FIVE-DAY WEEK

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 42, 13 November 1936, Page 8

FIVE-DAY WEEK

Employment in State Departments ADJUSTMENT OF HOURS From now on the five-day week will be adopted in as many departments of the Public Service as possible, but if the requirements of the law or of the public demand it offices will remain open on Saturday morning as in the past. Public servants observing the shorter working week will work slightly longer each day in order to make up the time usually worked on a Saturday. Hours generally observed in Government departments total 38 a week. The practice in the past has been for the staff to begin duty at 8.30 a.m. each day and finish at 4.30 p.m. from Monday to Friday inclusive and at 11.30 a.m. on Saturday. Public servants not required to work on a Saturday morning will in future work 35 minutes longer each day. starting at 8 a.m. and finishing at 4.35 p.m. If Saturday work is necessary it will be done by such staff as is required to carry it out efficiently. Those who have to work on a Saturday will presumably observe the same hours as hitherto for the other five working days of the week. Mr. T. Mark, joint Public Service Commissioner, explained yesterday that service to the public was to be the first consideration and guiding principle in determining whether any particular department was to observe the five-day week or remain open on a Saturday morning. For instance, offices of the Customs Department and the Tourist Department would have to remain open on a Saturday for the convenience of the public. There were also certain classes of offices required to keep open' by statute. The law courts were a case in point.