consistent measure, a data item would be derived from each of the relevant survey data files in turn (see syntax files Get80ts.sps, Get84ts.sps, etc.). Having derived these consistent data items, workplace records from each of the surveys were then added together (see MergeTS.sps) to form a single time-series dataset that spanned the whole of the series. An additional variable named YEAR was also added to the dataset to identify the survey from which each individual observation originates. Further details may be found in the documentation and on the gov.uk WERS 2011 webpage. The time-series dataset also contains a link variable (TEUKLEMS) that enables observations to be linked to the EU KLEMS industry-level database, which provides measures of economic growth, productivity, employment creation, capital formation and technological change at the industry level for the UK from 1970 onwards. Further information can be found at the EU KLEMS Project web page. For the third edition (September 2014), data for 2011 have been added to the time series file and the documentation updated accordingly. The SPSS syntax used for the addition of the 2011 data has also been deposited.
Main Topics:
The WIRS/WERS series provides statistically reliable, nationally representative data on the state of workplace relations and employment practices in Britain. In each of the five cross-section surveys in the series, the main management respondent (the most senior manager at the workplace with responsibility for employment relations) has been asked mainly factual questions covering a wide range of issues that deal with the employment relationship. Some examples include consultation and communication, pay determination arrangements, and work organization.
One-stage stratified or systematic random sample
Face-to-face interview
Self-completion
