My how things have changed!

[elleny]

Thanks to TZ from Laughaday and Shagmail for this.



The following is an excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Mass

Transportation. This was serious and written for male

supervisors of women in the work force during World War II - a mere 54 years ago!

 

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 employees 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

[winkiebear]

and it still cracks me up!

[radaro]

BooHoo, my boss just asked me to send a fax.  The insensitive clod!  I might break a nail.  BooHoo!



Maybe if I wasn't so old and skinny, I wouldn't be so catankerous.



Oh, I think he is going to let me fix my hair and makeup now.  Bye!

[yankeestarbuck]

You know, if I had an on-staff gynecologist, I would rather dig that!  My GYN is another state from where I live (Jersey to Queens, if you know the geography).  And lemme tell you, every morning, someone interrupts me "putting on my mouth".  Some of it is rather interesting to see the way men thought about women, and was what acceptable to "put in writing" at the time.  So, now that I'm done laughing, it's pretty demeaning, but funny as all get-out!

[radaro]

I especially like the expression "female weakness".  Hey, buddy, if you had cramps like these you would be crying!  Yeah, just watch my weak little female body cart your $%#@ cartons of water!!

[yankeestarbuck]

There are only 9 listed.  I thought there were 11?

[radaro]

Yeah, your right.  Now that I look at it, it seems to be cut off halfway through #9.  You're pretty observant!