SHOPS AND OFFICES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1019, 7 January 1911, Page 6

SHOPS AND OFFICES.

THE AMENDING ACT. The' Labour Department is circularising : etaployefs' whoso " - establishments are affected by the provisions of the Shops' and Offices Act, drawing attention to tho amendments which were made in tho law last session. • Several of these alterations are of considerable importance,, and a knowledgo of them will perhaps save time and trouble to employers. For tho purposes of tho Act a restaurant includes a private hotel, a tea room, and ail oyster saloon. . ,

The amendments, as applied to hotels, limit tho hours to bo worked by malo assistants to not more than 62, excluding meal times, in any one week; in the case .of females or a youth under 16, the limit is not more than 58 hours per week,' excluding meal, times. The limit for malo assistants whose age exceeds 16'yoars, is 62 hours per week, and in any other case the limit is 52 hours, both limits excluding meal times. There, are general provisions, applicable to assistants ill both hotels and restaurants, to-the .effect that an ' assistant nrust not be employed more than ten hours (excluding meal times) in any one day, nor moro than fivo hours continuously without an interval of at least half an hour for a meal, or at any timo after 2 p.m.,' in the -afternoon, of such working day in each week, the occupier in tho esse of each assistant thinks fit. There is provision for the extension of tho working hours stated, the extension to be for not more than three hours in any one day, and not more than ninety hours in any one year.' Written notice of the extended time worked is to be given to tho inspector within twenty-four hours thereof. Tho extended time is to bo paid for at the rate of 9d. per hour, or at half as much again as the-ordinary rate, whichever is the greater. Another, provision states that every assistant employod as night porter or nightwatchman.in a restaurant or hotel shall, have, in lieu of a weekly halfholiday, a whole twenty-four hours' holiday, commencing at his usual hour for commencing work; oil such day as the occupier thinks fit. In lieu of allowing a half-holiday cach week, tho occupier of an.hotel may, with the previous wrik ten consent of tho Inspector of Factories, require all, or any, of the assistants to work on tho day of tho half-holiday, provided that tho maximum weekly hours bo not exceeded; provided, also, that tnie assistant who is so required to work receives a wholo holiday in tho succeeding week. Tho inspector ci nnot consent to allow this course to bo taken by an occupier moro than , six times in any one year, or more than onco in any period of two months of any one year. A holiday-book has to .be kept; which is to bci open to inspection by an. inspector, and is to bo signed by cach assistant before leaving tho premises. . There is also a clauso relating to the sale or .delivery of tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes in hotels, cnacting that no sale or delivery i 3 to talco place on the statutory half-holiday after 1 p.m., except to bona fide lodgers on the licensed premises.