Absence

During the week taken, 317 people had absence of varying duration. This number does not include those who were taking vacations or had entered or left the employ of the store during the week when this study was made, or the "tardy" group who were late up to an hour in arriving.

5. AMOUNT OF ABSENCE AMONG FULL TIME WORKERS

Absence was the thing that in 300 instances out of 369 has pulled the actual earnings of full time employes below their basic wage rates.

Almost one-fifth of the women employes had absence during the payroll period taken, and 6 per cent of the men. No men in the Third Schedule showed any absence, but the largest percentage of absence for the women occurred in these small cities. In very few cases were wages paid to these absent employes; many stores had a chain policy of paying the men when they were absent, but did not pay the women, no matter what the excuse might be or what the period of service had been. Other instances were found where women employes who had been a long time in the service of the store were occasionally paid for a short absence "with a good excuse." Six out of 17 men and 13 out of 300 women were paid in spite of being absent. The women who were paid in spite of absence were all in New York City or Brooklyn.

Three-fourths of the women's absence was of fairly short duration, under three days. Practically the same is true of the men. The largest number of both men and women were absent between one and two days. Only fifteen women and no men were absent the entire week.

No one in a 5 and 10 cent store is absent on Saturday if it can be helped. Saturday trade calls for all the regular workers and extra help besides. "If she isn't here on Saturday," said one manager,

"she needn't come the rest of the week."

The exact day or days on which absence occurred was often not recorded, but it is safe to assume that only those with excellent excuses were retained after repeated absences on Saturday.

Tardiness

Different managers have dealt with tardiness in different ways. Two stores made a policy of fining girls for tardiness, but in other cases tardiness was excused, or if repeated the girl was dismissed. A sign in one of the toilet rooms read:

Saleзladies, make note of this. Any one coming late 3 times in one week whether morning or p. m., will find herself

REPLACED.

Manager.

A few stores had found it worth while to offer a small bonus, usually of 50 cents, for perfect attendance and promptness during the week.

In the large stores, where there were time-clocks, tardiness was always carefully watched; but the small store, both chain and independent, had more informal methods. There the manager could personally see when a girl came late, or occasionally the coatroom was locked to the unpunctual person and she was obliged to make her lateness very obvious.

The easier it becomes to secure help, the stricter managers are about exacting punctuality.

PHYSICAL WORKING CONDITIONS *

Of the 70 stores investigated, 53 had one main selling floor, 1 a main floor and balcony, 2 stores first and second floors, and the remaining 14 a main floor and basement.

In a few cases a system of rotating service in the basement and on the main floor had been established where the basement ventilation undeniably warranted complaint.

Seats

In the majority of stores the types of drop seats in vogue in department stores, were to be found behind the counters. In two stores, however, boxes were used as seats behind some counters, and behind others there was nothing at all to sit on. In both cases these were independent stores.

The question is not so much whether seats exist or not, but what chance there is to use them. The only real opportunity to be off one's feet comes when the girls are

Drinking Water

66

off the floor."

Drinking water was obtained from a basin or spigot in most instances. Occasionally the employe furnished her own glass, but in the majority of places a common glass or cup was found. Nine stores had special drinking water stands or bubblers.

Toilets

Toilet facilities were fairly good in the establishments investigated, although the basement wash and toilet rooms, which were found in 21 stores, were dark, poorly lighted and ill-ventilated places. In 22 cases the toilet was at the back of the store. Except in the large stores, the toilets and wash rooms were supposedly cared for by the girls, often in rotating order. The number of toilets was usually more than adequate, but 4 instances were found where the toilets were in a filthy condition. Many were in need of repair, and a very large number had no paper.

Wash Rooms

In 43 of the stores, towels, either paper or those provided by a supply company, were furnished the employes. Seven establishments provided a common roller-towel, and 20 made each employe furnish her own or use waste paper. Soap was usually furnished, but hot water was found in very few places.

*For summary of labor laws, see page 67.

Rest Rooms

Ten establishments provided no rest room, and a tired or sick employe was sent home, or a cot was set up temporarily in the office or toilet-room. In these stores girls who brought lunch ate it in the toilet-room, or occasionally in the back of the store.

Nine of the rest rooms were on the main floor and were little more than closets largely filled with the girls' wraps. Seventeen of the rest rooms were in the store basements, and a large number of these were directly off the toilet-rooms without proper ventilation and with very bad light. An ill-smelling, badly-lighted corner of a basement or stockroom cannot afford much comfort to the girl who brings her lunch and stays through her noon hour six days out of the week's seven.

The spirit of the store and policy of the manager were often apparent from the appearance of the rest room. Several instances were found where managers in small stores had put up shelves and made tables for the girls to use during lunch hours, dishes had been donated, and the walls had been decorated with pictures and prints brought in by the manager or the girls. Invariably notes were posted on the walls of the rest rooms or toilet-rooms, which varied from "Keep Smiling," to articles on salesmanship; and from the printed notices from the central offices of the chains regarding rules and regulations, to notices written in pencil on torn pieces of wrapping paper. The following is an example of the latter type:

SALESLADIES

You have entirely too many "visitors"-you're neglecting your customers. We don't hire you to entertain your pals, but sell our

MERCHANDISE.

Manager.

Twenty-nine stores had rest rooms above the street floor, and these were, for the most part, much better than the main floor and basement rooms. One large, new store, excellently equipped, has rest room and lunch and locker-room accommodations of which any store might be proud, and apparently as much attention was paid to keeping this "behind the scenes" part of the store in excellent condition as to keeping the front of the store clean and attractive.

One chain had made an effort as a management policy to see to it that employes had not only sanitary but also comfortable rest rooms. In a few stores in this chain separate rest rooms for the men were found and every store had some rest room, often with a piano, victrola, and magazines for the women employes. Where no space was available within the store, an outside room, sometimes next door

or in a different part of the same building, had been rented. In every case where these attractive rooms existed, they were used a great deal at meal times and before and after work. This was in some measure due to the fact that this chain made a definite policy of forming clubs among its girls, and some of the clubs were very enterprising. They were managed by the girls themselves, with officers elected by them, and the amount of dues which seemed to run about 25 cents a month, set by them. The clubs were purely social, yet had developed in many instances an esprit de corps totally lacking in many of the stores. This chain made an effort to encourage classes in salesmanship, and very often the club had been instrumental in stimulating interest in these classes. The house organ of these chain stores is full of news concerning the suppers, dances, and Christmas philanthropies of the different clubs.

Adequate attention paid to store housekeeping and physical working conditions is still regarded by many as "welfare work" and the assumption on the part of management of a paternalistic attitude toward employes.

This is far from the truth. Cleanliness, orderliness, adequate toilet and washing facilities, rooms for rest, and pure drinking water are all based upon man's physiological needs.

The responsibility for installation and regular cleaning lies first with the management. Education among the workers for the proper use of these necessities and responsibility placed on them for a share in maintaining order and cleanliness will do much toward raising standards in any establishment.