Welfare, Making the best of it

 

Even before the war many larger firms had adopted enlightened methods of personnel management, and for that purpose had been employing specially trained men or women, known variously but somewhat indiscriminately as Personnel Managers, Labour Managers, Welfare Officers or Welfare Supervisors.

The duties entrusted to them by different firms were by no means uniform, but wherever they were found they had the specific responsibility of smoothing out the relations between the management and the employees. They had to deal with the well-being of the workers, give them advice, if sought, about their personal problems, organise sports, recreation, entertainments, and so forth. Sensible employers had realized that first-rate service was not likely to be forthcoming from dissatisfied, bored, worried, anxious workpeople.

Here is a morning in the life of a welfare supervisor in a firm in the Midlands employing 4,000 men and women:

INTERVIEWS      

8.30 a.m.   Girl asks for hospital note for her dependent mother.

              

8.35 a.m.   Phone rings. Had brought in Block 4.

 

8.50 a.m.   Man to ask us to ‘phone hospital: an inquiry about his wife.

 

9 a.m.         Girls asks if she can have time off for a wedding. Foreman is willing.

 

9.10 a.m. ‘Phone from foreman to say he is sending girl down who refuses to work “on oil.” Man calls barber’s ticket to have

 

 haircut in the works.

 

9.20 a.m.   Girl who refuses to work comes in.

 

 

9.50 a.m.    Go into works to look into the trouble about the draught.

 

10.10 a.m.   Return to office to find a man and wife waiting. Their daughter, aged 16, has run away from home.

 

10.45 a.m.   Try to write a few letters. ‘Phone: Complaint about tea in General Office.

  Phone. Request to visit a woman to find out why absent, as she is wanted for very important work.

  Man from Wales. Can we find a house? He wants to bring his family here.

  11.20 a.m.   ‘Phone from Personnel Manager. Girls coming from Scotland to be found billets.

  11.30 a.m.   Woman who has quarreled with her husband comes for advice on how to get arrears of maintenance.

  11.45 a.m.   Woman whose boy of 15 is employed by us to complain about his earnings.  

 

 

ACTION TAKEN

Sent note to Birmingham Hospitals’ Contributory Scheme Secretary in works asking him to sent one.

 

Make note to investigate personally.

 

‘Phone, while man waits.

 

 

A chat about it and permission is granted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reason with her, she is the reasonable type. She decides to go “on oil.”

 

 

Report to “Maintenance.”

 

  Send for girl. After talking to all three, left them to themselves. Girl decides to go home. Suggest to Labour Department that she is, if possible, transferred to another block away from certain friends.

 

Report it to the Canteen.

 

  After making sure it is urgent, send assistant to get woman in.

  Take notes and add to list of rooms wanted and to let.

 

 

 

Finding the case unusually complicated, send her to the Citizens’ Advice Bureau??.

  Investigate, and find he only takes home about half his wages. Tell his mother we will see he has a good reprimanding and we will watch how he goes on. (This case turned out well, as parents were sensible, and so was the boy when tackled about it.)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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