This Guide From The 1940s Told Male Bosses How To Deal With Women Employees
Human resources departments are essential to any company. They guide the office culture and employees on how they should conduct themselves – even the bosses. The blog Retronaut uncovered old supervisor manual, created by RCA in the 1940s meant to educate male bosses on how to integrate their new female co-workers into the workplace. World War II ignited a greater need for women to join the workforce, especially in factories. The manual titled ‘When You Supervise A Woman’ gives a window into how these working women in the 1940s were treated – and it may surprise you.
The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements forced a wave of change across industries, highlighting sexist practices and workplace sexual harassment that have been rampant for decades. Men have questioned how they will be able to ‘adjust’ to this new culture, of well, common decency. Maybe they can take a page from the past on how to treat your female subordinates. While the language of the manual is misogynistic some of these points are actually how any employee male or female should hope to be treated.
The 1940s saw a new kind of working woman. While women contributing to the workforce was not new, especially for minorities or lower-class women, for white-middle to high-class women there had always been a divide. Gender roles were not the only reason people balked at the idea of women working. The Depression caused such a high level of unemployment that women working was seen as stealing jobs from men.
World War II changed everything. Even before the United States joined the fight, the government had signed contracts to provide war equipment for the Allies. The war industry caused a job boom and positions needed to be filled by every able-bodied citizen – including women – but just as a temporary solution.
To encourage women to join the call to work they rolled out a propaganda campaign starring “Rosie the Riveter,” who spread the slogan “we can do it” to women across the nation. Slowly but surely they answered the call in a wave. Lower class women that were already working switched to higher-paying factory jobs, then those just graduating from high school and then eventually even married woman were targeted.
While some men didn’t want their wives working, the demand for workers became so high that even women with young children joined the working ranks. When the United States first entered World War II there were 12 million women already working and 18 million (one-third of the workforce) by the time it ended.
Even with the war efforts, most women worked in traditionally “female jobs” such as positions in the service sector. The only work sector that saw a complete mixing of genders was in factories.
The working women of the war were a crucial part of the efforts, but it still did not change societies view of a woman’s role. Factory or service jobs were seen as acceptable temporary contributions, but after the war, it was made clear to women that they were to return back to the home. Jobs demoted women into lower-paying jobs, while others laid them off completely. Rosie the Riveter faded into the background and the 1950s homemaker took her place.
People were surprised by the content of the manual
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Share on FacebookThis list would work wonders with both men and women. It just sounds like good management.
Load More Replies...The thing that gets me is that this is specifically meant for women and most of these things are just plain decency. If this is the "special treatment" women were given, I feel bad for the men.
Back then the "suck it up" mentality was rampant when anything happened to a man whether physically or emotionally. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite old school but back then it was just over the top.
Load More Replies...Apart from the sentence "women are teachable" , the rest is just common sense. I wish more employers nowadays followed these tips for everyone, men and women.
Even that sentence isn't bad. Telling male managers that just because women have not done a job before they can learn the skills no different to men.
Load More Replies...Yes, the old filmstrip documentary announcer voice!
Load More Replies...It is a pity that this instructions come with the non spoken idea of 'because they are dumb and weak'. Like you need to make sure to explain the rules 'because women qrent as bright as us'. But reading it without the condescendient tone they are really good rules about how to treat your employees.
While to a certain degree it can be read that way I'm sure most of these rules were ingrained when it came to hiring men. Unless you mean it was perfectly fine to not watch work-place hazards, leaving them to figure out their actual job with minimal instructions, never show appreciation, and so one around men.
Load More Replies...Sounds more like a manual for incompetent bosses, should be re-titled "How to handle employees: A Guide to treating them like humans"
Aside from that list, no, you wouldn't.
Load More Replies...Of course the only true problem with this pamphlet is the whole condescending idea of “women are teachable”. Basically saying that those women (strange creatures that they are) can be taught. It’s just like training a dog. Of course other than the horrible misogyny it comes with. If we just change the wording of the pamphlet for BOTH men and women then these could be of serious great use today.
Even a late as the 70's this would have been some really good advice. I've worked in places where women were either new to the job or new to the staff. In one case, I was already working the job when two men were assigned. Both would sit back with their feet on the desks complaining how hard the work was when I was the only one doing it - and that's no exaggeration. The elder of the two would say things like 'my wife hasn't worked a day since our daughter was born. We even have a housekeeper so my wife can take care of our daughter'. The hardest thing they did was having to get their own coffee from the coffee pot which sat between their desks. I soon found a way out of that job and left it all to them. Our head boss even refused to assign anyone else there after I left so they would have to work.
