INSURANCE OFFICE HOURS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 48, 12 March 1937, Page 5

INSURANCE OFFICE HOURS

Five-Day Week For . Headquajfter Staff s NOT FOR AGENCIES Nine insiirance companies whose Hqwke's Bay headquarters arq qstablished at Napier arq to observe a fiveday week, and no work will be done on Satui'dayq as from March 20 nestThis represents the first jnstanc© where business establishrnents other than Go*vernment departments a?e to enjoy & eurtailed working week, apd will ap« ply to all companies in New Zealand whose interests are oentred on insiir=i ance business only. Thq new a.ward coverjng insurance offieert stated that the five-day week would operato ae "from March 1, but. by agreemqnt between the companies tfie datq of operation was extended to March 15, Thus to-morrow week wiU be the first free Saturday for insuran0© clerks. As was pointed out by a Napier insurancq manager this morning the fiveday week does not apply to those business firms in Hawke's Bay which are only partly interested in insuranca work. Hence, insurance clerks of Napier are the only ones in this province to reoejve the benefit of a Saturday holiday. because there are no firms outside of Napier which carry on insurancq work only under the new award. "It would not be feasable for a mercantile firm which acts as an insuranca agent as well to allow on6 half of its staf? a Saturday holiday, while the remainder must remain at work," hs said. "No doubt, however, a lot of firms will he cited as parties to the new award, but their caso will have to come before the Arbitration Court." In any case, business firms which have iusurance agencies as a side-line are oovered by the ordinary clerieal award which does not enjoin a five-day week. The Inspector of Factories and Awards, Mr E. A. Wood, said this morning that he had not yet receivsd a copy of the iusurance award or of the agreement, so he was unable to :omment upon the position-