And what we are learning about the role of trees
Here is an example of an explicitly discriminatory job ad from 1923 that reads “Italian need not apply.” Thankfully, this has all changed in 1964 with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
Sources: (Ranker) (NPR) (New Yorker) (Huff Post) (The Week) (Time)
See also: Biggest mistakes people make when applying for jobs
Or as Saru Jayaraman, co-founder of One Fair Wage and Restaurant Opportunities Center puts it: "the legacy of slavery that turned the tip in the United States from a bonus or extra on top of a wage, to a wage itself.”
Before discrimination laws were introduced, job ads were shockingly discriminatory. We’re talking about explicitly discriminating against a person’s background, sex, color, ethnicity, and religion.
In 1869, president Ulysses S. Grant managed to introduce the eight-hour workday for government workers, but it wasn’t until several unions and other workers organizations got involved, that things moved forward. Still, it wasn't until 1940 that Congress amended the Fair Labor Standards Act to establish the standard 40-hour work week.
In 1915 a few states actually abolished tipping. Georgia, for instance, considered them to be “commercial bribes.” The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 then allowed for employers to calculate wages based on tips their employees would receive, meaning they’d pay less because the employee would receive enough tips to make a full salary.
While many Americans work 40 hours a week nowadays, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, in the 1890s the average working hours for factory workers and builders were around 100 hours a week!
It turns out this “rule” is just a social norm with unknown origins. People used to work for an employee for their entire lives, so there was some degree of loyalty expected. Attitudes towards the amount of notice given before leaving a job have changed over the years, especially after the 2008 recession, when so many people lost their jobs overnight without notice.
Payroll taxes were introduced in 1942, but back then employers weren’t able to quickly transfer funds as they do now, so they needed extra time to process payroll taxes.
Newly freed slaves had trouble finding work, and many ended up in unpaid positions as restaurant workers or railroad porters. The positions were unpaid because employers claimed they’d get enough through tips.
But there’s more! Another theory about the origins of the coffee break goes back to 19th-century tobacco harvesting in Stoughton, Wisconsin. Two breaks were given to immigrant women to go home and do their chores.
Tipping is very much part of American culture. While it’s believed its origins date all the way back to medieval Europe, it was not until the mid-1800s that it gained strength stateside.
Even when it’s not mentioned in a contract, in the US it’s common courtesy to give employers two weeks' notice before leaving a job.
Companies introduced biweekly and monthly payments to gain enough time to process payroll taxes. This meant deducting the taxes from the workers’ paychecks and sending the money to the government.
Some sources claim that employees at Larkin Company (also in Buffalo, NY) were enjoying coffee breaks as early as 1901.
Coffee breaks are standard in most jobs, but what are its origins? One theory is that it began in 1902 at Barcalo Manufacturing in Buffalo, New York, where two coffee breaks per day were a way to increase employee satisfaction and boost productivity.
While not compulsory, some American employers do offer paid time off, though it’s generally up to two weeks, not quite the two or three months President Taft suggested.
Sadly, paid time off is not mandatory in the US as it is in many other countries around the world. But it’s not like many people haven’t tried to make it a law. In 1910, President William Taft actually suggested that all Americans should get two to three months off work to rest!
Have you ever wondered where the idea of casual Fridays came from? First, we need to go all the way back to 1962, when the Hawaiian Fashion Guild began to advocate that the "aloha” or “Hawaiian” shirt should be included in the business dress code. In 1966, Aloha Friday was implemented.
Julius Caesar knew the value of recruiting good soldiers, and who better to find talented soldiers than his own elite troops, right?
Then in 1902, J.P. Morgan & Co decided to pay them a bonus for their hard work at the end of the year. Nowadays this “gift” is very desirable, and a negotiable element in an employee’s contract across many industries.
Roman soldiers who successfully boosted Roman forces could expect to be paid a bonus equivalent to one-third of their annual salary.
Those who receive a holiday bonus can thank J.P. Morgan & Co for the idea. Throughout the 19th century, the investment banking company rewarded their employees yearly with food (or sometimes, watches).
After 20 years of service in a legion and five years in the military reserves, a soldier would be paid the equivalent of 13 times their annual salary. Today’s employers might not fear a revolt, but they sure want satisfied employees, and pensions play a role in this.
The founder of the Roman empire, Augustus Caesar, was a great leader who came up with a clever idea to discourage soldiers from trying to overthrow him. How did he do that? By paying them, of course.
President Harry Truman’s attempt to establish a universal healthcare system in the late 1940s wasn’t successful. However, during WWII, the government encouraged employers to give health coverage to their employees. This was initially tax-free…but then the IRS changed its mind.
Luckily, Dwight Eisenhower was then elected president and he made sure the health coverage remained tax-free. Today, employer-sponsored health insurance is a reality for many Americans.
In 1930, W.K. Kellogg introduced a six-hour workday for his employees. This, however, didn’t last. During WWII, a 48-hour work week was introduced.
In the early 1990s companies outside of Hawaii started to do casual Fridays. Then a 1992 Levi's marketing campaign which included a brochure called ‘A Guide to Casual Businesswear’ set the standard for what was acceptable to wear on casual Fridays.
The six-hour day at Kellogg's eventually returned after the war ended, but about a decade later the majority of employees actually wanted to work more hours. The six-hour workday came to an end in 1985.
It's safe to say we all welcome a coffee break at work. But where did this tradition come from? The same goes for things like pensions, bonuses, healthcare, and even the roots of 'casual Friday!'
In this gallery, we travel back in time and dig deep into the history of employment in America. Click through to find out why American workers now enjoy certain benefits and follow certain customs.
The origins of the 'coffee break' and other job traditions in the US
Most of them aren't found in HR handbooks!
LIFESTYLE History
It's safe to say we all welcome a coffee break at work. But where did this tradition come from? The same goes for things like pensions, bonuses, healthcare, and even the roots of 'casual Friday!'
In this gallery, we travel back in time and dig deep into the history of employment in America. Click through to find out why American workers now enjoy certain benefits and follow certain customs.