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I remember typing pools...

Steve Bridger

I remember my first day at work. The summer of 1981. County Hall. The smell of polished corridors and trolleys laden three-feet high with leaver arch files and buff folders. I opened a door and there it was: The Typing Pool. Page 3 of The Sun were always plastered on the walls of the printing unit whenever I was asked to make errands. We still had a few discussion threads on that topic in the early days here - in 2004!


And I've seen Made in Dagenham, the movie!


I only mention this as the CIPD published a report called Work Audit today, a fascinating look at how the world of work has changed
in Britain since 1952.


I thought we could share our own compelling vignettes of social history comparing changes in the way we work.


What do you reckon?


Steve

Parents

  • I remember my first job doing a paper round, you came in marked the papers up, and left the shop at 7am.  I did the longest route going furthest from the shop.  Nobody worrried about a 13 year old girl cycling round in the dark wearing no helmet.  I wonder if that would be allowed now?


    When I was 16 I 'upgraded' to getting saturday job in a shop whilst I was doing my A Levels.  There was a old, small, very tall stockroom and I would spend most of the day running up and down very rickety tall step ladders with no training.  The manager of the shop proudly told me that he was the first store manager to be known by his first name rather than Mr such and such.   After work we all went down the pub! 


    During the school/university holidays I would work as many hours and days as possible to earn money, there was no working time regulations then.


    I also remember the manager telling me that how ridiculous that it was that everyone was now entitled to maternity pay even 'saturday girls'.


     This was in the 90's so it wasn't that long ago!

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  • I remember my first job doing a paper round, you came in marked the papers up, and left the shop at 7am.  I did the longest route going furthest from the shop.  Nobody worrried about a 13 year old girl cycling round in the dark wearing no helmet.  I wonder if that would be allowed now?


    When I was 16 I 'upgraded' to getting saturday job in a shop whilst I was doing my A Levels.  There was a old, small, very tall stockroom and I would spend most of the day running up and down very rickety tall step ladders with no training.  The manager of the shop proudly told me that he was the first store manager to be known by his first name rather than Mr such and such.   After work we all went down the pub! 


    During the school/university holidays I would work as many hours and days as possible to earn money, there was no working time regulations then.


    I also remember the manager telling me that how ridiculous that it was that everyone was now entitled to maternity pay even 'saturday girls'.


     This was in the 90's so it wasn't that long ago!

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