Form of Contract For Household Service

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 153, 1 July 1938, Page 10

Form of Contract For Household Service

CONDITIONS LAID DOWN A tentative form of contract, which it is suggested should be signed by girls in domestic service and their employers, has been drawn up by the committee which was constituted last year to make efforts to improve conditions of household service states a Christchurch exchange. In the form of contract a maximum of forty-eight hours work a week is provided, to be worked between 7 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. Work outside those hours is to be counted as overtime, to be paid for or compensated by extra time off. A girl living in may be required to stay in two evenings a week, over and above her forty-eight hours, but must not be asked to do more than very light work, such as answering the telephone, or minding children. A minimum wage of 15s a week, ris-, ing by regular six-montlily increments, is stipulated. Girls are to have two weeks holiday on full pay every year, and those living in are to have public holidays free from 10 a.m. Others are to have the whole day free, but if the date is unsuitable mutual arrangement can be made to suit both parties. A week’s sick leave on full pay, under doctor’s attention, is to be granted if necessary, and a week o.n half pay if required. Ro.cms fer Girls Girls must have a separate room, or one shared with not more than one other girl, in which case separate beds must be provided. There must be adequate seating accommodation, and heating in cold weather. Adequate cleaning and cooking utensils are to be provided and water must be laid on to kitchens. Those who do the cooking are not to wait at table, but if required are to bring the food into the dining room. No girl is to be asked to do the whole wash for a family of more than four. Unless they request that their Christian names be used, girls are to be addressed as “Miss.” They are to have the same meals as tlic family, and are to wear uniforms provided by themselves if required, and must keep themselves tidy. All matters concerning the family are to be treated as confidential Those living in are to ’ e homo by 11 p.nu, or such hour as allows reasonable time to return home from Hie pictures unless they have arranged with thei employers to be out later. One week': notice must be given to terminate flu contract, or the wages for the perioe paid or forfeited. Types of Service The committee found that types o domestic service fell into three mail categories—service with mothers o small children, where conditions wen difficult; seviee with elderly people o invalids, -where conditions may be dis agreeable, but wages good; and servic in comfortable homes, where condition may be good. While employers in tin last category offe*v-d good condition and wages, it was unlikely that com petent girls would enter services of tli other classes, without compensation o some kind. To cope with the problem of assistih: employers in the first two classes, th committee recommended the formatio of a national corps of home assistants and there were now grounds for lxopin. that suck a corps would be forme' under the provisions of the Nationa Health and Superaunuaiton Act t come before Parliament next sessioi The committee therefore wished to dea with households where conditions wer normal. Public opinion had been educated t the extent that most employers reeo£ nised certain limits beyond which the; might not go, and certain demand which they were not justified in mah ing. However, there were still unrea sonable and inconsiderate employers just as there were unreasonable an inconsiderate maids. To protect a maids and employers the committee ha drawn up the tentative form of coi tract for use in city and suburba homes. Breaches of Contract It was suggested that after a tria say for a week, the contract, with an modifications necessary due to specif conditions existing in the home, slioul be signed by both the employer and th maid, with the cognisance of a membe of the committee, and that both slioul become members of an association c household workers, so that breaches c the contract could be dealt with by a executive body of that association. Constructive criticisms cf the coi