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TV*ehrrs Ci'tk'ije Libra?

/A3
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
WOMEN'S BUREAU
Bulletin No. 123

EMPLOYMENT
IN

HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS




UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
FRANCES PERKINS, Secretary

WOMEN’S BUREAU
MARY ANDERSON, Director

+

EMPLOYMENT IN
HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
By

HARRIET A. BYRNE

O/*-

5jTC3iO*,

Bulletin

of the

Women’s Bureau, No. 123

UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 1936

F,or sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington* D. C.




P.rice 15 cents




CONTENTS
Page

Letter of transmittal
vii
Part I. Introduction and summary
Introduction
Scope and method of study
National Recovery Administration codes______________________
Provisions of the hotel and restaurant codes___________________
Summary
Numbers included in study (March 1934)______________________
Hotels
Scheduled days per week
Hours worked in week
Earnings distribution
Median earnings
Restaurants
Scheduled days per week
Hours worked in week
10
Earnings distribution
11
Median earnings
12
Part II. Hotels
15
New York City:
Type and size of hotel
15
Number and type of employees
16
Hours
16
Wages------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Basis of payment
Weekly rates
Week’s earnings
Statements by employers
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A___
Overtime and part time
26
Tips
26
Uniforms
27
Middle West and Colorado:
Type and size of hotel
28
Number and type of employees
28
Hours
28
Wages
30
Basis of payment
30
Weekly rates
30
Week’s earnings__________________________________________
Statements by employers
34
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A__
Overtime and part time
35
Tips...................
Uniforms
35
California:
Type and size of hotel
36
Number and type of employees
36
Hours
36
Wages:________________________________________________________
Basis of payment
37
Weekly rates
37
Week’s earnings
38
Statements by employers
40
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A__
Overtime and part time
41
Tips
41
Uniforms
41




XII

1
1
1
4
5
7
7
7
7
7
8
8
9
9

18
19
19
20
26
26

31
34
35

37

40

IV

CONTENTS

Part II. Hotels—Continued.
The South:
Type and size of hotel
Number and type of employees
Hours_____________________
Wages*__________ ____________________________________________
Basis of payment-_______________________________________
Weekly rates
44
Week’s earnings
45
Statements by employers _
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A__
Overtime and part time
48
Tips
48
Uniforms
48
Part III. Restaurants
49
New York City:
Number and type of employees-----------------------------------------------Hours
49
Wages-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Basis of payment
51
Weekly rates
51
Week’s earnings_________
Statements by employers
58
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. II. A—
Overtime and part time
59
Tips.—_____
Uniforms
59
Connecticut:
Number and type of employees-----------------------------------------------Hours
Wages
Basis of payment
Weekly rates
Week’s earnings
Statements by employers•-------------------------------------------------------Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A__
Overtime and part time_____________________
Tips_____________________________________________________
Uniforms-.
67
Middle West and Colorado:
Number and type of employees-----------------------------------------------Hours
Wages
Basis of payment
Weekly rates
Week’s earnings
Statements by employers--------------------------------------------------------Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. AOvertime and part time
77
Tips
77
Uniforms
78
Kansas and Missouri:
Number and type of employees
79
Hours
79
Wages
81
Basis of payment________________________________________
Weekly rates
Week’s earnings
Statements by employers
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. AOvertime and part time
Tips
Uniforms________________________
California:
Number and type of employees----------------------------------------------Hours
85




Pag*
42
42
42
44
44
48
48

49
51
52
58
59
61
61
64
64
64
65
67
67
67
67
69
69
72
72
72
73
77
77

81
81
81
84
84
84
84
84
85

r

CONTENTS
Part III. Restaurants—Continued.
California—Continued.
Wages
87
Basis of payment
87
Weekly rates
87
Week’s earnings
88
Statements by employers
92
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A_
Overtime and part time
92
Tips
93
Uniforms
93
The South:
Number and type of employees
94
Hours
94
Wages
90
Basis of payment
90
Weekly rates
96
Week’s earnings
98
Statements by employers
101
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A_
Overtime and part time
101
TipsUniforms
Appendix—Schedule forms

V
ra-e

92

101
101
101
102

TEXT TABLES
1. Number and type of employees in hotels and restaurants on late and
early pay rolls, by sex and locality
2. Minimum rates established by codes for employees in hotel and restau­
rant industries
3. Hours worked in week of late and early pay rolls, by sex of employees—
Hotels, New York City
16
4. Distribution of employee-days of women and men on late pay rolls,
by hours of work and by spread of hours—Hotels, New York Citv_
5. Earnings distribution of women and men on late and early pay rolls,
by type of employees—Hotels, New York City___________________
6. Earnings distribution of women and men on late pay rolls, by hours
worked—Hotels, New York City
22
7. Median of the week’s earnings of service and nonservice women and
men on late and early pay rolls, according to additions in the form
of meals and lodging—Hotels, New York City___________________
8. Median earnings and hours worked, women and men on late and early
pay rolls—Hotels, New York City
26
9. Hours worked in week of late and early pay rolls, by sex of employees—
Restaurants, New York City
49
10. Distribution of employee-days of women and men on late pay rolls, by
hours of work and by spread of hours—Restaurants, New York
City
60
11. Earnings distribution of women and men on late and early pay rolls,
by type of employees—Restaurants, New York City_____________
12. Earnings distribution of women and men, service and nonservice
workers, by hours worked—Restaurants, New York City_________
13. Median of the week’s earnings of service and nonservice women and
men on late and early pay rolls according to additions in the form
of meals, by type of employees—Restaurants, New York City____
14. Median earnings and hours -worked, women and men on late and early
pay rolls, by type of employees—Restaurants, New York City____




2
6

18
22

24

53
55
56
57




LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
United States Department op Labor,
Women’s Bureau,

Washington, September 18, 1936.
I have the honor to transmit a report on the wages and
hours and certain employment conditions in hotels and restaurants,
two of the chief woman-employing industries in the United States.
The study was made in response to a request of the Hotel and Res­
taurant Employees’ and Beverage Dispensers’ International Alliance.
. Important information is presented for a number of localities regard­
ing the actual hours of work in relation to the day’s spread of hours,
week’s earnings correlated with hours worked, and supplements to
wages in the form of meals and lodging. Employers’ policies regard­
ing overtime and part time, tips, and uniforms are touched upon.
I acknowledge with grateful appreciation the courtesy of the
employing establishments in supplying the information requested
and giving access to their pay rolls.
The report has been written by Harriet A. Byrne, assistant editor.
Respectfully submitted.
Mary Anderson, Director.
Hon. Frances Perkins,
Secretary of Labor.
Madam:




VII

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND
RESTAURANTS
Part I.—INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
In the spring of 1934 the Women’s Bureau made a survey of em­
ployment in hotels and restaurants. The work of women in these
industries has been included in the following State studies made by
the Bureau over a number of years: Arkansas, Delaware, Florida,
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, and Oklahoma.
Estimates of numbers employed in both these industries in 1933
showed there were between 1% and IK million workers in the restau­
rant industry and about one-third of a million in hotels. Since these
figures are not given by sex, the latest statistics as to number of
women employed in both industries are those available from the 1930
census, which follow.1
Hotels, restaurants, boarding houses, etc.'1
Total females employed in occupations listed below----------------------------- 412, 969
Cooks 94, 252
Other servants 109, 124
Waitresses 209, 593

Scope and method of study.
The survey, as planned in response to a request from the Hotel
and Restaurant Employees’ and Beverage Dispensers’ International
Alliance, was one of hours, wages, and working conditions of hotel
and restaurant employees. The information collected was used in
the rehearing of the codes and also for minimum-wage purposes in
some States.
_
Since one of the purposes of this hotel and restaurant survey was
to provide facts for presentation when the codes were reopened, some­
what the same geographic and exactly the same population groups
as used for the codes were retained in the tabulation of the data
and will be discussed here. Though only three major geographic
groups were made by the codes, namely, the North, the South, and
Kansas and Missouri, the material secured in this study has been
tabulated for six divisions. These are the South, Kansas and Mis­
souri, and the North subdivided into four sections, New York City,
Connecticut, Middle West and Colorado, and California.* i
i U. S. Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census, 1930. Population, vol. V, Occupations, p. 580.
i Included are women employed in boarding houses, college dormitories, hospitals, and other kindred
institutions.