This is the stuff that good debates are made of. I can see some people getting upset over the treatment, but that's how it was back then. We can't change how it was, but thankfully we've come a long way, baby!
Men nowadays need to take a good hard look at this at LEARN from it!
When I was starting in college my american history professor stated that "women overseas ACTUALLY contributed to the war effort (WWII) whereas American women didn't, it made sense then to give European women the right to vote", the implication being that it didnt make sense to give American women the right to vote. It says a lot: betraying the ideology that somehow women are less deserving, even that women are not considered human if voting is considered a god given right. I have now learned that this is an absolute fallacy, women have always contributed. Their contributions have just been systematically denied, stolen, or erased.
I thought the list would be something ridiculous but those actually look like nice instructions on how to behave well to women in one's employ.
The fact that they made this list for women in the workplace suggests that those things weren't being done for men. Common sense tells us that they're reasonable rules for dealing with all employees, male or female.
I find nothing wrong with this list and it is not in anyway condescending. What it should be seen as though is common sense for all employees across genders, races etc- EVERYONE should expect to be treated with respect and concern in any job they do.
If you replace "women/woman" by human, it does sound like a wholesome management policy, actually. All employees actually need support by careful consideration of his/her objectives and constraints and proper work environment. But quite dated and patronising in its language...
Replace the word "woman" with "employee" everywhere you see it, and this is (mostly) an excellent employers' guide.
This should be common practice everywhere but applied to everyone not just woman. It's basic good-manners and great on-boarding protocol!
I think I’m going to transpose these to a word document, erase the gender focus to be “When You Supervise a Human,” and simply replace all female nouns and pronouns with gender neutral ones, and then I’ll have one awesome management guide!! Thank you!! Why are these not posted in all management and supervisor offices?
"Women are teachable"? This article sounds more like "Bosses are teachable" :D
Doesn't this also reflect on how badly they were treating the male workers before the women rocked up?
This was very sweet and good. I felt like for men its unfamiliar to work next to a woman, guide to understand. Treat her with respect like your mother. Lol
In a time when sexism was a way bigger issue then today, they still treated people with more respect?? This all sounds just fine for someone unexperienced with the job, which the women just starting to do a lot of mens work would have been.
Actually, I think the vast majority of these are very good rules of thumb for every boss. The only part I don't think really suiting is the women counselor. Funny concept, tho
This list makes me wonder how bosses treated their MALE workers before ??!! If I was a male worker reading that list at that time, I would be pissed and ask "what about ME ?! Can't I be treated with that basic respect too ?"...
This kind of made me a bit tearful. Why can't this be an unwritten law?
Made me think that i was reading some instruction to a alien race.Weird world sometimes. astronaut-...b5fc31.jpg
Yes it's sexist now but at least it was teaching kind behavior. Better than some back then
This is 100% written by a guy. The section ‘Women are cooperative’ that made mad. Women are getting more open on how they feel. We are not properly, men’s toys, or cooperative. (Yes I am a feminist)
I've no idea why that makes you mad, it could and should equally apply to men. It's actually good management to find out why your stuff member is performing badly, why they're missing work, help them to fit in and to understand what going on in their head. outside of the tone of it, which seems to come across like a user manual it's pretty much just good management skills.
Load More Replies...This list would work wonders with both men and women. It just sounds like good management.
Load More Replies...The thing that gets me is that this is specifically meant for women and most of these things are just plain decency. If this is the "special treatment" women were given, I feel bad for the men.
Back then the "suck it up" mentality was rampant when anything happened to a man whether physically or emotionally. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite old school but back then it was just over the top.
Load More Replies...Apart from the sentence "women are teachable" , the rest is just common sense. I wish more employers nowadays followed these tips for everyone, men and women.
Even that sentence isn't bad. Telling male managers that just because women have not done a job before they can learn the skills no different to men.
Load More Replies...Yes, the old filmstrip documentary announcer voice!
Load More Replies...It is a pity that this instructions come with the non spoken idea of 'because they are dumb and weak'. Like you need to make sure to explain the rules 'because women qrent as bright as us'. But reading it without the condescendient tone they are really good rules about how to treat your employees.
