Transition to Parenthood in UK SMEs

Lead Research Organisation: Middlesex University
Department Name: Business School

Abstract

UK research on pregnancy and maternity related discrimination at work (Adams et al., 2016a,b) found that small employers had the lowest awareness about the rights of pregnant and newly maternal employees, and that they were least likely to provide options for flexible working. In the UK, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 99.9% of the business population, three fifths of the employment and around half of turnover in the private sector . Whilst the research by Adams et al. (2016a,b) has highlighted the concerning extent of pregnancy and maternity related discrimination in differently sized UK workplaces, the study neither included specific recommendations on how to improve maternity support in SMEs, nor the experiences of new fathers. However, the management of new parenthood in SMEs is very different from large firms as SMEs are characterised by a number of key features, including resource scarcity and preference of more informal approaches to staff management. They often do not have a dedicated Human Resources department and no written maternity/paternity policies. SME owners/managers are also often more resistant to maternity/paternity protection regulations than large firms, fearing the time and costs involved.

Our proposed study addresses an important gap in detailed knowledge on transition to parenthood in UK SMEs and is designed to have a direct impact on practice and policy as well as academic understanding of the management of maternity/paternity in SMEs. It is timely as it feeds into current/recent UK policy debates on parental leave, flexible working, and on how to support fathers in the workplace. However, while focusing on the UK, our project addresses a global problem: SMEs are globally under-researched although they employ the majority of (parental) workers worldwide.
The project builds on previous research by including key stakeholders in the co-design of context-sensitive, low-cost and scalable solutions for effective management of new parenthood in SME workplaces. We adopt a mixed methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative elements. Specifically, data collection will include the following elements:

1. Employing a longitudinal and participatory approach, qualitative data will be collected on experiences in relation to pregnancy, maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental leave, flexible working, breastfeeding and childcare support, and accompanied by an awareness raising intervention co-designed by (owner-)managers and employees. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with (owner-)managers and employees in three phases over a one-year period. In addition, focus groups will be conducted with a) prospective/expecting parents; b) co-workers to explore perceptions and experiences related to new parenthood and work; c) parents who requested flexible working.

2. Two large-scale cross-sectional surveys of employees and employers working in SMEs to complement the qualitative data and more broadly explore attitudes, intentions, experiences and social norms around pregnancy, breastfeeding and childcare support, parental leave and flexible working for parents and the availability to and take-up by mothers and fathers to further inform academic and policy debates.

Key outputs will include a final report, data-sets emerging from the different methods, an awareness raising toolkit with a focus on SME specific low-cost solutions, a video designed to support positive employer-employee interactions, and a series of factsheets and related short video documentaries. Dissemination, user engagement and impact activities will include a stakeholder engagement event and a one-day academic conference, presentations at academic conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals. The sharing of findings will also be integrated from the start and involve a dedicated project website accompanied by regular blog posts and social media work.
 
Description Fatherhood Institute - Practice-based Co-investigator 
Organisation Fatherhood Institute
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The collaboration allows the organisation to be part of a large-scale research project and thereby work towards the development of more father-inclusive employment policies and practices.
Collaborator Contribution The organisation has been involved in all key stages of the research process so far (including the development of the research proposal) and helped to provide access to research participants (expectant and new fathers) and their organisational networks.
Impact None yet.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Working Families - Practice-based Co-investigator 
Organisation Working Families
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Being involved in this research collaboration allows the partner to contribute to the development a crucial evidence base on the experience and support needs of SMEs and their employees.
Collaborator Contribution The organisation has been involved in all key stages of the research process so far (including the development of the research proposal) and helped to provide access to research participants (particularly employers) and their organisational networks.
Impact https://workingfamilies.org.uk/news-events/blogs/transition-to-parenthood/
Start Year 2022
 
Description Blog on 'Understanding work-family reconciliation challenges in SMEs' published by Leeds University Business School, July 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Helen Norman (co-Investigator) and Bianca Stumbitz (PI) co-authored a blog on 'Understanding work-family reconciliation challenges in SMEs', which was published by Leeds University Business School and promoted across various social media platforms such as LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). The blog introduced the project and called for study participants. New participants signed up to participate in the project as a result.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://business.leeds.ac.uk/research-ceric/dir-record/research-blog/2147/understanding-work-family-...
 
Description Blog on workplace support for expecting and new parents in SMEs 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact A blog about our study was published on the Working Families website both to raise awareness of the research and to recruit study participants.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://workingfamilies.org.uk/news-events/blogs/transition-to-parenthood/
 
Description Department for Business and Trade (invited) presentation - 17 January 2024 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Helen was invited by the Department for Business and Trade (as a result of her engagement on their academic advisory board - see entry in 'influence on policy') to present details about her latest research projects to a group of policymakers (civil servants). She presented information about the Paternal Involvement and its Effects on Children's Education (PIECE) study and the Transition to Parenthood in SMEs project. She has been subsequently invited to join a smaller academic steering group with the DBT, which will set up during 2024, to advise on key topics in relation to supporting parents/fathers and collaborate together to draft a short paper.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description German Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact I gave an invited talk on maternity protection in SMEs at the Ministry in Berlin and was subsequently invited to co-author a revised edition of the Ministry's maternity protection guidelines for employers and employees to ensure it considers the specifics of SMEs.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.ausschuss-fuer-mutterschutz.de/fileadmin/content/Dokumente/Mutterschutz_in_KMU_Bianca_St...
 
Description Interview with Working Mums 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact I gave an interview about the study to Working Mums - it resulted in an article published on the organisation's website.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.workingmums.co.uk/transition-to-parenthood-study/