1

to

Table 1.—Number and type of employees in hotels and restaurants on late and early pay rolls, by sex and locality
Men

Women

Total employees

Early
Total

Service

Non­
service

Total

Serviee

sm-fce

Total

Service

Non­
service

Total

Service

Non­
service

HOTELS
Total................................................................

4,764

4,293

12,493

1,150

1,243

i 2, 259

993

1,175

1 2,271

1,070

1,103

i 2, 034

939

1,004

New York City—Total...................................... -

1,605

1,442

845

523

322

742

452

290

760

385

375

700

351

349

198

182

100

Middle West and Colorado—Total........... —

795

785

455

207

248

454

203

251

340

170

170

331

163

168

Class 3.................................................................

207
371
217

244
335
206

107
225
123

62
99
46

45
126
77

136
196
122

83
71
49

53
125
73

100
146
94

35
75
60

65
71
34

108
139
84

34
75
54

74
64
30

Kansas and Missouri—Total3......................... -

393

366

187

102

85

181

94

87

206

107

99

185

98

87

255

90

165

218

75

143

87
100
31

28
34
13

59
66
18

91

91

98

California—Total................................................ - -

537

464

282

136

146

246

107

139'

Class 1_________ __________________ —
Class 2...... ................. ........................... .............
Class 3----------------- ---------------------------------

231
224
82

191
203
70

125
110
47

69
31
36

56
79
11

104
103
39

53
26
28

51
77
11

106
114
35

37
36
17

69
78
18

South—Total......................................................... -

1,236

1,054

624

182

442

545

137

408

612

318

294

509

252

257

Class 2
Class 3______________ ______ ___________
Class 4...... ............................. ............. ...............

567
559
110

483
487
84

301
275
48

129
17
36

172
258
12

259
245
41

96
13
28

163
232
13

266
284
62

112
157
49

154
127
13

224
242
43

93
122
37

131
120
6




EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

Late

Early

Late

Early

Late

Locality and population class of city

«

RESTAURANTS
Total.................................................. ...........

11,978

10, 754

New York City—Total -

2,000

Connecticut—Total________ ____ __________

1,036

Class 3_______________________ ____ Class 4........................ .......................--Class 5............................................................... .
Middle West and Colorado—Total

2, 638

1,785

754

483

959

471

228

698
216
122

651
191
117

302
114
55

131
58
39

2,382

2,233

1,266

585

5,052

2,447

2,605

6,472

1,508

271

703

438

265

1, 246

243

423

213

210

565

171
56
16

276
97
50

131
48
34

145
49
16

681

1,201

590

611

2,868

1, 082

342

740

469

536

95

441

396
102
67

77
12
7

319
90
60

375
94
67

81
12
2

294
82
65

1,116

233

883

1,032

219

813
201
362
99
151

401

62

339

353

48

305

227
112
62

31
19
12

196
93
50

206
88
59

24
9
15

182
79
44

1, 436

228

1,208

1,324

226

1,098

642
268
213
187
126

104
44
52
10
18

538
224
161
177
108

572
248
211
172
121

101
39
53
11
22

471
209
158
161
99

617

1, 708

492

1, 216

1,375

371

1,004

267
104
225
21

766
225
566
151

254
51
143
44

512
174
423
107

578
209
470
118

176
48
113
34

402
161
357
84

58
260
80
187

106
341
108
126

164
554
201
282

71
252
95
172

93
302
103
110

Kansas and Missouri—Total........ .....................

938

871

537

174

363

518

152

366

Class 1.................. ........................... ............. ..
Class 2_____ ____ ___________ _ ___ __ .
Class 4 _____________________________ -

484
295
159

462
256
153

257
183
97

87
53
34

170
130
63

256
168
94

73
42
37

183
126
57

2,576

2,411

1,140

606

534

1,087

551

536

1,115
486
3^8
365
262

1,04S
436
343
343
241

473
218
135
178
136

217
108
71
104
106

256
110
64
74
30

476
188
132
171
120

208
86
70
99
88

268
102
62
72
32

3,046

2,495

1, 338

562

776

1,120

503

1,310
465
1,012
259

1,037
410
855
193

544
240
446
108

194
114
177
77

350
126
269
31

459
201
385
75

192
97
160
54

Class 2............ ......... ................................. .........
Class 3------------------ ------------------------------Class 4........................................................ ........
Class 5________________ _________ ______

849

96

324
420
113
175

164
601
188
313

The South—Total_____ ______ ____________

397

196
401
102
184

488
974
314
457

1------ ------- -----------------------------------2-------------------------------------------------3________________ _______________
4__________________________
5---- ------------------------------------------

1, 301

118
71
19
25

478
1,073
309
522

Class
Class
Class
Class
Class

5,702

123
58
14
24

1...................... ................... ............... ........
2.......... ............. ............ ....... ............. ..
3_____________________ ______ ____
4 ___________________________ _

California—Total____ _____________________

4,401

4,964

314
472
121
209

INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

Class
Class
Class
Class

5,506

> Details aggregate less than total because service and nonservice workers are not shown separately in Connecticut.
* Connecticut and Kansas and Missouri are not discussed in the hotel section, part II of this report. Their hotel restaurants are included with all restaurants in part III.




CO

4

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

In all, 20 States were included in the study made in the spring of
1934. In the section designated as the Middle West and Colorado,
the States included were Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and
Colorado. Among the 10 Southern States covered were 6 South
Atlantic States—Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Georgia; 3 East South Central—Kentucky,
Alabama, and Mississippi; and 1 West South Central—Louisiana.
The additional five States are those already mentioned—New York,
Connecticut, Kansas, Missouri, and California.
Within each of the six geographic subdivisions further classification
as to size of city according to code provisions has been made. In
order to make the discussion by size of city less complicated, those of
specified population included in the survey of the hotel and restaurant
industries will be classified as follows:
Hotels
Population of city:
Over 500,000______________
100.000 to 500,000________
25.000 to 100,000_________
2,500 to 25,000____________
Less than 2,500___________

Class

1
2
3
4
5

Restaurants
Population of city:
Over 500,000_____________
250.000 to 500,000________
100.000 to 250,000________
25.000 to 100,000_________
10.000 to 25,000__________
Less than 10,000_________

Class

1
2
3
4
5
6

Due to the immediate urgency of the study and the purpose for
which it was made, only two types of information were secured.
One of these comprised data obtained through interviews with
employers and the other consisted of records of individual workers
copied from the pay rolls as to rates, earnings, and hours.
Hotels included in the study had at least 10 guest rooms available
for lodging and were equipped to accommodate guests in at least
25 percent of their rooms without prior agreement as to the duration
of occupancy. Data were secured for all women and men employees
in hotels except clerical and executive workers and those employed
in the laundries, beauty parlors, or mercantile departments.
Only restaurants that served at least 10 people a day were sched­
uled. Restaurants where only men were employed were not included,
except in cases where there were several restaurants in a hotel, some
of which employed women.
Pay-roll data were secured for two periods—one a full-time pay
period in May 1933 and one a full-time pay period including March
15, 1934.
At the time of late pay roll, 121 hotels employing 4,764 women
and men and 529 restaurants with 11,978 workers were scheduled.
Table 1 shows by locality the numbers of Women and men of each
type (service receiving tips, nonservice, no tips) for whom data were
secured on early and late pay rolls.
Hotels in Connecticut and Kansas and Missouri are not discussed
in this report, though their restaurants are included in the restaurant
section, part III. Only the tables for New York City appear in the
hotel and restaurant sections of this report. Tables for other locali­
ties are available in the Women’s Bureau.
National Recovery Administration codes.
The National Industrial Recovery Act was passed “to put the
people back to work * * * to start our business at a living rate
again.” Codes of fair competition in industry were to be formulated,



