32

THE FIVE-DAY WEEK

condition was given to the extra day of relaxation, but the
improvement was credited mostly to other causes, such as
intensive safety campaigns and departmental safety contests.
[t is dangerous to generalize too much in appraising the
relative importance of objections to five-day week operation.
Such an infinite variety of conditions obtain in different
establishments that what may constitute a serious drawback
in one case may be a positive advantage in another. Furthermore,
 the personal attitude of responsible officials toward
the plan may consciously or unconsciously color their expressed
 opinions and estimates. What seems apparent is
that drawbacks to five-day operation have undoubtedly been
real, at least in many cases, but that it has generally been
found possible to surmount these difficulties if there exists a
genuine desire to confine operations to five davs a week.

ATTITUDE OF EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS
Judging from information furnished by employers, the
vast majority of employees who have had the opportunity
to experience for themselves a five-day work schedule in
operation appear to be in favor of it. Where the change had
been effected without material addition to daily hours of work
and without material loss of wages, this attitude was to be
expected. Where, however, these factors did not work to
the employee’s benefit, the advantage of free Saturdays still
outweighed whatever inconvenience or loss may therefrom
result. Votes among employees have resulted in endorsement
 of the five-day plan by overwhelming majorities.
A shoe manufacturing company reported:

“Universal satisfaction. Our workers come to our village from
many cities and towns by trolley or automobile. They appreciate the
privilege of omitting one round trip and the double rest day. Office
and shipping employees wish it were practicable for them also to
enjoy the entire Saturday off.”

Another company put the case a little differently, and
expressed the attitude of employees to the five-day week in
this wav:

“They are strongly in favor of it; in fact, prefer to do overtime
work at night rather than interfere with the Saturday holiday. Itis