1943 Guide To Hiring Women

[DeSwiss]

1943 Guide To Hiring Women

IHeartChaos
February 23, 2008

The following is an excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Transportation Magazine. This was written for male supervisors of women in the work force during World War II.

“Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees: There’s no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage.

Here are eleven helpful tips on the subject from Western Properties:

1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they’re less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn’t be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It’s always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3. General experience indicates that “husky” girls - those who are just a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.

4. Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

5. Stress at the outset the importance of time the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.

6. Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they’ll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Numerous properties say that women make excellent workers when they have their jobs cut out for them, but that they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

7. Whenever possible, let the inside employee change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change.

8. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can’t shrug off harsh words the way men do. Never ridicule a woman - it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.

10. Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women. Even though a girl’s husband or father may swear vociferously, she’ll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.

11. Get enough size variety in operator’s uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can’t be stressed too much in keeping women happy.”

http://www.iheartchaos.com/2008/02/23/how-to-hire-a-woman-how-to/">LINK

- One should bear in mind that this is not too far from the way that many Fundie/Repukes still think that the world should operate today.....
===============================================================
DeSwiss

[emilyg]

1. Thanks for this "Gem".

[DeSwiss]

2. Just think....

- in spite of these antiquated and sexist attitudes, women cranked out tanks and planes by the thousands in factories and we won.

When I look back at this, and what women went through, it seems a miracle...

[Redstone]

3. "And with a great deal of patience and training, they can even be taught to sit, beg,

roll over, and heel, some experts say. Keep a goodly supply of 'treats' on hand to reward good behavior, and never forget to tell her 'Good Girl' when she responds quickly to commands."

They forgot that part.

Redstone

[DeSwiss]

4. Well yeah....

...unless they're older women. Then they get "cantankerous and fussy."

[Quantess]

5. but the "husky" girls will be more efficient about it !

:o

[DeSwiss]

8. Based on "general experience....."

- Whatever the hell that was....

[FormerOstrich]

21. I don't know.....they might be on to something there..

I sure am a hell of lot more cantankerous and fussy than I was a few years ago. For that matter, I think my boss would say, just last week, I wasn't making any effort to disguise my cantankerous and fussiness one bit!

:dunce:

[Wabbajack_]

6. Is this real?

"Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit"

Did they have lawsuits like that back then?

[DeSwiss]

7. Yeah they did....

...and its http://www.snopes.com/language/document/hiringwomen.asp">for real. Unfortunately.

[Robert Oak]

9. not much has changed

has it...as we see by the incredible misogyny coming in this election.

Sad and glad you posted this but today there are employers who will not hire single mothers because "they won't be able to work as hard" and "will cost more in health insurance".

Not much has changed really.

[KoKo]

13. Yes...it's just that the language is couched in "Human Resources" jargon and only

seen by Management...so it wouldn't seem as offensive if it was leaked. They'd say their "HR Panel Reviewed the Guidelines."

[Robert Oak]

29. absolutely

HR is just a glorified hatchet gang, working for the company and their job is to keep the company from getting sued. About it these days.

[DeSwiss]

14. There's a lot....

...that has changed. But not enough. Not nearly.

[Jack_DeLeon]

10. I like husky girls...

anorexic models dont do it for me.

:evilgrin:

BTW Rosie the Riveter was hot.

[DeSwiss]

15. I like them all!!!

Yessiree!!! Every last one of 'em!!!

[Kitty Herder]

28. Eeeeee gads! That was painful reading. nt

[Control-Z]

11. With some of the threads

I've read over the past few hours I'm beginning to think the Fundie/Repukes aren't alone in their desires.

- One should bear in mind that this is not too far from the way that many Fundie/Repukes still think that the world should operate today.....

[DeSwiss]

16. Unfortunately....

...I'd have to agree with you. I suppose this is what is meant by democracy. Sometimes it sucks.

[Heywood J]

12. What exactly is number 4?

"Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job."

Is this about pregnancy, or what?

[DeSwiss]

17. Sounds like it.

Another "female weakness."

- Giving birth to humanity....

[Manifestor_of_Light]

18. yeah that too.

And gawd ferbid that a woman should have to take a few days off each month because she feels horrible and is in extreme pain, due to her monthly visitor. Can't have them women actin' like unpredictable human beings!! :sarcasm:

Only hire good little robots who have never had a menstrual cramp in their lives. :eyes:

[napi21]

19. Something that's not in that list....When I got my first job in 1961,

if you got pregnant, you HAD TO QUIT! It was in the employee handbook! If a femal employee got pregnant, they HAD to turn in their resignation immediately!