PART I.—INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

5

presented, and approved. As a temporary expedient until codes could
be prepared the President’s Reemployment Agreement, commonly
spoken of as the P. R. A., was made effective. The hotels and res­
taurants operated under the P. R. A., each industry setting wage
and hour minimums until such time as codes for the respective indus­
tries were approved. The code for the hotel industry was approved
on November 17, 1933, and that for the restaurant industry on
February 16, 1934.
_
According to statements made at the time the codes were presented,
the hotel industry comprised about 20,000 hotels, employing about
one-third of a million persons in September 1933. The enormity of
the restaurant industry is well known; it was said to comprise at
least 450,000 units, and to employ between 1% and 1% million persons
in 1933.
Provisions of the hotel and restaurant codes.
Hours.—The maximum hours set by the restaurant code were the
same as those set in the amendment to the P. R. A. for the restaurant
industry: 48 hours for women and 54 hours for men. No difference
was made in the maximum hours for women and men employed in
hotels; for both sexes they were 54. Concessions were made in the
way of longer hours for short periods during the year in both codes.
In both industries the spread of hours from the beginning to the
termination of the time worked by an employee in any 24-hour period
was limited to 12, with not more than one interval off duty.
Minimum-wage rates.—In establishing wage rates the restaurant
code distinguished between the two types of employees, one group
the service workers, or those who received tips, and the other the
nonservice workers. In the hotel industry no distinction was made
as to type of service, though, as this report shows, cognizance was
taken of the fact that service employees in hotels would receive tips
from guests for services rendered.
Though there had been serious opposition at the time of hearings
on the codes to the sectional and population differentials in the pro­
posed wage rates, the minimum-wage rates set in both codes varied
with size of city and section of country. In all the rates established
in both codes a reduction of 10 percent was allowed in Kansas and
Missouri and of 15 percent in the South.
The minimum wages set for clerical and operating employees in
hotels in the North ranged from $15 in cities of over 500,000 popula­
tion to $10 in towns of from 2,500 to 25,000 population. No mini­
mum was fixed for the small places, those of under 2,500. The rates
specified for cities of 25,000 and over were for a 54-hour week. As
stated, a reduction of 10 percent from the rates prescribed in the
North was permitted in Kansas and Missouri, and 15 percent in
the South. In this connection attention is called to the fact that for
Kansas and Missouri, where a reduction was permitted, unpublished
figures show the median week’s earnings of a group of service men
to be $1.35.
.
As will be seen from table 2, the rates set for service employees m
restaurants by the approved code were much below those for the
nonservice employees. The rates paid women were the same as those
paid men, but the minimum wages were lower, owing to the difference
in maximum hours, 54 for the men and 48 for the women. In cities
of the largest size the minimum rate for men nonservice employees



6

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

working a 54-hour week was $15. In the three groups of cities next
following, according to size, the minimum rate was decreased by 50
cents for each group, bringing the amount for cities of 25,000 to
100,000 down to $13.50. The next two decreases for nonservice men
were 75 cents each, bringing the minimum to $12 for men in towns
of less than 10,000.
For nonservice women working a corresponding 48-hour week, the
earnings were proportionately lower, that is, in cities of the largest
size, eight-ninths of $15, or $13.33. Minimum-wage rates for women
in the other groups of cities bore this same relation to the rates
established for men. In other words, equal pay for equal time worked,
but a lower maximum of time worked by women. (See table 2.)
. For the service employees much lower minimum rates were estab­
lished, with the expectation that tips received would bring these minimums at least up to those established for the nonservice groups. The
highest minimum for men service employees was $10.50 for those in
the largest cities, and the lowest was $9.50 for those in the smallest
cities. In every case the minimum rate for women was eight-ninths
of that established for men.
Table 2.—Minimum rates established by codes for employees1 in hotel and restau­
rant industries
Hotel industry

Size of city

Over 500,000........ .......................
100.000 to 500,000.....................
25.000 to 100,000........................
2,500 to 25,000
Less than 2,500..........................

Restaurant industry3

Service
and notiservice
employees
(women
and men)
$15.00
14.00
13.00
10.00
0

Service

Nonservice

Size of city
Women

250.000 to 500,000...................
100.000 to 250,000................. .
25.000 to 100,000
10,000 to 25,000.......................
Less than 10,000..................

$9. 33
9.33
9.11
9.11
8.89
8.44

Men

Women

$10.50
10.50
10.25
10. 25
10.00
9.50

$13.33
12. 89
12. 44
12.00
11.33
10.67

Men

$15.00
14.50
14.00
13. 50
12.75
12.00

■ The minimum rates for service and nonservice women and men in hotels and for service and non­
service men in restaurants are for a 54-hour week; for service and nonservice women in restaurants they
are for a 48-hour week.
1 Figures as they appear are for the North; 16 percent reduction is allowed for the South, 10 percent for
Kansas and Missouri.
* The code for the hotel industry fixed no minimum for places of less than 2,500 population.

Deductions—meals, lodging, and uniforms.-—According to a pro­
vision of the code for the restaurant industry, a charge could be
made of 25 cents for each meal given an employee up to $3 a week,
the maximum permitted, and $2.50 a week for lodging. In the hotel
code a charge of 25 cents was allowed for each meal the employee
had, thus allowing a maximum of $5.25 a week, and $2.50 a week for
lodging. The deductions permitted were the same regardless of
section of country or size of city, though, as was pointed out by many
at the hearings, the minimum rates set varied with both these factors.
In the code for the restaurant industry no deductions from the
minimum wage other than those described for meals and lodging and
uniforms, where agreement had been made between employer and
employee, were to he allowed.
In regard to uniforms, the restaurant code prescribed that the
maximum charge for such garments for both men and women should




Y

PART I.—INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

not exceed $5 unless, in the case of a man, the uniform was of standard
design and might be used in doing the same work for other employers,
in which case its price should not exceed $20. A charge not to exceed
25 cents for each laundering, payable to the employer by the employee,
was allowed.
Due to the different hour and wage provisions of the codes for
both industries, each will be treated in a separate section in the report.
SUMMARY
Note.—For numbers of employees in the various localities see table 1

Numbers included in study (March 1934):

121 hotels with 4,764 employees.
529 restaurants with 11,978 employees.
HOTELS
Percent with a scheduled week of—

Scheduled days per week:

New York City
Middle West and Colorado:
Class 1 (Chicago)
Class 2 (6 cities)
Class 3 (6 cities)
California:
Class 1 (Los Angeles
and San Francisco)__
Class 2 (Oakland and
San Diego)
The South:
Class 2 (6 cities)
Class 3 (11 cities)

6 days or
7 days
less
Women

6 days or
less

7 days

Men

94. 2

5. 8

96. 5

3.5

100. 0
98. 0
81. 5

2. 6
18. 5

100. 0
94. 2
71. 1

5. 8
28.9

100. 0

—

100. 0

—

100. 0

—

98. 0

1. 9

72. 0
86. 7

28. 0
13.3

65. 2
71. 2

34. 8
28. 8

Percent who worked—

Hours worked in week:

New York City:
Women
Men
Middle West and Colorado:
Class 1 (Chicago):
Women
Men
Class 2 (6 cities):
Women
Men
Class 3 (6 cities):
Women
Men
California:
Class 2 (Oakland and
San Diego):
Women
Men




Less than
40 hours

40, less
than 48
hours

48, less
than 54
hour8

54 hours
and more

9. 1
6.6

60. 3
27.0

27. 8
52.0

2.8
14.4

26. 5
6.3

52. 9
24. 0

20. 6
54. 2

15.6

22. 5
7. 1

36. 3
4. 1

39.6
63. 3

1. 6
25. 5

21. 8
14. 3

38.6
5.7

25.7
38.6

13. 9
41.4

48. 0
6. 6

14. 7
11. 3

37.3
31. 1

___9
50.

8

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
HOTELS—Continued
Percent who worked—

