Practical Suggestions for Mother and Housewife — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Practical Suggestions for Mother and Housewife
John Stuart Mill · en
Employment is a business contract between employer and employee, in
which there is no legal or moral obligation for either party to exceed
the terms. Owing to an over-supply of labor, wages may be exceedingly
low, even down to the starvation point, but for this condition the
employer, if he be not also a monopolist, is not responsible. Indeed,
as employer, his presence in the labor market as an element of demand
raises the market wage. In fact, it is only by his increasing his
business that he can raise wages. If he pay more to his employees than
he needs to, or is profitable for him, this increase is not real wages,
but a gratuity, something no self-respecting person likes to take. Some
other class in society created this condition, and it is this class that
the low-paid workers should blame, and, as citizens, take measures
against, not the employers. Indeed, they should consider these as their
natural allies in making better economic conditions.
Accordingly, the woman in business should have sympathy for her
employer, who owing to the prevalent condition of shackled competition
has troubles of his own. She should aid him by loyal, efficient work,
thus, and only thus, establishing a moral claim upon him to recognize
her loyalty in kind. Personal relations, except of this nature, should
not be sought by the employee, particularly if she is a woman. Outside
of the office or shop she may meet and treat her employer as a fellow
citizen and member of society, under the common rights of citizenship
and the proper social rules, but in business hours she should obey the
strict ethics of business. Thus she may don what dress she will when
her work is done, adopt all the eccentricities of fashion she pleases,
but she should wear with cheerfulness, and even pride, the simple dress
prescribed, for good and sufficient reasons, as her working costume.
Even when no such regulations are made, her good sense and taste should
lead her to adopt a modest, practical working dress, simple mode of
arranging the hair, etc. This is always agreeable to customers, and it
is by pleasing these she best pleases her employer.
Stenographers and secretaries have a special obligation to keep sacred
the confidences of their employers. If they find that in so doing they
are made instruments in perpetrating frauds on other business men,
or the community in general, they have no right to expose these.
Their only proper course is to resign their positions, holding sacred,
however, the knowledge gained while acting as employees. It is only when
formally relieved of this obligation by legal compulsion to testify in
court that they may reveal this knowledge.