The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1924-01-24
THE LABOR TURNOVER
EFFECT ON INDUSTRY
INCREASES COST AND REDUCES
EXPERIMENTATION TO
OVERCOME 1T.
Portland, oregon, Jan. 6, 1924.

Portland, Oregon, Jan. 6. 1924.
To the Editor of the Miner: The
Cost of Labor Turnover" Change of
one billion dollars a year to the cost
of American industry Hiring of new
men, breaking them in, lack of eff
cheney until they settle down to their
new jobs, slowing down of other men
to the new mans pace, and bookkeep-
ing incidental to the change are es-
timated to cost an average of $40
for each new man hired.
The causes for this turnover cor .
Germs workmen as much as employ
ers and by raising the cost of produc
ton it concerns the people in general.
The working force of an industry
should be a we'll knit organization. its
aim being the largest output of high
quality at the lowest cost. That does
not mean low wages, for examples
are numerous of low cost where the
wages are high. 1t means smooth,
efficient work of a huge team. Each
individual in the team must not on
ly know his individual job; he must
know enough of other mems jobs to
work with them so that all keep the
pace at which all can do good work
all day without being tagged Ac-
quaintance and understanding by TIE
workmen of one another contribute
much. These requisites of efficiency
are impossible where men frequently
quit after staying on a job 10 days ca
a few months.
One great cause of large turnover
of workmen is the migratory habit
of a far larger proportion of work
men in America than in old countries.
The proportion of unmarried men IS
high and having no home ties they
quit a job on slight provocation and
spend much of their earnings on
travel but employers often share the
responsibility by not Offering sufii
cient inducement to workmen to "stay
put"
Married men who own their homes
remain stationary when they get good
steady jobs, for to them moving FROM
place to place is too serious an un-
dertaking to be entered on for trivial
Thus the large proportion
of home owners is a stabilizing influ-
ence which compares forcibly with
the predominance of renters in east
ern mining towns.
Employers could do much to re-
duce the turnover by giving prefer
cnce to men who incline to settle
down, by making it agreeable for such
men to remain and acquire homes Of
their own, which would anchor them
to mining district. The same end is
promoted where wOrkmen have the
opportunity to buy stock in the in
dustry that employs them, but they
do these things only where they are
that advantage will not be
taken of the hostages that they have
thus given.
A square dealing employer attracts
workmen who plant themselves per-
therefore secures himself
against the large turnover. for this is
he result of discomfort as well as of
he rowing spirit.
The stationary workman gains by
utting down the number of wander
rs that are employed with him. for
lis earnings are certainly affected
dversely by the addition to cost of
PRODUCTION that results from frequent
hanges. BY persuading fellow work
rs to make their homes in the min
lg town, to acquire stock in the in
ustry employing them when oppor-
unity is offered and to stay with
heir jobs, the established workman
oes much to make his own employ
lent steady and by promoting econ
my to establish a claim to good
ages.
Respectfully submitted,
JAMES r. LITTLE
Industrial Investigator.