Hours worked in week—Continued

The South:
Class 2 (6 cities):
Women__30.5
Men____________
Class 3 (11 cities):
Women
__
Men_
Earnings distribution:

Less than,
40 hours

40, less
than 48
hour8

48, less
than 54
hour8

54 hours
and more

6,8

25. 3
5,6

39. 9
31.6

4. 3
55. 9

9.3
6. 9

27. 5
11. 9

42. 9
33. 3

20. 3
47. 8

Percent* who earned—
Less
than $5

New York City:
Women
2. 5
Men
10. 1
Middle West and Colorado:
Class 1 (Chicago):
Women
1. 9
Men
17. 0
Class 2 (6 cities):
Women________
12. 4
Men 32. 2
Class 3 (6 cities):
Women________
17. 1
Men 31.9
California:
Class 1 (Los Angeles and
San Francisco):
3. 2
Women________
Men___________
5. 7
Class 2 (Oakland and
San Diego):
Women_________ 2. 7
Men 14. 0
The South:
Class 2 (6 cities):
Women________
4. 7
Men 38. 0
Class 3 (11 cities):
Women________
12. 4
Men 37. 7
Median earnings:

New York City:
Women____________
Men_______________
Middle West and Colorado:
Class 1 (Chicago):
Women________
Men___________
Class 2 (6 cities):
Women________
Men___________

$5, less
than $10

$10, less
than $15

$15 and
more

38. 2
18. 0

52. 3
30. 5

6. 7
41. 2

23.4
11. 0

60. 7
41. 0

14. 0
31. 0

33. 9
31. 5

50. 2
28. 1

8. 2

35. 8
38. 3

42. 3
14. 9

4. 9
8. 5

24. 0
32. 1

9. 6
40. 6

63.2
19. 8

14. 5
38. 6

54. 5
26. 3

28. 2

81. 7
29. 3

12. 6

1. 0

27. 8

4. 9

60. 0
42. 6

3. 6

20. 2

22. 2

5. 5

13. 0

2. 1

Median earnings 4 of—■
All em­
ployees

Service
employees

$10. 60
13. 70

$9. 90
10. 25

11. 80
13. 45

11. 40

10. 20

10. 35
4. 65

7. 15

Nonservice
employees

$11. 35
15. 45

14.40
9. 50
12. 95

8 In cases where details do not aggregate 100, a negligible number of employees received no cash i
4 Medians not computed where base less than 50.




9

PART I.—INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY
HOTELS—Continued
Median earnings—Continued.

Middle West and Colorado—
Continued.
Class 3 (6 cities):
Women____
Men______
California:
Class 1 (Los Angeles and
San Francisco):
Women
Men
Class 2 (Oakland and San
Diego):
Women
Men
The South:
Class 2 (6 cities):
Women
Men
Class 3 (11 cities):
Women
Men

Median earnings of—
All employees

Service
employees

Nonservice
employees

$9. 55
5.70

____
$5. 15

$9.25
_____

16. 25
10.85

13. 50
____

17. 00
11.85

13.70
8.90

____
____

13.90
11.40

8. 30
8. 10

8. 60
2. 95

8. 20
10. 15

8.25
5. 50

_____
3. 15

8.55
8. 80

RESTAURANTS
Percent of employees with
a scheduled week of—

Scheduled days per week:

98. 8
New York City
Connecticut:
Class 3 (3 cities)_________________
Class 4 (6 cities)__________________
Class 5 (7 cities)__________________
Middle West and Colorado:
Class 1 (Chicago)_________________
Class 2 (4 cities);_________________
Class 3 (3 cities)_________________
Class 4 (6 cities)_________________
Kansas and Missouri:
Class 1 (St. Louis)
100.0
Class 2 (Kansas City, Mo.)________
Class 4 (Topeka and St. Joseph)____
California:
Class 1 (Los Angeles and San Francisco),
Class 2 (Oakland)________________
Class 3 (San Diego)_______________
Class 4 (5 cities)__________________
Class 5 (8 cities)_________________
The South:
Class 2 (4 cities)__________________
Class 3 (Norfolk and Richmond)_____
Class 4 (11 cities)_________________
Class 5 (11 cities)_________________
98163°—36----- 2




or "JZ

7

days

1.2
96. 4
97. 7
82. 0

3. 6
2. 3
18. 0

99.2
98. 1
81. 6
82.0

.8
1. 9
18. 4
18.0

99. 3
92. 5

___
,7
7. 5

94.7
93. 0
94.8
88. 5
90. 1

5.3
7. 0
5.2
11. 5
9. 9

95. 9
83. 7
85.6
72. 6

4. 1
16. 3
14.4
27. 4

10

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
RESTAURANTS—Continued
Percent of women who worked—

Hours worked in week:

Less than
40 hour8

New York City
Connecticut:
Class 3 (3 cities)
Class 4 (6 cities)
Middle West and Colorado:
Class 1 (Chicago)
Class 2 (4 cities)
Class 3 (3 cities)
Class 4 (6 cities)---------Kansas and Missouri:
Class 1 (St. Louis)
Class 2 (Kansas City, Mo.).
Class 4 (Topeka and St.
Joseph)
California:
Class 1 (Los Angeles and
San Francisco)
Class 2 (Oakland)
Class 3 (San Diego)
Class 4 (5 cities)
Class 5 (8 cities)
The South:
Class 2 (4 cities)---------Class 3 (Norfolk and Rich­
mond)
Class 4 (11 cities)
Class 5 (11 cities)

40, less
than 48
hours

48 hour8

More than
48 hour8

57. 3

19.4

19. 0

4.2

35. 8
33. 9

29. 1
30. 3

29. 8
28.4

5.3
7. 3

31. 2
35. 9
21. 7
35. 8

30.5
34. 1
22. 8
21. 8

29.2
27. 1
21. 7
33, 8

35. 3
36. 3

15. 1
14. 0

49. 2
47.4

.4
2. 3

17. 0

44. 7

31. 9

6.4

43. 8
41. 9
37. 6
48. 1
42.4

21. 3
17. 6
12.8
15. 2
33. 3

33.
36.
48.
34.
21.

8
7
9
2
2

1. 1
3. 8
.8
2. 5
3. 0

39.4

21. 2

37. 8

1. 6

33. 1
28. 9
5. 2

15. 7
22. 7
13. 5
0

37. 8
37. 1
68. 8

13.4
11.3
12. 5

9.
2.
33.
8.

1
9
9
5

Percent of men who worked—
40, less
Less than than 48
> hour8 h0UT8

New York City
Connecticut:
Class 3 (3 cities)---------Class 4 (6 cities)_______
Class 5 (7 cities)_______
Middle West and Colorado:
Class 1 (Chicago)
Class 2 (4 cities)---------Class 3 (3 cities)_______
Class 4 (6 cities)
Kansas and Missouri:
Class 1 (St. Louis)_____
Class 2 (Kansas City,
Mo.)
Class 4 (Topeka and St.
Joseph)




48, less
than 54
hours

54
hours

More
than 54
hours

23. 7

10. 1

29. 0

27. 3

9. 8

20. 6
18. 0
3. 6

13.8
6. 7
7.3

24. 0 31.9
11. 2 44. 9
18.2 25.5

9. 7
19. 1
45. 5

21. 3
20. 9
23. 2
14. 5

16.
11.
9.
6.

0
7
8
1

43. 3
29.4
17. 9
27. 9

16.
34.
24.
25.

4
5
1
7

3.0
3. 6
25. 0
25. 7

12. 6

11. 2

28.2

48. 1

—

32.5

6.0

18. 1

36. 1

7.2

12. 5

3.6

46.4

28. 6

8. 9

11

PART I.—INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY
RESTAURANTS—Continued
Hours worked in week—Continued.

