Small and medium-sized enterprises: findings from the 2004 workplace employment relations survey

This report presents a descriptive analysis of employment relations in small and medium-sized private-sector enterprises (SMEs) using data from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS 2004). WERS 2004 is the fifth in a series of surveys that are regarded as one of the most authoritative sources of information on employment relations in Great Britain. The report is based on a subset of interviews with managers in around 600 private sector workplaces that belonged to SMEs. It also draws on a survey of around 5,000 employees working in these establishments. An analysis is provides of the key features of employment relations and working life in British SMEs.