H. —11

to reduce the effect of such causes, it appears to be inevitable that, as a result of sickness and. industrial accident, some workers will not be able to work full time. These normal absences from work on what may be regarded as permissible grounds are accentuated by a set of circumstances in which married women have returned to industry, many of them voluntarily as a war effort. For them absences may be necessary because of (a) sickness of some member of the family for whom the worker has to care ; (.b) shopping difficulties ; (c) normal requirements of the family and home care of children, preparation of meals, cleaning of the home, &c. Furthermore, strain due to long hours have contributed to absences that would not occur were only normal hours worked. A complete survey of absenteeism throughout the Dominion was not possible owing to staffing difficulties. However, inquiries were completed in certain selected industries and localities with results as set out at the end of this paragraph. It was apparent early in the inquiry that few employers had recorded reasons for absences. Thus it was almost impossible to arrive at any completely satisfactory conclusion as to how much of the lost time was due to sickness and reasonable causes. Further, there appeared to be no available information as to the average absence through sickness in New Zealand, though overseas publications have given the experience of other countries. For example, the New South Wales Industrial Gazette of 31st August, 1942, quotes a statement on medical certification issued by the Council of the British Medical Association as authority for the proposition that in normal peacetime industry 3 per cent, of workers are absent each day. (Note. —The lost time per worker per week through sickness would thus be 1 hour 12 minutes.) Again, in a publication of the Medical Research Council, Industrial Health Research Board (England), " Industrial Health in War," a report of the Department of Health for Scotland is, mentioned. This states that the average duration of incapacity in an insured population of about 1,750,000 persons was about 15 days per annum. Further, a table in " Recent Advances in Industrial Hygiene and Medicine " (Ling) gives the sickness absence for fortysix organizations providing records for two years at least as (for female persons in days per annum) : 18 days, two cases ; 16 days, two cases ; 1.5 days, one case ; 14 days, three cases ; 13 days, five cases ; 12 days, nine cases ; 11 days, two cases ; 10 days, three cases ; 9 days, two cases : 8 days, two cases; 7 days, five cases ; 6 days, five cases ; 5 days, three cases ; 4 days, two cases. If the mean is taken as 12 days, an absence equivalent to 2 hours per person per week is arrived at. These conclusions when applied to the details following indicate that the absences in many cases are not unduly high.

6

. ., Estimated AverAverage Absence unauthorized per Worker per Absenoe per Week. Worker per Week. Female Workers Clothing-manufacturing — h. m - h- m - Period of twelve weeks ending 30th October, 1942— First example .. .. .. • • • • • • 2 29 1 25 Second example .. .. ■ ■ • • • • 2 40 1 33 Third example .. .. • • • • • • 25 2 5* Fourth example .. .. • • • ■ • ■ 3 30 Not available.' 1 "' Period of eight weeks ending 8th March, 1943— Fifth example .. . . . ■ ■ ■ • • • • 3 13 1 45 Sixth example .. .. .. • • ■ • • • 2 8 10 Seventh example .. .. • • • • • • 1 32 0 24 Period of fifteen weeks ending 20th November, 1942 — Eighth example .. .. • • • • ■ • 2 40 0 22 Ninth example .. .. • • • • • • 3 30. 1 10 W oollen-milling — Period of twelve weeks ending 30th October, .1942— First example .. .. ■ • • • ■ ■ • • J" ' r ava^a^e " Second example .. . . • • • • • • 3 45 3 0 Period of eight weeks ending 8th March, 1943 : Third example 2 8 0 57 Period of fifteen weeks ending 20th November, 1942 : Fourth 2 21 Not available, example Biscuit-manufacturing — First example .. .. • • • • • ■ • • 2 20 0 10 Second example .. .. . • • • • • • • p 50 Third example .. . . • • • • • • • ■ 2 20 0 50 Fourth example .. .. • • ■ ■ • • • • 3 50 Not available. Boot and shoe manufacturing — First example .. . . • • • • • • ■ ■ I 3 45 Nil Second example .. .. . • • • • • • • 1 37 0 15 Third example .. . . • • • • • • • • ' '' ■ ® Fourth example .. .. ■ • • • • • • • 3 22 0 43 Fifth example .. .. • • • • • • • • 2 39 111 Male W or leers Boot and shoe manufacturing — First example .. .. • • ■ • • • *• 1 20 Second example .. .. • • • • • • • • 1 30 0 20 Third example .. .. • • ■ • • • • • " ,r) " ' Fourth example .. .. • • • • • • • • 0 40 i\ u Fifth example .. . . • • ■ • ■ • • • 30 ,, Sixth example .. .. • • • • ■ • • • 1 43 ,, * A further review from 30th October, 1942, to 17th February, 1943, excluding the Christmas - New Year period, gave results 4 h. 35 m. and 3 h., 3 h. 40 in. and 2 h.