_________ Percent of men who worked—

California:
Less than
Class 1 (Los Angeles and 40 hours
San Francisco)
15. 3
Class 2 (Oakland)
24. 8
Class 3 (San Diego)____ 25. 4
Class 4 (5 cities)
17. 4
Class 5 (8 cities)
27. 6
The South:
Class 2 (4 cities)
20. 2
Class 3 (Norfolk and
Richmond)
14. 5
Class 4 (11 cities)
13. 1
Class 5 (11 cities)______
8. 0

40f less 48, less
than 48 than 54
hours
hours

54
hours

More
than 54
hour8

14. 4 35. 5
12. 6 28. 3
13.4 13.4
11.4 32. 3
18. 1 32.4

29. 5
27. 6
38.3
14. 4
20.0

5.3
6.7
9. 5
24. 6
1.9

11.3

39. 0

4.4

33. 3 37. 1
26. 1 38. 0
13. 0 58. 7

10.8
13. 5
16.7

4.3
9.3
3. 6

25. 1

Percent * who earned—

Earnings distribution:

Less than
$5

$5, less
than $10

31. 2
10.3

36. 2
17. 7

16.0
32. 7

16.0
39. 3

Women
Men

17. 2
7. 8

42. 1
19. 7

34. 8
41.4

6. 0
31. 1

Women
Men

14. 0
5. 9

40.4
15. 7

37. 7
47. 1

7. 9
31.4

Women
Men
Middle West and Colorado:
Class 1 (Chicago):
Women
Men
Class 2 (4 cities):
Women
Men
Class 3 (3 cities):
Women
Men
Class 4 (6 cities):
Women
Men
Kansas and Missouri:
Class 1 (St. Louis):
Women
Men
Class 2 (Kansas City,
Mo.):
Women
Men

18.2
9. 0

67. 3
6. 0

12. 7
40.3

1.8
44.8

21. 3
6.4

35.4
23. 9

34. 8
38. 9

8. 5
30. 9

17. 3
10. 0

55. 6
30. 3

20. 5
37. 1

6. 0
21. 2

9.0
12. 4

67. 6
27. 3

18. 1
40. 5

5.3
19.8

23. 3
11. 0

56. 9
30.6

15. 3
35.4

4. 5
21. 1

16. 3
9. 7

25. 3
20. 7

54. 5
49.8

3.9
19.8

35.0
18. 7

38.3
57. 1

21. 3
15. 2

5. 5
8.0

New York City:
Women
Men
Connecticut:
Class 3 (3 cities):
Class 4 (6 cities):
Class 5 (7 cities):

$10, less
than $15

$15 and
more

‘In cases where details do not aggregate 100, a negligible number of employees received no cash wage.




12

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
RESTAURANTS—Continued

Earnings distribution—Continued.

Kansas and Missouri—Con.
Class 4 (Topeka and St. Less than
Joseph):
ts
Women _
_
10. 3
9. 7
Men _ _ _
California:
Class 1 (Los Angeles and
San Francisco):
Women
11.4
Men
_
5. 6
Class 2 (Oakland):
Women
7. 8
Men
16. 0
Class 3 (San Diego):
Women _
8. 1
Men
9.4
Class 4 (5 cities):
Women
12.4
Men
_
9. 6
Class 5 (8 cities):
Women
13. 2
Men____
4.8
The South:
Class 2 (4 cities):
33. 5
Women
Men
14. 1
Class 3 (Norfolk and
Richmond):
Women
. 32. 1
Men
_
6. 7
Class 4 (11 cities):
Women.
_
29. 4
Men _ _
13.4
Class 5 (11 cities):
Women
14. 8
Men
_ _ _ __ 11. 9

Percent who earned—
$15 and
more

$5, less
than $10

$10. less
than $15

67. 0
51. 6

21. 6
24. 2

l. o
14. 5

29. 6
12. 9

43. 6
42.8

15. 4
38. 6

27. 5
20. 9

33. 0
35. 1

31. 7
28. 0

27.4
20. 2

47.4
38. 5

17. 0
31. 9

25. 8
15. 0

38. 8
32. 6

23. 0
42. 8

16. 2
10. 3

38. 2
34. 1

30. 1
50.8

44. 3
51. 2

19. 1
21. 0

3. 1
13.7

59. 2
55. 1

7. 1
24. 9

1. 7
13. 3

55. 6
53. 0

11. 0
18.4

2. 9
13.4

79. 6
63. 6

5. 6
17. 9

6. 6

Median earnings 4 of-

Median earnings:

New York City:
Women
Men.. .
Connecticut:
Class 3 (3 cities):
Women
Men
Class 4 (6 cities):
Women
Men
Class 5 (7 cities):
Women
Men

All
employees

Nonservice
employees

_

$6. 60
13.05

$5. 15
8. 05

$13. 05
14. 75

_
.

8.95
12.00

6. 60
7. 50

10. 35

.
_

9.25
12.35

7. 05

10. 50
13. 15

_ _
-.

6.. 85
12.45

< Medians not computed where base less than 50.




Service
employees

12. 20

12.40

PART I.--- INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

13

RESTAURANTS—Continued

Median earnings—Continued.
Middle West and Colorado:
Class 1 (Chicago):
Women _
__
Men _
_
Class 2 (4 cities):
Women
Men
.
Kansas and Missouri:
Class 1 (St. Louis):
Women___
_
Men
__
_
Class2 (KansasCity,Mo.):
Women____
_ _
Men
_
Class 4 (Topeka and St.
Joseph):
Women _
__
Men
_
__
_
California:
Class 1 (Los Angeles and
San Francisco):
Women
___
_
Men _
__
Class 2 (Oakland):
Women
Men
Class 3 (San Diego):
Women__ _
_
Men .
_
_
Class 4 (5 cities):
Women
_
_
Men_
Class 5 (8 cities):
Women
._
Men
_ _ _
___
The South:
Class 2 (4 cities):
Women
_
__
Men
._
_
Class 3 (Norfolk and
Richmond):
Women _
_
Men__ ..
_
Class 4 (11 cities):
Women
__
Men___ _
._ _
Class 5 (11 cities):
Women _
Men . _ _
_
_




Nonservice

employees

employees
$9. 80
12. 15

employees
$4. 75
8. 85

8. 25
10. 90

6. 40
9. 85

9. 60
11. 15

10. 55
10. 80

5. 15

10. 80
10. 95

7. 50
8. 50

3. 50

8. 35
9. 60

7. 80
8. 15

$11. 20

13. 15

9. 10
8. 35

10. 60
12. 50

8. 35
11. 90

12. 05
13. 65

11. 80
11. 95

10. 70

13. 05
12. 35

11. 05
12. 85

10. 70
9. 50

11. 50
14. 20

12. 10
13. 75

10. 20

13. 10
13. 75

12. 50
15. 15

12. 40

6. 60
8. 90

4. 20
6. 65

8. 40
9. 65

6. 65
8. 75

4. 95
8.45

8. 40
8. 85

6. 55
7. 90

5. 30
6. 10

7. 45
8. 35

6. 65
7. 45

6. 75

15. 50

7. 15




Part II.—HOTELS
NEW YORK CITY
The employees reported on in this part of the study are those in
hotels, exclusive of hotel restaurants. The men and women in hotel
restaurants^—dining room and kitchen workers—in New York City,
as well as in all other localities, will be discussed in the section on
restaurants. (See pp. 49 to 60.) It is customary in a report of this
kind to combine all types of restaurants, regardless of location, and
in the present instance there is an additional reason for so doing,
because hotel restaurants were placed under the restaurant code in
its approved form.
The Department of Labor in New York State made a much more
extensive survey of women and minor workers in hotels and restau­
rants in the State during the spring and summer of 1934, with the
data secured in this survey as a nucleus. This larger study covered
about 16,300 women employees. The report of this survey, most of
the tabulations for which were made by the Women’s Bureau, was
prepared especially for minimum-wage legislation. A copy of this
report is now available in mimeographed form in three volumes, one
of text and two of statistical data.1
Mention should be made here that a report of the hotel and res­
taurant wage board affecting 60,000 women and minors in hotels
and restaurants in New York State was approved by the State indus­
trial commissioner, December 6, 1935, but no order embodying the
rates set has been issued. The rates established, with population
and type of service differentials, were as follows:
Size of city
Over 200,000
10,000 to 200,000...............

