The War Department was responsible for industrial mobilization and directed the Army Service Forces to render supervision of required programs.  The guide was specifically designed to address the supposedly unique feminine problems and novel business solutions involved in putting women into factory and manufacturing jobs.  As noted in previous columns (see July II, August I and II and September I columns), the guide reinforces many prevailing prejudices existing against women working within an industrial capacity. The Army leadership based its institutionalized discrimination on perceived gender differences that relegated women to a reluctant and even somewhat unreliable source of substitute labor. 

The workplace hostility against women, as contained in this guide, included such perceptions as female endangerment of health and efficiency; female dispositional traits forcing job rearrangement and rescheduling at the expense of production; training and classification difficulties due to unfavorable feminine qualities; inability of most women to understand wartime emergency; female shortcomings in personal attitude leading to turnover and absenteeism; endurance and safety problems, and the female need for special consideration and differential treatment compared to men.  At the worst, these female characteristics might block or hinder productivity and, at the least, necessitate job reorganization and other inconvenient adjustments required to accommodate women.

The pages surveyed in this column deal with Retention of female workers. The first segment (Page 14) covers Transfer and Promotion, while the second segment (Page 15) treats Working Conditions. 

Transfers are suggested as a “useful tool” to “hasten the adjustment” of “improperly placed” women.  In fact, “they [transfers] are especially important in connection with women who are new to industry and, when skillfully handled, can be a powerful factor in reducing turnover and absenteeism” (the bane of using female workers in the first place).  Women could always be switched from “one job to another”, put “in a more congenial group”, and even transferred “to another shift, more convenient for the worker“ in order “to forestall a resignation.”  The Army furthermore advised transfers to “increase production or serve as a fatigue-reduction technique” because perceived inferior female endurance impeded industrial capacity.

Managerial reluctance to elevate women to positions of responsibility became an increasing problem as wartime pressures, and service induction, reduced the available number of male supervisors.  To replace them, the Government recommended “both ‘promotion’ and ‘upgrading’ [of women] stimulate production.” The helpful qualifier is added, “upgrading does not mean paying more for the same job but, like promotion, it means giving more responsibility to or demanding more skill from the worker.”  Nevertheless, putting women into supervisory roles was primarily contingent upon an absence of men (and only in that case linked to the motivation of other women, as the conjunction proves): “Serious consideration should be given to selecting and training women for promotion to supervisory positions because of the growing shortage of male supervisors and the incentive it offers to other women.” 

Suggested Working Conditions are stereotypical in perpetuating discriminatory anti-feminine viewpoints of the dominant male-dominated Army hierarchy.  While some conditions propose an industrial environment equally applicable to men (conveniently located washrooms; showers; rest rooms; lunchroom with cafeteria or food carts; lunch and rest periods, seats and work benches, and special lighting where required), they are mixed with feminine-oriented facilities that range from necessary sanitary napkin dispensers to superfluous societal niceties reserved for girls (i.e., “attractive, quiet and clean rest rooms [with] easy chairs” and “adequate rest room supervision by matron”).

The arbitrary stereotyping of females on the basis of their gender is then specified, “In addition to those working conditions which are in effect for the installation as a whole, there are other considerations which apply particularly to women.”  In the matter of washrooms, female workers were apparently unable to look after themselves, “In installations where a large number of women are employed, it is recommended that a woman supervisor be placed in charge of maintaining satisfactory sanitary conditions, In installations where but relatively few women are employed, matrons can perform these duties as a part of their regular work.”

The poor eating practices of women are yet another matter of concern, “Women are inclined to neglect eating well-balanced meals, both off and on the job. It is important therefore that more than ordinary efforts be made to provide a cafeteria or movable food carts with inexpensive and nutritious foods. Plants employing women with families have found it well to provide cooked food that can be bought and taken home. As opportunity permits, information on the necessity and value of well-balanced meals should be given employees. Cool drinking water should be accessible.” 

The employer is also advised to take extra precautions because of the inferior stamina of women blamed for troublesome turnover in the workplace, “It is important that workbenches and seats be adjusted to women workers in order to reduce fatigue and possible physical strain. Cumulative fatigue has been found to be one of the chief causes of turnover among women. Women appear to be particularly responsive to clean and orderly work places. Control of excessive heat and removal of noxious gases by ventilation can help reduce turnover. Where oils, grease, and other materials which may be hazards are apt to collect, floors should be cleaned daily. Glareless (sic) lighting not only lessens eyestrain but is a positive aid to production where fine work is done.” 

Although men could also benefit from improved conditions, the sentences are placed under “other considerations which apply particularly to women” – lending official credence to the traditional employer prejudice that men are inherently more adaptable to any industrial job setting.  The multitude of women who performed industrial production in wartime manufacturing and assembly plants had to achieve Victory despite the burden of officially promulgated prejudices.

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Page 14: Transfer and Promotion click to enlarge

Page 15: Working Conditions click to enlarge