THE ABSENTEE PROBLEM

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 101, 30 April 1943, Page 4

THE ABSENTEE PROBLEM

There have been several reports in the last few days of absenteeism in industry. Under the emergency regulations the rights of employ ers in essential industries to take action against employees for absence or any other fault have been restricted. The regulations also place an obligation on employees to attend regularly and punctually unless they can show good reason'for not doing so. It is disquieting, therefore, to learn from the president of the Canterbury Manufacturers' Association (Mr. Hollander) that the official reporting of cases of| absenteeism has not had the slightest] effect on its prevention. "Those manufacturers who have reported absenteeism in the past," Mr. Hollander says, "have not noted an improvement as a result of doing so,, and have reached the unhappy state of mind where they do not report these things." There is evidence on the other hand that employers are being compelled to observe their part of the contract. Cases have been reported recently showing that the limitation of the employers' disciplinary powers is not allowed to become' a dead letter. Is there any evidence that action has been taken against employees who have failed to give the efficient service to be expected of them, especially in time of war? In the absence of anything approaching a complete survey, it is difficult to assess to what extent absenteeism is affecting production, but if it exists at all it should be firmly and impartially dealt with. If the regulations confer privileges, they also impose obligations, and those obligations must be accepted. Moreover, if the obligations are not accepted appropriate and impartial action must be taken; otherwise, the regulations will „fall into disrepute.