Service employees 12

Nonservice employees12

Resident employees3
$9.50 per week.
$9 per week.
$8.50 per week.

1 Employees whose duties relate solely to serving food at tables and to the work incidental to the setting
of such tables; those whose duties are solely those of bellboy or page boy.
* Without meals 6 cents more.
* Full maintenance required.

The hours were unlimited in hotels. In restaurants they were re­
stricted to 54 per week in cities of 50,000 population or more; else­
where they were unlimited.2
Type and size of hotel.
A total of 26 hotels were included in the survey of New York City,
all but 5 of which had 100 or more guest rooms. Three-fifths of the
hotels had from 100 to 500 rooms, the maximum number in any one
establishment being slightly more than 1,300. Twenty-four of the
26 hotels surveyed were commercial in type, 5 wholly so and 19 partly
residential.
1 New York Department of Labor. Division of Women in Industry and Minimum Wage. Report of
the Industrial Commissioner to the Hotel and Restaurant Wage Board. April 1935.
2 The New York minimum-wage law was declared unconstitutional for adult women by the United
States Supreme Court, June 1, 1936.




15

16

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND EESTATJRANTS

Number and type of employees.
On the pay rolls of 1934 secured for this group of hotels there were
1,605 workers, 845 women and 760 men. A somewhat smaller
group, 1,442 employees, 742 women and 700 men, were covered on
the earlier pay rolls, taken for comparison. (Table on p. 2.) Data as
to earnings were available for all the employees, though facts as to
hours worked were not. As the material secured was to be used for
rehearings of the code, the tabulations were drawn up with this in
mind. The two types of workers, service and nonservice, and related
factors will be discussed throughout this report.
HOURS
Hours worked in week.
Hours established as the maximum to be worked in hotels by the
code for that industry -were 54, both for women and for men. A
record of time worked in hours was available for considerable num­
bers of women and men in the selected week on both early and late
pay rolls.
,
.
Women.—Almost one-half of the 595 women in New York City
whose hours were reported on the early pay rolls had worked 48 but
less than 54 hours, and not far from one-fourth had worked 40 but
less than 48. For practically one-fifth the week had exceeded 54
hours, and for about 1 in 11 it had been less than 40 hours.
A very different situation is noted when the data for the late pay
rolls are examined. Practically seven-tenths of the women worked
less than 48 hours, somewhat more than one-fourth worked 48 and
less than 54, and only 20 of the more than 700 women worked as long
as 54 hours.
Men.—For the men also, the contrast between late and early pay
rolls in weekly hours worked is marked. Though not far from one-half
of the men on the early pay rolls had worked at least 54 hours, on the
late pay rolls only 1 in every 7 had done so. Practically twice as
large a proportion at the late as at the early pay rolls had worked
less than 48 hours.
Table 3.—Hours worked in week of late and early pay rolls, by sex of employees—
'
Hotels, New York City
Men

Women
Hours worked

Late pay rolls

Early pay rolls

Late pay rolls

Early pay rolls

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

712

100.0

595

100.0

710

100.0

530

100.0

47
192
369
47
55

* 6.6
27.0
52.0
6.6
7.7

18
72
187
14
239

3.4
13.6
35.3
2.6
45.1

Total...............

54 i_________ _______
More than 54----------

65
429
198
16
4

9.1
60.3
27.8
2.2
.5

51
142
281
6
115

8.6
23.9
47.2
1.0
19.3

Percent

i Maximum hours set by the code.

Scheduled days per week.
Hotels differ from the average restaurant in that they must provide
service for their guests 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Though
the code for hotels, and that for restaurants also, established 6 days




PAET II.—HOTELS

17

as the maximum workweek, some hotel employees on the late pay
rolls in New York City had a week of 7 days. Almost 6 percent of
the 832 women and between 3 and 4 percent of the 742 men for whom
scheduled days were reported had a 7-day week.
Shifts.
Practically three-fourths of the women had the same shift each day
of the week, that is, instead of some short and some long days they
had the same scheduled hours and the same hours of beginning and
ending work. An even larger proportion of the men, close to ninetenths, had the same shift each day.
Employee-days.
Due to the great irregularities, in many cases, in the hours worked
on different days by employees in hotels and restaurants, and the
consequent impossible task of analyzing scheduled daily hours as
reported, a system of “employee-days” for service industries, similar
to the man-hours of manufacturing industries, has been used for
about 10 years by writers on the Women’s Bureau staff. Employeedays, as the term is used here, represents the aggregate of days, how­
ever they may vary in duration, worked by the employees in 1 week;
for example, an employee working two 5-hour and four 0%-hour days
would contribute six employee-days to the table on hours of work,
two entered at less than 8 hours and four at 9 and less than 10. This
makes clear the extent to which very short and over-long hours are
the practice in these industries.
The number of employee-days generally is about six times the
number of employees, as a 6-day week is the one most commonly
worked, though a considerable number of employees are required
to work on 7 days.
Besides the irregularity of shifts in these industries an unfortunate
feature is the disproportionate lapse of time from the beginning to
the end of the day’s work. In practically all other employment,
except where the shift is very short, there is a recess at lunch time,
lengthening the spread of hours (from beginning to end of the day)
by the 30, 45, or 60 minutes of such lunch period over the actual
hours of work. While the majority of hotel and restaurant employees
have a similar arrangement, with the spread of hours not greatly in
excess of the hours of work, there still are considerable numbers who,
required to begin work early in the morning and quit work late in the
evening, may have—to offer an extreme case as illustration—a spread
of hours of as much as 14 though actually at work but 8 or 9. Two
or three hours off duty once or twice a day cannot, under ordinary
circumstances, be used to the personal or family advantage of the
employee, while so long a day away from home as from 7 a. m. to
9 p. m., with perhaps another hour in transit, is grossly out of step
with modern conditions of employment.
In the present study no elaborate tabulation has been made corre­
lating hours of work with spread of hours, employee by employee, for
the pay-roll week, but the source table for each section on hours
of work shows the percent distribution according to duration of the
two classes of employee-days, those of hours of work and those of
spread of hours.
Due to the time that had elapsed between the early and the late
pay rolls, no attempt was made to secure data on scheduled hours for



18

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

the employees at the earlier date. The discussion here will cover
workers at the time of late pay rolls only. From the data available
for the employees on the late pay rolls it is possible to arrive at some
significant comparisons.
In the hotels surveyed in New York City, the 827 women with
hours of work reported on the late pay rolls had a total of 4,994
employee-days, an average of less than 6.1 per woman. The 723 men
had a total of 4,347 employee-days, with an average even closer to 6
than that of the women.
Table 4.—Distribution of employee-days of women and men on late pay rolls, by
hours of work and by spread of hours—Hotels, New York City
[Note.—A classification of hours more detailed than the following is available in the Women’s Bureau for
reference by persons interested]

Employee-days with hours
of work as specified

Employee-days with spread
of hours as specified

Women (827)

Women (827)

Hoars

Number of employee-days-------------------------------

4,994

Men (723)

Men (723)

4,347

4,994

4,347

24.8
62.4
10.6
2.2

17.9
53.7
21.5
6.8

5.3
40.5
44.7
9.5

4.8

1.3

Percent distribution
i 56.7
40.3
2.5
.5
w
1 49.5 percent at 7 and less than 8.
* Less than C.l percent.

