I heard it twice today: “Well, you know Ms. X. She has to work …” I know what that means: The woman in question has enough money (or her husband does) that she has the option of not finding a paying-job-outside-the-home.

That phrase, tossed off so easily in some conversations, has always chapped me. Saying someone HAS to work makes it sound like having a job is something to be pitied, especially if you’re a woman. Or, worse yet, that your work isn’t really important … if you don’t have to do it, how vital could it be?

I realize more and more that it’s the choice of working — being able to have a fulfilling job that helps build a career — that might just be the single biggest step women have taken in the last generation or so. And for many women, it’s the thing that keeps them sane, no matter how terrific their marriage is, how wonderful their kids are, and how much they love playing tennis. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently ran across a “Guide to Hiring Women” from a 1943 magazine. Apparently the stress of supervising women in the workforce for the first time proved to be a real challenge for men, but luckily they had these helpful hints:

“Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility…they’re less likely to be flirtatious.” (Work, work, work…that’s all us married women think about, you know.)

“Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy.” (Never contacted the public? You mean like locked in a cellar? Because I can’t imagine how that would make a person fussy.)

“Those who are just a little on the heavy side are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.” (Well sure. Everyone knows that fat girls are jolly.)

“Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination [to] reveal whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.” (Female weaknesses, like, I’m guessing…compassion. Sympathy. Menstrual cramps.)

And my favorite: “Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.” (Oh hell yeah. ‘Cause A GIRL’S GOTTA HAVE HER PRIORITIES IN ORDER.)