Evening star., 1943-01-20
Manpower Plan Aims
IoCurb Absenteeism
In War Industries
Drastic Change in Hours
Of Stores, Professional
Services Suggested
BY JESSE o. IRWIN.


hours of retail stores and profes.
sional, transportation and recrea-
tlonal services to curb rising
absenteeism rate in war industries
has been recommended to the War
ManpoWer Commission, it became
known today.
The recommendations, drafted by
VINO officials following a Nation
wide survey, were submitted to the
commission for consideration at or
about the same time President
Roosevelt indicated he was inter-
ested in the problem.
Mr.. Roosevelt said he believed it
was not known whether the rate was
as high now as that which prevailed
In peacetime plants of two years
ago. He requested newspapermen to
give him specific incidents where
fragrant absenteeism in war plants
exist and he would have them
investigated.
The report, which Manpower
Chairman McNutt termed very
comprehensive" is awaiting COM
mission approval and possible sub
mission to the White House before
being given general circulation.
High Level in Some Plants.
The preamble of its 1l-point sum-
mary states, available data indicate
that abSenteeism is increasing and
that 1t has reached a very high level
in some war plants.
1T will become more important
as a factor in impeding production
when labor is more efficiently util-
lied while on the job, when work
stoppages due to shortages of ma
terials and parts become less fire.
quent and when there is less labor
boarding. When these conditions
are brought about, there will be less
slack in the work force and it will be
more difficult to make the adjust
ments in work assignments and
work flow that are necessitated by
workers being absent"
The old adage AL work and no
play makes Jack dull boy" is a root.
but it cannot be considered the pri-
mary source as high incomes, illness
and inadequate facilities of housing,
day nurseries and transportation
rank high on the cause list.
Some Are InescapabIe.
Some increases in absenteeism
are lnescapable as the work force
Is raised and the work week is
heightened, it was pointed out.
Increased working hours the
summary states, reduce idle time
for shopping and recreation and at
the same time higher earnings in
crease monetary ability to shop or
obtain recreation; hence the ten
dency to take time off for shop
ping and recreation. The greater
absenteeism rates on days after
pay days also point to the relation
ship between increased earnings and
absenteeism. 1t is obvious, however,
that reducing earnings Is not a
practical method of controlling
absenteeism."
AS the siX-day work week "be-
comes prevalent the summary
continued, land as more housewives
enter the labor market, the avail
ability Of shopping facilities and
professional services at night is be-
coming of increasing importance.
Housing Is One Factor.
The summary states that absen-
teeism because of housing shortages
Is difficult to control, and that in
adequate housing in war produc-
ton areas is often associated with |
inadequate transportation facili-
ties. Long Journeys to and from
the job require as much as two or
three hours day for many workers.
The resulting increase in fatigue,
and the reduction in time available
for family, for shopping, for rest
and for recreation tends to cause
increased absenteeism.
Two factors are necessary, the
summary points out, for a successful
control program: "(a) knowledge on
the part Of the worker that there is
definite diSapproval of such absen-
teeism, of his fellow workers. and
of his country; and (b) knowledge
of this absence will not pass un-
noticed"