Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/55

 lelephonc Companv, Salisbury House, I.ondon Wall, E.C. Providing that she possesses the above qualifications, the candidate will next have to pass " an educational test in reading, writing (copying MS.), spelling, and the first four rules of arithmetic (simple and money) . Upon successfully passing this test, the candidate must be examined by the com- pany's medical officer, with a view to de- ciding whether she is physically fit to per- form the work of telephone operator. The subjects of the educational test do not cover a wide scope, and no girl who has had an average schooling should fail. The candidate, after satisfying the doctor, becomes a " learner," and enters the company's operating school for training, receiving Irom the start los. per week. This rate of pay con- tinues throughout the period of trainmg and probation, and for the first six months as a staff operator. Terms of Service The probationer is transferred to the staff " as soon as she is efficient in her duties." This period averages, according to individual abilitv. from two to three months. A.t the end of the first six months of service as a staff operator the pay is increased to tis., and rises by is. every six months until the end of two and a half years' service, so that at the end of two and a half years' service the pay is 15s.' a week. After this increases are annual, the first one of 2S. bringing the salary at the end of three and a half years' service to 17s. a week. Special recommendations are required before the remuneration goes above 18s. to the operator's maximum, which is ^] a week. Above the grades of operators, and recruited from their ranks, are supervisors, with a maximum salary of £1 los. a week. Still better, an ambitious young woman with the necessary abihty may look upwards to positions of clerk-iri-charge at salaries varying from ^85 to /170 per annum. The hours of duty for operators are 42^ per week, a day's service (between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.) consisting of 7^ hours, exclu- sive of meal-times. Duty performed after 8 p.m. brings with it the advantage of a special allowance of 3s. over and above the rate earned by the operator in the week in which the late duty occurs. " Divided duty " brings also extra pay. and in the event of an operator doing both " late " and " divided duty " in the same week the special allowance is 4s. 6d. Over- time is paid for at from 5d. to 8d. per hour, 37 WOMAN'S WORK according to status. The hours of duly are changed from week to week, so that one week an operator will not need to reach her Ex- change before midday, whilst the next week her work may be over in the early afternoon. There is a special scale of pay for Sunday. Christmas Day, Ciood Friday, and Bank Holidays, when such service is required, and no operator is required to be on duty for more than fifty-four hours in the week, excluding meal-times, even should she take both overtime or Sunday duty in any week. In addition co the staff already dealt hy per^ Operating School, London Wan i 0/ tut Aaiiona' Teuphcne Co'iifuny With, tnere are a few operators engaged under special conditions for four hours per day only, taken between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. The general conditions of service are the same here as for the ordinary staff, but the pay is, of course, proportionately less. The comfort of the staff is not neglected by the National Telephone Company. Forty-five minutes are allowed for dinner and fifteen minutes for tea. At many Ex- changes conveniences for cooking meals are supplied at the company's cost. The result of this arrangement is that a good dinner can be bought on the premises at th? rate of 5d. per day, and afternoon tea for id. The following is a typical menu for a week : A WEEKS MENU Monday Roast Beef, Horsetaiiish Sauce Sultana Pudtiing, Sweet Sauce, Tuesday Cold Roast Lamb and Salad Rice Pudding Wednesday I'eal and Ham Custard ami Stewed Prunes. Thursday Roast Lamb and Mint Sauce Gooseberry Tart. Friday Cold boild Beef and Salad Fig Pudding, IVhite 'Sauce. Saturday Chofis and Steaks Rhubarb Tart.