Practically one-half (49.5 percent) of the women’s days had hours
of work of 7 and less than 8, only about 7 percent having hours
below 7. Though not over 3 percent had working hours of 9 and more,
6.8 percent had a spread of hours of at least 10. Broken down further,
the 348 days with a spread of 10 hours and more, and worked by 176
women, included only 25 days with a spread of less than 12 hours,
132 having a lapse of 12 and under 13 hours from beginning to end of
day, 118 a lapse of 13 and under 14 hours, and 73 a lapse of 14 hours
and more.
More than three-fifths of the men’s days had hours of work of 8
and less than 9, and not quite one-fourth had hours of less than 8.
A very small proportion (2.2 percent), representing 96 days, worked
by 29 men, had hours of 10 and more. One man had a 12-hour day
on 6 days and one had a schedule of at least 14 hours on 1 day.
Though but 69 days had hours of work of more than 10, 141 had a
spread of 12 hours or more, 11 having a lapse of 13 hours, and 38 a
lapse of 14 or more, between the beginning and the end of the day.
WAGES
Though the minimum wage (815) and the maximum hours (54) set
by the code for workers in hotels in cities of over 500,000 population
are discussed in part I, the reader is reminded here of these code pro­
visions. The same minimums were set for both women and men,




PART II.—HOTELS

i9

service and nonservice employees. According to the accepted inter­
pretation of the code, those who worked less than the maximum hours
would have proportionate rates and earnings.
Data as to earnings were available for all the hotel employees
included in the study. In the hotel industry, meals or lodging, or
both, are furnished many of the workers as part of their remuneration,
and in other cases deductions are made for meals or lodging, or both.
Regardless of which system was used, net cash earnings have been
computed for all workers, and these are the earnings that will be dis­
cussed throughout the report.
Basis of payment.
By a provision of the code, payment of wages on a weekly basis was
made mandatory; and as a result of this, the largest proportions of
women and men on the late pay rolls were paid a weekly rate. Of the
841 women employees, 517 were paid a weekly rate and 249 a monthly
rate; of the 754 men, 477 were paid a weekly rate and 239 a monthly
one. The conditions were practically reversed when the early pay­
roll data were examined. Much larger proportions of women and
men had been paid on a monthly than on a weekly basis.
WEEKLY RATES

Rates as discussed in this report are net cash rates. They include
no evaluation of the additions received in the form of meals or lodg­
ing; and wherever deductions were made for meals or lodging, these
were subtracted from the amounts of the rates before tabulation.
As it is of interest to know what additions in the form of meals or
lodging were received by the workers, these facts will be found in the
discussion on earnings. The data regarding rates are those taken
from the late pay rolls only.
Rate distribution and scheduled hours.
Women.—The minimum rate set by the code was $15 for 54 hours’
work. All but 11 of the 523 service women for whom a weekly rate
was reported had a rate of less than $15, almost one-half of them
being paid $5 but less than $10, more than three-fifths of these hav­
ing a rate of less than $7. For all of the service women, scheduled
hours were reported. Only two depended on tips entirely. Eighteen
of the large group whose rate was less than $15 had a scheduled week
of 54 hours; 12 of these had a weekly rate of $6 but less than $7.
Among the 320 nonservice women reported as to weekly rate, some­
what under two-thirds had a rate of $10 but less than $15. About
one-fifth had a rate of $5 but less than $10. None of the 264 in the
group whose rate was less than $15 and whose scheduled hours were
reported had a week of 54 hours, though 1 had a week longer than 54.
Men.—Close to one-half of the 374 service men for whom weekly
rates were reported were paid less than $10. About one-sixth of the
174 men of this group for whom scheduled hours were reported had a
week of 54 hours or longer. Only about 1 in 25 of the 372 nonservice
men reported had a rate of less than $10. The largest proportion,
about three-fifths, had a rate of $15 or more. Only 2 of the 32 whose
hours were reported as 54 or longer earned less than $10.




20

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

Median weekly rates and scheduled hours.
Service women.—The median3 of the weekly rates of the 523 service
women was $10.15. For all but one of these, scheduled weekly hours
were reported. Little difference, less than $1, appears in the medians
for the specified hour groups -where there were sufficient numbers on
which to base computations. The lowest median rate was $9.55, for
those whose scheduled hours were 44 but less than 48; the highest
was $10.40, for those whose hours were 40 but less than 44. The
women whose schedule was 54 hours were too few for the computation
of a median.
Nonservice women.—The median rate of the 320 nonservice women
whose rates were reported was $11.85; for the 306 with hours also
reported, it was $11.75. For these women median rates are obtain­
able for the same hour groups as are discussed for service women.
The group of 65 women whose scheduled hours were 40 but less than
44 had a median rate of $13.50. For the higher hour groups—44 but
under 48, and 48 but under 54—the medians were considerably lower,
being $10.80 and $11.45, respectively. These women received no
tips. The fact that the medians of service employees in the various
hour groups fell below those of nonservice employees by amounts
ranging from $1.25 to $3.10 would seem to indicate that the em­
ployers were depending on the public to pay part of the employees’
wages in the form of tips. Attention must be called also to the fact
that the figures given are medians, meaning that half the women were
paid more and half were paid less than the amounts specified.
Service men.—The median weekly rate of the 374 service men for
whom rates were reported was $10.75; for the 368 with hours also
reported it was $10.70. For only two hour groups—44 but less than
48 and 48 but less than 54—could median weekly rates be computed.
The median for the shorter of these was $6.60, that for the higher was
$12.05. It must be remembered in this connection that the rates set
for service men were supposed to be augmented by the tips they
received.
_
Nonservice men.—It was possible to compute median weekly rates
for only two groups of the nonservice men—the group as a whole,
372 in number, and the 262 whose scheduled hours were 48 but less
than 54. For the former the median rate was $15.60; for the latter,
it was only slightly higher, $15.70.
WEEK’S EARNINGS

Earnings distribution.
Though weekly rates are the amounts agreed upon by the employer
and employee at time of hiring to be paid for a specified period, it is
the earnings that the employee receives on which he must live.
As already mentioned in part I, deductions were allowed by the
code for meals—25 cents for each meal or $5.25 for the week’s meals—
and $2.50 for lodging. In some cases the employers deducted a
charge for meals or lodging or both from the week’s pay envelope (not
always the amounts allowed by the code), but in other cases these
supplements were in addition to their cash wage. Throughout this
discussion net cash earnings represent the cash received in the week’s
pay envelope. Some of these workers may have had meals or lodging
or both, but a charge for these was not deducted from the wages as
3 Median rate means that half had a rate of less and half of more than the amount given.




PART II.—HOTELS

21

reported here. (See table 5 for earnings distribution and table 7
for additions to wages.)
Of the 523 service women on the late pay rolls somewhat similar
proportions were receiving respectively one meal a day, lodging and
three meals, and neither meals nor lodging. Of the 322 nonservice
women, the largest proportion, as of both groups of men, were receiv­
ing nothing but their cash wage. Much smaller proportions, about
one-fifth, had two or three meals daily or had lodging and three meals.
Approximately seven-eighths of the 385 service men and about fiveeighths of the 375 nonservice on the late pay rolls had received neither
meals nor lodging in addition to their cash wage.
Women.—The largest proportion of all the women and of the
nonservice women in the hotels in New York City at the time of the
late pay rolls earned $10 but less than $15 for their week’s work. Of
the service women practically equal proportions—48 percent and
47.6 percent—earned $5 but less than $10 and $10 but less than $15,
close to two-thirds of the former group $5 but less than $7. The
same proportion of each group, 1 woman in 40, earned less than $5.
Only two women, both service employees, worked for nothing but
tips.
Attention should be called to the fact that three-fifths of the 251
service women who earned $5 but less than $10 received board and
lodging in addition, and that more than one-half of the 249 who earned
$10 but less than $15 were given one meal daily. More than one-half
of the 193 nonservice women who received $10 but less than $15 were
given neither meals nor lodging.
At the earlier pay-roll date, the largest proportions of all the women
and of the service women had received $5 but less than $10, in each
case more than one-third of these earning $9 but less than $10. Of the
nonservice women, the largest group were paid $10 but less than $15,
more than one-third earning $10 but less than $11. Much larger
proportions than at the late date, especially of all women and of serv­
ice women, had received less than $5 as their week’s earnings. Only
three service women had received no cash wage—they had worked for
tips only.
Three-tenths of the 216 service women on the early pay rolls who
had earned $5 but less than $10 had been given lodging and three
meals, whereas of the 126 service women who had earned $10 but
less than $15, 59 had received no additional compensation and 62 had
received only one meal daily. Well over one-half of the 153 nonservice
women who had earned $10 but less than $15 had been given neither
meals nor lodging in addition.
Men.—The largest proportion of the nonservice men on the late
pay rolls received $15 or more as their week’s pay. The largest pro­
portion (30.1 percent) of the service men were paid $5 but less than
$10—two-fifths earning $5 but less than $6, the remainder quite evenly
distributed dollar by dollar—but just over 25 percent, in each case,
had been paid $10 but less than $15 and $15 and more. Only one
service worker received nothing but tips. The proportion of service
men who were paid less than $5 was considerably larger at the early
date than at the late date, and that of nonservice men was practically
the same.
At the time of the early pay rolls only 2 of the 106 service employees
whose week’s earnings were less than $5 had received meals or lodging




