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Becoming a parent is one of the most significant changes in a person’s working life. Expectant and new parents are entitled to workplace support during this transition.

However, most research on pregnancy, parenthood, and employment focuses on large organisations. It therefore excludes the experiences of most employers and employees who manage parenthood at work in the UK and worldwide.

A new study will address this gap. It will examine how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with 1 to 249 staff, manage their businesses and staffing when employees become parents. The research includes the experiences of mothers and fathers.

The project team includes researchers from the Universities of Middlesex, Manchester, and Leeds. It also includes the charities and .

The study aims to:

• explore staff pregnancy and new parenthood from the perspectives of employers and employees
• examine support during pregnancy
• examine access to paid and unpaid maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption leave
• explore flexible working and breastfeeding support
• examine workplace attitudes, expectations, and discrimination
• explore returning to work after leave and managing childcare
• develop recommendations for managing new parenthood in SMEs that work for parents and employers.

The findings will inform a series of accessible, short resources and toolkits. These will help SME employers and employees manage pregnancy and new parenthood at work.

This project is funded under the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Transforming Working Lives Programme of the (ESRC).

Participate in our study

We want to hear from SME employers and employees. You can take part in our research into staff pregnancy and new parenthood in SMEs.

A confidential survey will help us learn about you, your work, and how you would like to participate. Based on your responses, we may invite you to a relevant interview or focus group.

To learn more, please contact the project leader, Bianca Stumbitz.

We are currently seeking SME employers and employees who meet the following criteria.

SME Employers

• Employers or owner-managers with experience of staff pregnancy or employees becoming parents during the past three years.

SME Employees

• New mothers and fathers who returned from maternity, paternity, shared parental, or adoption leave during the past 12 months. This includes same-sex parents, single parents, adoptive parents, and surrogates
• Employees who want to share their perceptions and experiences of their co-workers’ new parenthood and employment.

About the project

This three-year study will examine how SMEs manage their businesses and staffing when employees become parents.

Previous UK research into pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination found that small employers had the lowest awareness of the rights of pregnant employees and new mothers. They were also the least likely to offer flexible working options.

In the UK, SMEs represent:

• 99.9% of the business population
• three-fifths of private sector employment
• about half of private sector turnover.

Previous research identified the extent of pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination across UK workplaces of different sizes. However, it did not provide specific recommendations for improving maternity support in SMEs. It also excluded the experiences of new fathers.

SMEs often manage new parenthood differently from large organisations. They tend to have limited resources and prefer informal approaches to staff management.

For example, SMEs may lack a dedicated Human Resources department or written maternity and paternity policies. SME owners and managers may also be more resistant than large firms to maternity and paternity protection regulations because they are concerned about the time and costs involved.

Our study addresses an important gap in detailed knowledge about the transition to parenthood in UK SMEs. It aims to influence policy and practice while advancing academic understanding of maternity and paternity management in SMEs.

The study contributes to current and recent UK policy debates about:

• parental leave
• flexible working
• support for fathers in the workplace.

Although the study focuses on the UK, it addresses a global issue. SMEs remain under-researched worldwide, despite employing most working parents.

Close links to policy and practice are central to the research. Key stakeholders will help to design context-sensitive, low-cost, and scalable solutions for managing new parenthood effectively in SME workplaces.

These stakeholders include our practice-based co-investigators:

• .

They also include our Advisory Board. Confirmed members include:

• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Equality and Human Rights Commission
• Maternity Action
• Acas
• Fawcett Society
• Federation of Small Businesses
• Medical Women’s Federation
• SME owners and managers
• SME employees, including expectant and new mothers and fathers
  policymakers.

Research methods

We use mixed methods that combine quantitative and qualitative research.

Qualitative research

The study uses a longitudinal and participatory approach. It will collect qualitative evidence about:

• pregnancy
• maternity leave
• paternity leave
• adoption leave
• shared parental leave
• flexible working
• breastfeeding support
• childcare support.

An awareness-raising intervention will accompany this research. SME owners, managers, and employees will help to design the intervention.

Researchers will conduct semi-structured interviews with owners, managers, and employees in three phases over one year.

The study will also include focus groups with:

• prospective and expectant parents
• co-workers discussing their perceptions and experiences of new parenthood and work
• parents who have requested flexible working.

Quantitative research

Two large-scale, cross-sectional surveys will involve employers and employees working in SMEs.

The surveys will complement the qualitative research. They will examine attitudes, intentions, experiences, and social norms relating to:

• pregnancy
• breastfeeding and childcare support
• parental leave
• flexible working for parents
• the availability and use of support by mothers and fathers.

The findings will inform academic and policy debates.

Key outputs

The project will produce:

• a final report
• datasets from the different research methods
• an awareness-raising toolkit focused on low-cost solutions for SMEs
• a video supporting positive interactions between employers and employees
• factsheets
• short video documentaries.

Potential users and beneficiaries will contribute at every key stage. These include employers, employees, support organisations, and policymakers. Their involvement will help ensure that the outputs are relevant and meet their needs.

For more information, please contact project leader Dr Bianca Stumbitz

Project team

The project team includes researchers from the Universities of Middlesex, Manchester, and Leeds. It also includes the charities and the .

The team brings together expertise in work and parenthood across several disciplines:

• organisation studies
• employment relations
• social policy
• sociology
• economics.

Members also have experience of transdisciplinary research and partnerships with policymakers and practitioners.