Evening star., 1932-10-25


plan.
LOS ANGELES, Calf, October 25
(NANAD The stabilization of en-
ployment through spreading cut work
by the California plan of shorter work
weeks and staggered days of employ
ment, rather than by laying off many
employees in order to afford full-tlme
work for a far less number, probably
has been worked out sooner and more
generally here than in any other part
of the Nation. However, the example
is being followed generally over the
country as Offering the best solution
yet devised for the difficult problem OF
unemployment.
The necessity of coping with an
overproduCtion OF oil brought the Call
fornia oil industry up against the need
to reduce working forces or to devise
some other means for keeping many OF
their workers on the pay roll.
Admittedly the easier course would
have been to cut down the working
forces. EMPLOYERS are reluctant to do
that The shorter week and the rota-
ton method of employment involved
difficult details, but they were gladly
assumed in order to keep as many per-
sons as possible employed.
The experience Cf one of the large
oil companies in this field with resrect
to Introducing the plan is typical. The
question of a shorter work week was
submitted to the employees Many of
them knew that if the lay-off method
were followed it would mean full-time
work for them, vet they added their
vote to that of the other employees in
behalf Of the shorter week.
1t was a fine demonstration of re-
gard for the other fellow. as well as
recognition of the fact that the en-
ployers were doing the best they could
under the circumstances to hold busl-
ness on an even keel and keep as many
working as possible
The experience of the Standard Oil
Co. of California. as one of the largest
employers Of labor in this industry,
gives a good idea of how the joo-
retention plan has worked out in lis
field The experiences of other large
oil companies will be related in a fol-
lowing article.
Standard Oil Plan.
The Standard Oil Co. employs from
10000 to 5000 persons in California,
with fully half that number in South
ern California. Two years ago 1t was
confronted by the unemployment prob
lem and began coping with it through
a reduction of work time. For the last
16 months the five-day plan and Varl-
ations of the staggered days of employ
ment in various departments have been
in effect in this organization. resulting
in the saving of some 1000 jobs.
Seniority Of service and family de-
Tendencies have been taken into con-
to 4l,O tntlt rlt n
To keep construction men at work,
even though construction jobs planned
had come to an end, work was devised
and construction and job programs were
advanced. The company regards the
financial sacrifice involved in this pol
icy as a justlfiable contribution TO the
unemployment situation. making pos
sible the retention of from one-half to
tWo-thirds OF the employees so engaged
on part time. While it is true part
time employment means the sacrlflce OF
a portion of the employees income, yet
it provides a workers family with
living at time when otherwise 1t might
be difficult for him to obtain any IN
come whatever.
Workers for some of the companies
had acquired a bit of land and built
homes for themselves. Opportunity mas
been afforded to work on their land.
improve their dwellings, repair and
paint their fences and make other I'M
proyements. AS a result they have IN
creased the value of their property.
An official report showing results OF
"job security By job sharing as worked
out under the employment campaign
plan proposed by the Industrial ana
Banking Committee of the twelfth Fed
eral Reserve district in California, cites
Nf h0f
has been met.
Scientific Study.
"A California company which en-
cages in virtually every form OF COM
mercial activity, from the production OF
its own raw material clear on through
to wholesale and retail marketing,
saws the report, has encountered the
shortened-w week problem as it affects
practically every character OF work.
The main classificationS are: LaborerS,
warehouse men, truck drivers. me-
chanics. shift men, operators, SaIeSmen,
technical. Office personnel.
BY planning the work in relation
to its Importance as to completion, no
particular difficulties resulted from the
application of the reduced working week
in the classification Of laborers, me-
chanics, truck drivers. etc
Many obstacles were met by the
executives, but study and experiment
solved them all"
The way the company has met its
unemployment problem is by utilizing
the five, the four, the three and one
half and three day week, depending
1lpon the amount of work to be done
and the number of men available to
do it."
The spread of work to prevent dis
charge of employees necessarily involves
what may be considered scientific study
1T is rarely that an entire organlZa-
ton can be placed on a five or four
dav week" the report points out, ''as
there are certain executives and key
men that are required on the job con-
tinuOusly. However, almost invariably
it has been possible to put more en-
ployes on the reduced schedule than
the original estimates allowed.
1T is obvious that practically all OF
the problems in connection with spread
ing working days over greater num-
ber of employees that are likely to be
encountered in any organization have
been experienced by the changes In
working schedules Of the employees OF
the company under discussion. There
is. of course, some inconvenience and
possibly expense in breaking in new
men These items are minor when
compared to the larger objective of re-
lieving unemployment.
There is beneficial effect on work
ers who are apprehensive of losing their
jobs if it is evident that industry has
assumed the responsibility of providing
a living for as many men as possible
and protecting those men in their jobs.
(Copyrlsht, 1882. by North American News
paper Alliance, 1rS.b