Shirley Dex

This book documents the first five years of life of the children of the influential Millennium Cohort Study, which is tracking almost 19,000 babies born in 2000 and 2001 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This book is the second in a series of books which will report on the findings from the data and follows on from Children of the 21st century: From birth to nine months (The Policy Press, 2005). It takes an extended look at the children's lives and development as they grow and begin formal education, and the implications for family policy, and service planning in health and social services. The chapters in this book are written by experts across a wide range of social science and health fields and form a unique look at the early lives of children that cuts across disciplinary boundaries. It is essential reading for academics, students and researchers in these fields. It will also be of relevance to policy makers and practitioners with an interest in children's early years, family life, child development, child poverty, childcare and education and health care.

There is need for a more detailed understanding of employers' motivations for offering flexible working and the outcomes of different policies and practices for both employers and employees. This report draws on data from a large-scale national survey of workplace employee relations (WERS) to fill these gaps in our knowledge and understanding. It is the first time these issues have been explored through analysis of such a large and representative sample of companies and employees.

Many employed men and women now hold self-employed, part-time or temporary jobs. Such jobs have been increasing since the 1970s. This book examines the implications for employers, individuals and households of this development. The lack of fringe benefits, job security and employment rights for these flexible jobs are described as well as the effects on the mental health of individuals. The view that flexible jobs are necessary for an efficient economy is questioned. Britain is relatively unique in Europe in promoting low-quality flexible jobs which fail to use the skills of its workforce.

Many employed men and women now hold self-employed, part-time or temporary jobs. Such jobs have been increasing since the 1970s. This book examines the implications for employers, individuals and households of this development. The lack of fringe benefits, job security and employment rights for these flexible jobs are described as well as the effects on the mental health of individuals. The view that flexible jobs are necessary for an efficient economy is questioned. Britain is relatively unique in Europe in promoting low-quality flexible jobs which fail to use the skills of its workforce.