Evening star., 1932-07-03
Adoption of the Five-Day Week.


The situation in the Government de-
partments resulting from the enact
ment Of the economy bill is probably
without precedent. The executive
officers in these departments are repre-
sented by those who have sought, for
publication, their plans for enforcing
the furlough provision, for instance. as
being utterly bewildered. Although
there has been more than enough time
for ordinary Interpretation of the law
and a rough draft, at least of the policy
to apply in making its provisions ef-
fective, not a single department has
yet been able to announce what that
policy will be.
The Government Printing Office, ID is
true, has decided to put into effect the
f1ve-day week by shutting down on all
Saturday work after Congress adjourns.
retaining on Saturdays only q custodial
force and the watchrnen who guard the
building. The mechanical trades in
the Navy will also be placed on flve-
day week, as will the per diem employees
of the municipal government. But for
the great army of departmental clerks
nothing is definite and nothing is clear
The five-day week, with all of Satur-
day of, has been tentatively discussed
at the Labor Department, but no de-
cision has been reached. The War De-
partment is represented as taking the
view that the furlough will be handled
by administrative officers in the same
manner that they have been accustomed
to handling the annual leave of en-
ployeS. 1t has been proposed that a
conference of administrative officials in
the Navy Department be held, and
that some plan be worked out as re-
suit that comes nearest to meeting the
convenience of the majority of clerks
The Department of Commerce is in fog
and makes no bones about it, some of
its administrative officials taking the
view that nothing can be decided until
the controller general issues rulings on
some of the provisions of the law that
are apparently contradictory In those
departments which have entered the
fiscal year without any appropriations.
and with the exact status of their ap-
preparations remaining a matter of
conjecture at this late date, there is
obviously nothing to be done but wait
until the bills are passed
The terms of the furlough provision
l..
mind. and with the thought that it
would be made effective by Saturday
holidays in the Government service.
The normal furlough would amount to
Saturday morning off during the year
the work day on Saturday now con-
stituting half day 1t would probably
be desirable from the standpoint of the
majority of clerks to adjust themselves
to working on this basis, with the
freedom from Friday afternoon to Mon
day morning compensating in some de-
gree for the loss Of salary. And it would
be most desirable if the Government
departments make their policy in this
regard as uniform throughout the serv-
ice in this city as possible. If there is
lack of uniformity, as there has been,
for instance, in the matter Of releasing
clerks during exceedingly hot days or
en- stormy days, there is danger Of max
ing the inequitable provisions of the
economy bill even more inequitable.
To avoid this, some sort of conference
between the administrative officials of
the departments should be held and
action taken on the adoption Of uni
form policy in putting the five-day week
into effect. Some of the departments,
of course, are more heavily stricken
than others. and in all Of them there
will probably remain the necessity of
retaining a partial force on Saturday
mornings. For the majority of work
ers it would appear that every Saturday
off would be the most acceptable solu-
tion