ABSENTEEISM AND LATENESS

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23751, 24 September 1942, Page 4

ABSENTEEISM AND LATENESS

CASES QUOTED BY 1 MANUFACTURERS • The problem of absenteeism and late* ness in industry and whether action could be taken by the authorities wew discussed at the meeting of the CM* ter bury Manufacturers’ Association* council last evening. No motion was passed. ''' Mr B. J. Masters opened the disco* sfon by asking if the authorities were taking any action about absenteeism. He quoted the work of one firm, cover* ing five weeks, when 47 males hw been late on 128 occasions, and DM stayed away for 273 hours, and 33 females had been late on 147 occasions and had stayed away for 1098 hour! As he understood the regulations,' the machinery was there to deal with tpli. He asked whether anything was ac* tually being done. . ' To a question whether the instant* quoted had been during a recent epidemic, Mr Masters said that the period covered was the last five weeks, and every type of excuse had been offered. Mr H, C. Urlwin said that he had tried to do something about the proto* lem. His firm, he said, conducted a ballot, and names were drawn from a hat, and the first one drawn who had managed to put in all the time he could at work received £5. It had not made any difference. (Laughter.) . . Mr Urlwin added that a similar scheme had been conducted for over* time, and that, too, had not worked. Much of the trouble, Mr Urlwin said, might have been caused by men having been on final leave. His firm, however, reckoned on nearly 20 per cent, absenteeism all the time, and I<W girls were employed in all. Of course, to-day, many married women wgre employed, and many of them did not need the money. A lot of them were satisfied if they gave a certain amount of their time to work. That was their attitude. Also, many of the men working in factories to-day were more tnan 50 years of age, and probably ,f ou °° it “pretty tough." In all the circumstances. it might be wise to make tn e best of what one had, as if the Oovernment was asked that action o taken in terms of industrial legislation. it had to be remembered much of the action which could oe taken could also harm the employerThe regulations had been enforced. Mr R. H. Webb said he ‘‘ trouble with absenteeism. He qucneo a case of a girl asking for leave to J to Dunedin. She was, foolishly, tow that she would need a medical cerri ficate to get leave. The next day sdb arrived with a doctor’s certificate, ano there had been no previous mention of an illness or anything of the Kinm_