The History of the Work-Life Research Centre

The Work-Life Research Centre was founded by a multi-disciplinary team of leading edge researchers with a long history of research and publications on work-life issues.

The founders were:

Professor Suzan Lewis formerly at Manchester Metropolitan University now at Middlesex University Business School;
Professor Julia Brannen and Professor Peter Moss of the Thomas Coram Research Unit at the Institute of Education, University of London;
Lucy Daniels, founding director of Parents At Work,
and Professor Cary Cooper who was at the Manchester School of Management, UMIST (now at Lancaster University)

The Centre was set up to meet the needs of not only the academic community but also employers, trade unions, NGOs and policy makers, as identified in a Joseph Rowntree Foundation, funded needs analysis undertaken in 1999. Officially launched in January 2000 with the publication of the Work-Life Manual for employers, The Work-Life Research Centre was instrumental in the setting up of the UK Government's Work-Life Campaign. The Centre now has research clusters at Middlesex University Business School and TCRU as well as a team of associates with a strong track-record working in related fields. The Centre undertakes a broad range of research, including action research and can also provide consultancy, training and coaching.