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Tue 3 Feb, 2004 07:52 pm
I received this in an E Mail, and thought that it was too good not to share.
The following is an excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Transportation Magazine. This was serious and written for male supervisors of women in the work force during World War II - a mere 60 years ago! Obviously, the intent was not to be "funny," but by today's standards......
Quote: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.
Could you imagine what would happen if something like this was sent around a corporation now?
Yes, women have come a long way. I'm assuming this memo was written by a man. I am also wondering if he was in the work force long enough, to see a woman emerging up the ladder to be his boss.
Confused.
Most people I know in business already follow these guidelines, or slight variations of them.
There is a *huge* difference in how men and women are treated and accomodated in real life.
Are you thinking this list is funny mostly because someone actually had to *print* them for people to consider such things? Just wondering what your take on it was . . .
"You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology."
Some people...
Wow, that was unbelievable! Smiley, I'm not sure what you're point is. Are you trying to say that we shouldn't be happy that women have made great strides, because we haven't become a perfect society yet? Or are you trying to say that things haven't changed much since then?
Neither. I'm not saying anything at all. Being confused, I'm asking a question.
Nobody's replied yet, so I'm still
"Just wondering what your take on it was . . ."
What are the "wow" and the "funny" responses about?
I thought someone intercepted one of our internal memos. . .
Well, gag, I was actually in a movie about American working women, circa 1950. My role was to set the dining room table; in retrospect I dunno what the reason for doing it was, formulated by whom, produced by whom. It was by rko pathe, and my dad filmed some of it, a documentary. Who knows, it might have been his idea, but I think I would have heard more about it if it was. Documentaries were very popular back then. I liked them. Picturing theaters now, in cities, what the reaction to various documentaries would be.... ka zoom.
Still, some of the best I have seen on film has been in documentary, though not in 1951.
Smiley- the reason that I wrote this was that it was a serious document that was written up in a trade magazine. Could you imagine what would happen if something like this were published today? The reason that I did not respond before, was because I had gone offline soon after I wrote this.
It is true that many people still believe some of the the ideas that were espoused in the article, and treat women employees differently from their male counterparts. The point is that women HAVE made great strides in the workplace, and this kind of atricle illustrates the gains that women have made.