You younger folks have NO IDEA what life was like before the "feminists of the 60's"! I DO. I remember it very well, and life in the workplace was not great! They actually HAD two pay rates! One for men and one for women!

I agree there's still a long way to go, but we really have "come a long way baby"!

[DemBones DemBones]

20. By 1967, you were allowed to work until your sixth month,

as long as you didn't deal with the public!!! This was in banking so tellers would have to move to bookkeeping or proof, someplace where the public's eyes wouldn't be shocked by the sight of a woman in maternity clothes.

[napi21]

22. Yes, but that was AFTER the feminist movement began. I was

an accountant and NEVER dealt with the public. I have no idea what the hell they were afraid of, but it wasn't only the Co. I worked for that had those demands. Every other company I knew about had the same thing. When I think about it now, I'm appalled!

[DemBones DemBones]

25. Feminism wasn't really up and running in 1967,

except perhaps in NYC or Berkeley.

I think that between 1961 and 1967 some employers had grudgingly allowed women to continue to work while pregnant, and discovered that the sky didn't fall. But they did not want them there in the last trimester. I think public school teachers still had to quit before their pregnancy started showing. But of course these things always vary from place to place, unless there are laws that apply.

I can only guess that a lot of men were terrified that a woman might go into labor at work, maybe even give birth. Men didn't go in the delivery room in those days, as you no doubt remember. Even in 1970, a state court ruled that a husband could not be in the delivery room when his wife gave birth. In some places, husbands weren't even allowed in labor rooms.

Pay rates were no better for women in 1967 than in 1961, most likely. I ran the payroll so I knew what everybody made and the women were grossly underpaid.

[napi21]

26. It began with the equal Pay act in 1963.

It took several years to come a little more in line, but there's still pay differences between men and women!

http://www.eeoc.gov/types/epa.html

It's gotten much better than it was back then, but it's still not EQUAL!

Also back then there were NO women in management anywhere!

As I sit here thinking about how things used to be, it's really amazing how many changes have happened. The 20 somethings, even here at DU have no idea what it USED to be like, and it wasn't THAT long ago either!

[LibertyLover]

31. It was a little better by 1971 in some states

I lived in northern New Jersey at the time. That year, my senior year of high school, I had a Spanish teacher who was pregnant and worked until the last day of school in June. Her due date was 2 days after that. It was interesting seeing how all the guys in class, 17 and 18 years old, acted around her. They were scared to death and were on their best behavior, let they do something that might bring on her labor and the baby (apparently the "family" education we had had that year did not make any impression because they, to a man, seemed to think a baby was born in roughly 2 minutes flat). By the last week of class, we had guys who wouldn't open a door for their girlfriends or mothers, following Mrs. Edelmann around in case she needed something done.

[Tesha]

33. Feminism isn't "up and running" *TODAY*, or we'd have an ERA passed. :-( (NT)

[DemBones DemBones]

23. When there was no need for Rosie the Riveter,

i.e., after WWII, companies didn't want to hire young married women because "You'll get pregnant and quit" or "Your husband will get a job somewhere else and you'll quit."

My single friends heard "We won't hire you because you'll get married and quit."

In other words, women could not win.

Did they, then, want to hire older women, women too old to get pregnant? Of course not.

[calimary]

24. One should absolutely bear in mind what you said at the end here.

Many of the Dark Siders not only think this is the way to operate, but more than a few of 'em think things started going bad in this country when women finally won the right to vote. I've heard them on the air.

Rather remarkable list, especially when you remember the mindset of the time. Pretty damned patronizing if you ask me!

[malaise]

27. We've come a long way Baby!!

Hilarious. :D

[spinbaby]

30. Lynn Cullen was talking about this today

Lynn Cullen has a terrific liberal talk radio show in Pittsburgh. She must read DU.

Hi Lynn!

:hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi:

[NanBo]

32. I worked at a company

with both men and woman and at Christmas the men would get cash bonuses and turkeys but the women would ONLY get the turkeys. Reason? Women didn't really NEED to work, we did it for 'fun money' men needed to support families. This was in the very early 70's.

[MindPilot]

34. Some of these attitudes made it tough for men too.

I recall in the early seventies having trouble finding work because I wasn't married. The idea was that married men were more stable and since they had a wife to support would be less likely to quit and more tolerant of whatever shit the boss wanted to hand out.

There was also that unspoken assumption that an unmarried man was probably gay.



Speaking of coming a long way, some of the younger DUers probably are unaware that it wasn't until the mid-sixties that a single woman was allowed to obtain birth control on her own. A married woman had to have her husband's permission. (Now you just need the pharmacist's permission, but only at Wal-Mart. :D )

My timeless gratitude to the women (and some men) who dedicated their lives to change for the better.