While to a certain degree it can be read that way I'm sure most of these rules were ingrained when it came to hiring men. Unless you mean it was perfectly fine to not watch work-place hazards, leaving them to figure out their actual job with minimal instructions, never show appreciation, and so one around men.
Load More Replies...Sounds more like a manual for incompetent bosses, should be re-titled "How to handle employees: A Guide to treating them like humans"
Aside from that list, no, you wouldn't.
Load More Replies...Of course the only true problem with this pamphlet is the whole condescending idea of “women are teachable”. Basically saying that those women (strange creatures that they are) can be taught. It’s just like training a dog. Of course other than the horrible misogyny it comes with. If we just change the wording of the pamphlet for BOTH men and women then these could be of serious great use today.
Even a late as the 70's this would have been some really good advice. I've worked in places where women were either new to the job or new to the staff. In one case, I was already working the job when two men were assigned. Both would sit back with their feet on the desks complaining how hard the work was when I was the only one doing it - and that's no exaggeration. The elder of the two would say things like 'my wife hasn't worked a day since our daughter was born. We even have a housekeeper so my wife can take care of our daughter'. The hardest thing they did was having to get their own coffee from the coffee pot which sat between their desks. I soon found a way out of that job and left it all to them. Our head boss even refused to assign anyone else there after I left so they would have to work.
This is the stuff that good debates are made of. I can see some people getting upset over the treatment, but that's how it was back then. We can't change how it was, but thankfully we've come a long way, baby!
Men nowadays need to take a good hard look at this at LEARN from it!
When I was starting in college my american history professor stated that "women overseas ACTUALLY contributed to the war effort (WWII) whereas American women didn't, it made sense then to give European women the right to vote", the implication being that it didnt make sense to give American women the right to vote. It says a lot: betraying the ideology that somehow women are less deserving, even that women are not considered human if voting is considered a god given right. I have now learned that this is an absolute fallacy, women have always contributed. Their contributions have just been systematically denied, stolen, or erased.
I thought the list would be something ridiculous but those actually look like nice instructions on how to behave well to women in one's employ.
The fact that they made this list for women in the workplace suggests that those things weren't being done for men. Common sense tells us that they're reasonable rules for dealing with all employees, male or female.
I find nothing wrong with this list and it is not in anyway condescending. What it should be seen as though is common sense for all employees across genders, races etc- EVERYONE should expect to be treated with respect and concern in any job they do.
If you replace "women/woman" by human, it does sound like a wholesome management policy, actually. All employees actually need support by careful consideration of his/her objectives and constraints and proper work environment. But quite dated and patronising in its language...
Replace the word "woman" with "employee" everywhere you see it, and this is (mostly) an excellent employers' guide.
This should be common practice everywhere but applied to everyone not just woman. It's basic good-manners and great on-boarding protocol!
I think I’m going to transpose these to a word document, erase the gender focus to be “When You Supervise a Human,” and simply replace all female nouns and pronouns with gender neutral ones, and then I’ll have one awesome management guide!! Thank you!! Why are these not posted in all management and supervisor offices?
"Women are teachable"? This article sounds more like "Bosses are teachable" :D
Doesn't this also reflect on how badly they were treating the male workers before the women rocked up?
This was very sweet and good. I felt like for men its unfamiliar to work next to a woman, guide to understand. Treat her with respect like your mother. Lol
In a time when sexism was a way bigger issue then today, they still treated people with more respect?? This all sounds just fine for someone unexperienced with the job, which the women just starting to do a lot of mens work would have been.
Actually, I think the vast majority of these are very good rules of thumb for every boss. The only part I don't think really suiting is the women counselor. Funny concept, tho
This list makes me wonder how bosses treated their MALE workers before ??!! If I was a male worker reading that list at that time, I would be pissed and ask "what about ME ?! Can't I be treated with that basic respect too ?"...
This kind of made me a bit tearful. Why can't this be an unwritten law?
Made me think that i was reading some instruction to a alien race.Weird world sometimes. astronaut-...b5fc31.jpg
Yes it's sexist now but at least it was teaching kind behavior. Better than some back then
This is 100% written by a guy. The section ‘Women are cooperative’ that made mad. Women are getting more open on how they feel. We are not properly, men’s toys, or cooperative. (Yes I am a feminist)
I've no idea why that makes you mad, it could and should equally apply to men. It's actually good management to find out why your stuff member is performing badly, why they're missing work, help them to fit in and to understand what going on in their head. outside of the tone of it, which seems to come across like a user manual it's pretty much just good management skills.
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