Prepared in 1986 for the Wisconsin Legislative Council's Special Committee on Employment Disincentives, this staff brief describes employment patterns which affect participation in the work force by persons with children. Part I summarizes the participation of persons with children in the work force, primarily women who are heads of households and women who are part of two-income families. Part II, which concerns parental leave, describes state and federal laws and proposed legislation, and provides other relevant information. Parts III and IV further describe state and federal laws and provide other relevant information regarding, respectively, alternative work schedules, and the provision of health care to low-income persons. Appendices provide: (1) a summary of parental leave policies for state employees, by state; (2) Wisconsin law on part-time and flextime work schedules; (3) Wisconsin administrative rules on part-time and flextime work schedules; (4) a comparison between the Federal and Wisconsin laws on continuation of health insurance coverage; and (5) Wisconsin law on the state's health insurance plan. (RH)