Health and Productivity

A group of 96 women, 83 under 20 and 13 over 25, wore studied to ascertain if some health factors related to their industrial productivity. A method of determining productivity was postulated. Daily output related closely with the annual output of the individuals studied. The wide variation in individual daily output (10-34 batches) occurred in spite of employee selection. Natural aptitude, length of service and experience in the process wore thought to be the major factors affecting daily output. Health factors could not be demonstrated as influencing daily output. Anaemia and sickness absence did influence productivity by reducing the number of days worked, particularly as groups with the highest productivity ratings lose more time than the lower productivity groups. The reason for this increase in absence was thought to be complex and not entirely due to the increased effort demanded for a higher output. The need to investigate the reasons for sickness absence was restated. Use of the Factory Medical Department appeared to reduce the incidence of sickness absence.