THE WORK FOUNDATION

The Work Foundation is a British not for profit foundation that provides Consultancy and Research to the UK business, governmental and not for profit community. It concentrates on improving both economic performance and quality of working life. It is currently one of the UK's biggest training organizations with as many members in financial services as its traditional manufacturing heartland.^[1] Its reports on various aspects of the labor market are often cited by the media.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]}

Contents

History

Notes

External links

History

On 3 April 1918 the Reverend Robert Hyde founded what was initially called The Boys’ Welfare Association. Prior to this he had worked with the poor of Hoxton, London - a deprived, slum area. As part of his work he has managed boys' clubs in London's East End. He joined the Ministry of Munitions during the first world war working as a civil servant dealing with the social conditions of the munitions workers. As a consequence he had gained firsthand experience of appalling workplace conditions.^[10]
As a result of his firsthand knowledge he sought to improve working conditions for the boys and young men employed in munitions plants. Hyde genuinely believed that benign employers and industrial harmony had the capacity to create as much wealth as harsh taskmasters and conflict. He also sought to provide 'provide proper facilities for the maximum enjoyment of the Workers' free time'.^[11]
In 1919 The Boys' Welfare Association changed its name to The Industrial Welfare Society; this signified an extension of its activities. Much of the Society’s work in the 1920s and 1930s involved the struggle for what is now considered very basic, such as employer-provided lunchrooms and restrooms. It was greatly helped by the willingness of Prince Albert to be President. He was very willing to involve himself through his own personal participation. He visited between 120 and 150 workplaces around the country between 1920 an and 1935. He organized and partially attended The Duke of York Boys’ Camps - camps set up for both working class and public school boys.^[12] In addition he attended or sent a letter to every annual meeting of the society until his accession to the throne as George VI in 1937, at which point he became the organization's Patron. The Industrial Society was granted a Royal Charter in 1984. Reverend Hyde continued as head of the Society until his retirement in 1949.
The Reverend’s replacement was John Marsh. In 1965 the name was shortened to "The Industrial Society".^[13] John Garnett took over as the third director. In 1994 Tony Morgan, took oversaw a series of rejuvenatory reforms. The failing financial circumstances of the society were remedied and training programs and conferences were instituted.^[14] In 2000 Will Hutton took over as director. The Industrial Society was in turn renamed The Work Foundation in 2002. The Work Foundation has HRH Prince Philip as its current Patron.^[15][16]

Notes

1. Industrial Society to sharpen its act with new name under Hutton
2. Outsourcing impact 'exaggerated'
3. Offshoring threat to jobs "exaggerated"
4. NATIONAL NEWS: Warning for workers over private equity firms
5. New dads get raw deal from bosses
6. UK's top companies work 42 per cent harder
7. Long hours get short shrift
8. Australia suffers as women get bad workplace deal: expert
9. Barrett leaves Barclays transformed and successful
10. Men Around Churchill By René Kraus
11. Britishness Since 1870 By Paul Ward
12. Royal Education: Past, Present and Future By Peter Gordon, Denis Lawton
13. Sources for the history of health and work by Vicky Long, Centre for the History of Medicine, University of Warwick.
14. The New Statesman Profile - The Industrial Society by Barbara Gunnell
15. A History of the Commonwealth Study Conferences by Ian Anderson and Joel Ruimy
16. The Industrial Society History

External links

★ The Work Foundation