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Posted on 11/02/2011 6:36:35 PM PDT by Keltik
The following is an excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Mass Transportation Magazine. This was written for male supervisors of women in the work force during World War II.
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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.
Maybe it is, and maybe it ain't. If I want to back anything up, I NEVER refer to Snopes.
You can see scans of the article pages at the Snopes site. The poster just above you already posted the cover of that issue.
If they are starting families while their husbands are off to war, Marxism isn’t the biggest problem there.
I flunked the “don’t cut your hair” one, but the rest... I’m really a very reasonable woman.
Thanks for the ping. It was worth it.
Pinging some more ladies......
I like the part about do not belittle women employees or you will break their spirit.
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Whoops, I have to fix that, in context. I am eating an think faster than I type. I meant to say that (at least in my experience, and other business owners in the company/franchise, also) the single women are inferior workers to their married counterparts, not inferior as people. I listed some of the reasons above.
Can I post this in my office without getting sued?
Probably not.... and I’m a lawyer!
I’m not disputing that. I just have a thing about giving Snopes credit for anything.
And the info from the post is certainly entertaining.
Single young woman are all wrapped up in themselves and being liked..or loved...I work with them every day also...as well as more mature woman...the difference is striking. Most have not learned to control their emotions and are overly sensitive. One call, 21 years...going on 15...cries at the drop of a hat.
That man never met my wife. Or my daughter for that matter. I never worry about anyone running roughshod over either of them.
Agreed. But, then, that was a more rational time.
I thought Standard Oil became Esso (S.O.) and then eventually Exxon after the breakup.
Only three bad ones on your list.
1) The potty lid— running to tinkle in the middle of the night and not stopping to turning on the light, then quickly plopping down, down, down, into the water and possible sprinkles on the rim...come on! Ugh!
1) Crying? UH! Movies, critters on Animal Planet being put to sleep, kids doing sweet stuff, the mister doing something thoughtful. Pshaw...I even cried once when my driver (Nascar) wrecked the misters driver—I didn’t want anybody to be mad at my driver. It isn’t ALL blackmail!
1) Shoes—one can never have enough pairs of boots...nope, no-way, no-how!
You are right...shopping does suck.
IIRC Standard Oil of New Jersey became esso and then XOM. Standard Oil of Indiana became Amoco and then BP. ( I’m sure there is more info online though its too late at night for me to look it up:))
I didn't say "while", but that was the case too. And Marxism did have a hand in that, even though that was one of the things that Marx had the nerve to criticize the "bourgeoisie" for engaging in (he wanted to legitimize it).
If they are starting families while their husbands are off to war, Marxism isn’t the biggest problem there
Agreed. It’s just a natural process of life. I personally think that being married also gives you a spiritual sense of well being (call it psychological if you will). At one time we have a very beautiful married woman working with us. Not once did she ever flirt, or feel uncomfortable around the males, because she was just working to help pay bills while her husband was in college. She was always eager to get back home to him, which I appreciated. When the pressure was tough, she didn’t buckle, either. All around she was very admirable. While I have seen that in a few single (college/away from home) girls/women in their mid 20’s, I have yet to professionally see it in someone under the age of 23 or so.
And that’s not to even mention the gabbing, lol.
#5 is very relevant, even today, with the majority of women I have known.
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