SHOPS AND OFFICES ACT

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 73, 20 December 1920, Page 4

SHOPS AND OFFICES ACT

With the commencement of tha new year the nmendments ,of thn Shops and Ollices Act, passed (luring the Inst re*fion of ftirlinmcnt, come into- operation and a number of sliopkefejiers will find that the law has been materially altered. Instead of the Act merely limt.ing the. hours during which assistants may bo employed, Parliament has now decided Hint a Urge number of shops must close their doors at s C o'clock. Section 11 of the new Act provides that in the ehii-f' centres of population all shops, except those in which the businesses of bakers, butchers, chemists, confectioners, dairy produce sellers, Hshmongers, florists, fruiterers, hairdressers, newsagents, pork butchers, tobacconists, and Testa-urante are exclusively carried on, "shall be dosed from the hour of 6 o clock in the evening on four working days of the week, other than tho dny of the statutory hnlf-holiday, nml not Infer than 9 o'clock in the evening on one other working dny of tho week.. Such lastmentioned day shall bs Friday in enso of all occupiers who oterve Saturday as the statutory hnlf-holidnv, end in all other cases shall be Saturday. The ordinary working .hours for shop assistants is now" limited to -IS per week, in place of 52. . Whon overtime is worked in addition to extra payment at tho rate of time and a half, each- employee is entitled to receive I s - "d- f° r n n,ea - on evcrs ' ° ay overtime is worked. It is not now necessary to secure a permit from the Labour Department before' overtime can bo worked, but the hours of overtime to bo worked arn limited to 3 hours each day, and not more than 120 hours in any one year. Written notice of any overtime worknd must bo given to the- inspector within 21 hours.