105
167. With regard to Overtime Allowances generally we desire to emphasize that certain employment, such as in the Police Force, Imports and Exports Department, Prisons Department, Fire Brigade, Hospitals, Railway, etc., involves a full seven day week. There can be no closing down on any particular day either on Sundays or on Holi- days and arrangements should therefore, in our opinion, be made for allowing time off duty in turn rather than for the grant of overtime allowances.
168. We consider further that normally no Overtime Allowances should be paid to Senior Officers. The remuneration of public officers is fixed on the assumption that their whole time is at the disposal of the Government (Colonial Regulation No. 28), and we anticipate that no Senior Officer would claim extra payment for periods spent in fur- therance of the public interest beyond the strict limits of office hours.
169. While Subordinate Officers are-included, equally with Senior Officers, under the Colonial Regulation mentioned above, we consider that it is only fair that some com- pensation should be given to them when they are required regularly to give up periods, which might be devoted to leisure, for the convenience of the public.
We consider that no payment should be made for attendance on Saturday after- noons, but for Sundays and Holidays we are of the opinion that allowances similar to those now granted in the Post Office should be paid.
170. These allowances are at present calculated roughly according to the salary limits of the officers concerned, and we consider that they should be placed definitely on this basis. We consider further that, in every case, a full period of 4 hours on duty should be required before the full allowance is payable; half rates only being granted if less than 4 hours work is required.
We suggest that these allowances should, in addition to those mentioned above, be paid in all other departments where attendance is required regularly on Sundays and Holidays, such as, for example, in the Magistracies which are exempted from the provi- sions of the Holidays Ordinance on certain days.
They might similarly be granted on special occasions where the work is authorised to be done on these days by an executive officer.
171. We recommend therefore that all orders and rules dealing with Overtime be repealed, subject to the recommendations contained in paragraphs 172 and 173 infra, and that in future Sunday and Holiday Work Allowances be granted to officers drawing salaries detailed below in accordance with the following scale :-
Salary.
Allowance.
Exceeding £600 or $6,000 per annum.
$10
1
,,
£450 or $4,500 and not exceeding £600 or $6,000 £150 or $1,500
5
£450 or $4,500
3
$1,100 $ 450
$1,500
2
ود
$1,100
1
,,
360
450
J
50 cents
25 31
Not exceeding $360
172. Other Overtime Allowances are granted as follows:-
(i) Overtime Allowances are also paid to Gardeners and Foresters in the Botáni- cal & Forestry Department, at rates based on their substantive salaries plus good conduct allowances, for overtime beyond the normal day and for work on Sundays and Holidays.
We can find no justification for payment for overtime to this class of employee who must expect additional pressure of work at certain times, with slackness at others, due to the weather. We consider that overtime should be paid, on the same basis as in the case of Sunday and Holiday Work Allowances, only if these employees are called out for night work such as beating out forest fires; with the exception, of course, of Forest Guards for whom night patrols form part of their regular duty. We consider, also, that a call for work at night should entitle the employee to the full allowance whether the time on duty is long or short.