WOMEN RECRUITS WARNED

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 284, 29 August 1942, Page 8

WOMEN RECRUITS WARNED

Should Not Resign Jobs Dominion Special Service.

AUCKLAND, August 28.

Service in the armed forces does not prejudice.any person’s right to resume his or her former civilian occupation after d'mobilization. Under the Occupational Re-establ’-hment Emergency Regulations it is a serious offence for an employer to demand the resignation of an employee who is about to enter the forces in order that the employer may evade responsibility for the return of the worker to his or her job. Two cases were reported to the “New Zealand Herald” of young women who had signified their intention of enlisting, and whose employers were insisting, or attempting to insist, on their giving written resignations. The regulations make it clear thati this is an offence by the employer, one section stating: “No person shall terminate the employment of any employee, either for the purpose of evading or attempting to evade an.v obligation imposed on him under these -eguiations or in expectancy of the employee’s rendering military service or by reason of the fact that the employee has been accepted for military service” Any girl who desired to serve her country in the forces and who was encountering difficulty of this kind with her employer was stronglv advised to consult, the nearest office of the National Service Department, stated an official to whom the question was referred. Attempts to victimize male employees had ceased with the introduction of the ballot system, and so far no cases of attempted victimization of female volunteers had had to !>e dealt with. s The headquarters of the recruiting agency for women, the Women’s War Service Auxiliary, referred to a statement circulated by the Minister of National Service, Mr. Broadfoot, on the post-war position of women who enlisted, in which lie asserted that nothing prejudicing their right to resume their former occupations under conditions that would not be less favourable than would have lieci) the case had they not enlisted would lie tolerated. The civil rehabilitation of demobilized women in their former occupations would not be left to chance, but would be the Government’s responsibility. In the meantime women were strongly advised, not to put in resignations, because such action might prejudice their positions in the event of their enlistments not being accepted, as well as certainly prepudicing their post-war prospects if they did enter the forces.