LONGER HOURS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 40, 19 January 1943, Page 5

LONGER HOURS

effect on output

Ihe effect on the efficiency of output by the strain of longer hours was discussed by the head of a large engineering firm engaged in wav production recently. His employees work a minimum of 52 hours a week —12 more than in peacetime—and on that, basis he finds that the hourly production shows no decrease. When a rush commission has had to be. executed and the hours have gone .beypnd 56, however, a drop in hourly efficiency has become apparent. The head of the firm said that long hours of work must affect production if the individual wanted to retain his peacetime, hours of leisure and have only six hours of sleep a night. Longer hours were a war measure, and a man. had only so much energy ot expend. Linger sleeping hours could, not be ordered as a. war measure, but the man himself should, know that he must sacrifice some of his 'leisure hours. If a man worked 72 hours a week coinpulsorily he would not have any time at all for leisure, and his. efficiency or otherwise would depend to a large- extent on his mental outlook. If he was happy and. derived pleasure from the. knowledge that he was doing a real job in helping to win the war—'that was "his bit" —the decreased in hourly production would not be very noticeable.