The Department has commissioned a number of surveys that may be used to estimate the effect of maternity leave on firms. The most recent surveys have been the Maternity and Paternity Rights and Benefits—Survey of Parents 2005; Second Work-Life Balance Study: Survey of Employees; and Second Work-Life Balance Study: Survey of Employers. Findings for each survey are published in the Department’s Employment Relations Research Series and are available on the DTI website.
The Department will soon be commissioning the Third Work-Life Balance/Maternity and Paternity Rights: Survey of Employers and the Department for Work and Pensions will soon be commissioning the Maternity Rights and Women Returners Survey.
The Department continually reviews research on the effect of maternity leave on firms, including research undertaken by the Equal Opportunities Commission; by UK universities; and by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.