New-York tribune., 1908-12-13
SERVANTS RIGHTS
Legal lid Society Issues Book De
fning Em pIoye's Status.

ployment' the Legal Aid Society has outlined the
law in all its aspects regarding the relationship
between the employer and servant There Is an
Introduction by the president of the society arthur
/ Won Briesen in which he pleads for better under
standing between mistress ami servant. and also
says word IN favor Of domestic service as com
pared with some of the ordinary employmehIs py
which girls likely regard as more Respectable
or dignifed.
Employers of servants here learn that the latter
can, if inclined, obtain order or arrest TOT an
employer in where judgment for not more
than $50 exclusive Of cost has been granted by the
court for arrears wages and Il suit were begun
within two months from date when money became
, due The Law. condensed. is as follows;
The. servant. if he cannot collect the judgment
OF such judgment none of the employers prop
erty Is exempt from execution. may obtain from
Of the employer for not more than fifteen DAYS, but
the Judgment Itself is not discharged by such az
If the employer should not have property the
servant may get the court to direct that 10 per cent
OF employers wages or salary, If So week or
over shall he collected each week, 70 be applied to
the pa yrnent OF the Judgment.
The handbook is for servants. There are several
blank pages which they may use for record %
references The society intends. however that the
little book shall get into the hands Of others than
those domestic service. and that the attractive
ness of work in families may be properly set forth
A1r Won Briesen his introduction assumes the role
Of missionary He says.
elevate the mind and improve the health and 20
add 70 the experience and knoEtedge of aQgn; i;
Of the home OF cultured men and women
Further on he says contrasting the work Of
| factory girl or one working in store with the life
Of the servant:
The grI who is under the protecting roef Of
home. Of which she herself IS part. rec reeves ives
be nearly and frequently are. wholly saved ur.
tIose 10 whom we tntrus ali our possessions our
health, and even orr children stand head ana
store, with small quantity of salable goods
OF the legal relationship between employer and
servant the book has, IN condensed form, everr-
thing bearing the subject. The duration OF
contract is defined. with the provision that where
no specified time is given the employment may he
terminated hy either without notice. The society
advises that contracts be made, the first week 20
be on trial and with the provision that after that
If employment continues either party TO the con-
tract shall pay me other a sum not less than
one weeks wages TO cover the expense and loss II
time caused by such breach.
When employment IS for a definite time dis
charge without cause entities the servant TO fun
wages for the entire week or month, according 20
the agreement The causes which are looked upon
as lust are Incompetence habitual neglect Of duty,
whether due TO sickness or not; unprovoked inso-
Ience or dsrespect to employers and friends. DISC
10
Drunkenness hostility TO employers interests and
l,ntruth funess.
Il a servant should refuse TO perform unreasona-
be services or work at unreasonable times, show
occasional irritation be guilty Of trivial or IN
important disobedience negligence, no sufficient
causes for dismissal will have been given. Other
details or conduct of employer and servant regarding
causes for or against dismissal for leaving
or insufficient causes for giving employment. are
given. As to breakages by servants. the law says
that Z due negligence, the employer has rhe right
10 deduct from the servants wages at the END OF
the month during which the breakage occurs
no employment agency has the right to collect
more than one-tenth Of the first months wages Of
an applicant for whom work is obtained. And If a
servant does not remain a situation a week, The
enlDIover may either require that a new servant
he furnished or three-hfths Of the fee be re-
turned.
Tor the information of employers, there is an
exclamation regarding references to the effect that
these may contain frank statements of the servants
fitness without fear of the libel laws provided there
Is no malice shown
The society handles about thirty thousand cases
IN q wear and Of these it is said large proportion
are wage claims of domestic servants. It is be
Iievad that the handbook will Go much toward set
ling a multitude Of disputes between master and
servant outside OF the courts The books will be
distributed free at the several offices Of the society