38

THE FIVE-DAY WEEK

office during the time when the offices of a majority of other
companies are operating. In many instances; shipping departments
 are kept running on Saturdays in order not to
delay deliveries, and for similar reasons receiving departments
 may be operated, or all offices of a company be kept
open for business on Saturdays. Table 8 gives a classification
of the policies of 121 companies with regard to this matter.

TasLe 8: DistriBuTioN oF 121 COMPANIES WITH REGARD
To Poricy or Granting Five-Day Week To Orrice
ForcE As WELL AS To Factory EMPLOYEES
(Source: National Industrial Conference Board)

Policy

! Working ' Not Working
under Union under Union Total
Agreement ~~ Agresment

Five-day week does not apply to office force. . ..
Five-day week applies to office force:
On same basis as factory employees. ......
Half of staff on alternate Saturdays. ......
Women every Saturday; men alternate
Saturdays. ...oevieiiiiiiini anions
Few employees always present on Saturday.
Entire staff during summer months........
Half of staff on alternate Saturdays during
summer. . .

25

45

711

29

37
1

3
Total... .. 35 | 85 | 121t
1 The labor policy of one company not classifiable,

In more than half of these companies it is seen that the
five-day week does not apply to the office force under any
circumstances. Thirty per cent of the companies make no
distinction between office and factory, and the five-day
schedule applies to employees in both throughout the year.
The remaining 119, of establishments, while not considering
that the five-day week necessarily applies to office employees,
make certain concessions in the form of free Saturdays during
the year. Among these plans are the following:
To release half the office staff on alternate Saturdays.
To release half the office staff on alternate Saturdays during
 the summer months only.
To release women employees in the office every Saturday,
and men employees alternate Saturdays.
To close the office on Saturdays during summer months.
To retain only a skeleton force of key people on Saturdays.