Women and War Work — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Women and War Work
John Stuart Mill · en
While not responsible for actually attending to accidents, except
in small Factories, the Welfare Supervisor should work in close
touch with the Factory Doctor and Nurses. She should, however, be
responsible for the following matters:--
(1) She should help in the selection of the Nurses, who should
be recognised as belonging to the Welfare staff.
(2) While not interfering with the Nurses in the professional
discharge of their duties, she should see that their work is
carried out promptly and that the workers are not kept waiting
long before they receive attention.
(3) She should supervise the keeping of all records of
accident and illness in the Ambulance Room.
(4) She should keep in touch with all cases of serious
accident or illness.
It would further be useful if she were allowed to be kept in touch
with the Compensation Department inside the Factory with a view to
advising on any cases of hardship that may arise.
IV. SUPERVISION OF CLOAK-ROOMS AND SANITARY CONVENIENCES.
The Welfare Supervisor should be held responsible for the following
matters:--
(1) General cleanliness.
(2) Prevention of Loitering.
(3) Prevention of Pilfering.
The Management will decide what staff is necessary to assist her, and
it should be her duty to report to the Management on these matters.
V. PROVISION OF OVERALLS.
The Welfare Supervisor should have the duty of supervising the
Protective Clothing supplied to the women for their work.
EXTRAMURAL WELFARE.
The Welfare Supervisor should keep in touch with all outside agencies
responsible for:--
(1) Housing.
(2) Transit facilities.
(3) Sickness and Maternity cases.
(4) Recreation.
(5) Day Nurseries.
In communicating with any of these agencies it will no doubt be
preferable that she should do so through the Management.
III. RECORDS.
_A_. The Welfare Supervisor should for the purpose of her work have
some personal records of every woman employee. If a card-index system
is adopted, a sample card suggesting the necessary particulars which
it is desirable should be kept by Welfare Supervisors is supplied to
employers on request.
_B_. The Welfare Supervisor should have some way of observing the
health in relation to the efficiency of the workers, and if the
Management approved this could be done:
(a) By allowing her to keep in touch with the Wages
Department. She could then watch the rise and fall of wages
earned by individual employees from the point of view that
a steady fall in earnings may be the first indication of an
impending breakdown in health.