22

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

in addition to their cash wage. Large proportions of the other earn­
ings groups, as well, had received no additional compensation. Of
the 188 nonservice men whose week’s earnings were $15 and more,
141 had received neither meals nor lodging.
Table 5.—Earnings distribution of women and men on late and early pay rolls,
by type of employees—Hotels, New York City
[Note.—A classification of earnings more detailed than the following is available in the Women’s Bureau
for reference by persons interested]
Men

Women
Late pay rolls

Early pay rolls

Late pay rolls

Early pay rolls

Week’s earnings
All

Number reported - _

NonServ­
ice serv­
ice

NonServ­
ice serv­
ice

All

All

Serv­ Nonserv­
ice
ice

All

NonServ­
ice serv­
ice

760
385
375
700
351
349
742
452
290
845
523
322
$10. 60 $9. 90 $11.35 $9.65 $8.65 $10. 95 $13.70 $10. 25 $15.45 $13.20 $9. 30 $15. 30

Percent distribution
Less than $5......................—
$5, less than $10
$10, less than $15...............
$15 and more........................

2.5
38.2
52.3
6.7

2.5
48.0
47.6
1.5

1.2

1.4

2.5
22.4
59.9
15.2

15.0
39.2
37.6
7.8

21.5
47.8
27.9
2.2

a. 4

a.7

4.8
25.9
52.8
16.6

10.1
18.0
30.5
41.2

18.4
30. 1
25.7
25.5

3. 1

3.3

1.6
5.6
35.5
57.3

16.0
15.9
32.3
35.9

30.2
23.4
28.5
17.9

1.7
8.3
36.1
53.9

1 2 service women received tips only.
* 3 service women received tips only.
* 1 service man received tips only.

Earnings distribution and hours worked.
Week’s earnings and hours worked have been correlated for the
group as a whole only, not classed as to service and nonservice workers.
Close to nine-tenths of the 244 women whose earnings were $5
but less than $10 a week worked 40 hours or more. An even larger
proportion of those whose earnings were $10 but less than $15 worked
this long.
Three-fourths of the 64 men whose earnings were less than $5
worked 40 hours or longer. Larger proportions, about seven-eighths,
of the men who earned $5 but less than $10, and nearly all (95 percent)
of those whose earnings were $10 but less than $15, worked 40 hours
or mce.
Table 6.—Earnings distribution of women and men on late pay rolls, by hours
worked—Hotels, New York City

Week’s earning^

Number
Less
20, less 28,less 40, less 48,less
with
than 20 than 28 than 40 than 48 than 54
hours re­ hours
hours
hours
hours
hours
ported

54
hours

More
than 54
hours

4

WOMEN
Total............................................
$5, less than $10

i 713

10

*7

s 48

11
244
413
35
8

8
2

2
4

1
20
24
2

i 2 women received no cash wage.




430

198

16

133
278
13
6

70
109
18
1

13
2
1

* 1 woman received no cash wage.

2
1
1

23

PART II.—HOTELS

Table 6.—Earnings distribution of women and men on late pay rolls, by hours
worked—Hotels, New York City—Continued
Number
Week’s earnings
ported

Less
20, less 28, less 40,less 48, less
than 20 than 28 than 40 than 48 than 54
hours
hours
hours
hours
hours

54
hours

MEN
Total.................................. .
Less than $5_
____ ____ ______
$5, less than $10
$10, less than $15______________
$15, less than $20____________ ____
$20 and more................................. .......

709

11

5

31

191

64
126
220
246

3

4

10

45
14

369

47

23

8

55

Median earnings.
Service women.—The median earnings of the 845 women on the late
pay rolls were $10.60. Practically five-eighths of these women were
service employees, and the median for this group was $9.90. Threetenths of these 523 service women received lodging and three meals
a day, and this group, as would be expected, had the lowest median,
$6.30. For the group next in size, the 144 women who received one
meal a day in addition to their cash wage (approximately one-fourth
of the women service employees), the median earnings were the
highest, $13.10. .No explanation for so great a disparity can be made.
The median earnings of the other groups may be seen in table 7.
When median earnings of service women on the early pay rolls were
compared with those on the late pay rolls, the former were found to
be lower in every case but one. The median for the 742 women on the
early pay rolls was $9.65, and that for the 452 who were service em­
ployees was $8.65. The amount was lowest, $4.90, for the 150 women
who were given lodging and three meals; it was highest, $11.10, for
the 119 who received but one meal a day.
Nonservice women.—Median earnings of the 322 nonservice women
on the late pay rolls were $11.35, only slightly higher than those of
the service women. Not far from two-fifths (121) of these women
received nothing in addition to their cash wage; notwithstanding this
fact, their median earnings were slightly less than for the group as a
whole, or $11. As was true for the service women, the median earn­
ings of the 72 women who were given lodging and three meals a day
were the lowest of all groups, $9.60.
Much less variation was noted in the median earnings of the non­
service women than of the service women on the early pay rolls.
For the total group (290) the median was $10.95 and for the 115 who
had received neither meals nor lodging it was practically the same,
$10.90. For the other groups, those given two or three meals a day
and those given lodging and three meals, numbering 64 and 62,
respectively, the medians were alike, $10.
Service men.—For the 760 men employed at the time of the late
pay roll the median earnings were $13.70. Slightly more than onehalf of these were service employees, and the median of this group
was considerably lower, $10.25. About seven-eighths of the service
men had neither meals nor lodging in addition to their cash earnings,
and for these the median earnings were $9.20.




24

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

When early pay-roll data for service men were examined, the
median earnings were found in every case to be lower than for the late
pay rolls. The median for the 700 men on the early rolls was $13.20,
and for one-half of them, the 351 service men, it was $9.30. About
six-sevenths of the service men (303) had received nothing in addition
to their cash wage, and for this group the median was $7.95.
Nonservice men.-—-The median earnings of the 375 nonservice men
on the late pay rolls were $15.45. Practically two-thirds of these
men were given nothing in addition to their cash wage, and for this
group the median was slightly higher than for the total, or $15.85.
It. was considerably less—$13.40—for the 97 men who were given
two or three meals a day in addition to their earnings than for the
larger group that had no meals.
Table 7.—Median of the week’s earnings 1 of service and nonservice women and
men on late and early -pay rolls, according to additions in the form of meals and
lodging—Hotels, New York City

Total of group
Time of pay
rolls
Num­
ber

Medi­
an
earn­
ings

No addition to
cash wage

Num­
ber

Medi­
an
earn­
ings

One meal a
day

Num­
ber

Medi­
an
earn­
ings

Two or three
meals a day

Num­
ber

Medi­
an
earn­
ings

Lodging and
three meals
a day

Num­
ber

Medi­
an
earn­
ings

Lodg­
ing
only
(num­
ber)

SERVICE WOMEN

Early...................

523
452

$9.90
8. 65

138
113

$10. 30
10.15

144
119

$13.10
11.10

51
38

$10. 70

159
150

$6. 30
4. 90

31
32

71
64

$11.25
10. 00

72
62

$9. 60
10.00

22
16

NONSERVICE WOMEN

Early............ .

322
290

$11.35
10.95

121
115

$11. 00
10. 90

36
33

SERVICE MEN
385
351

$10. 25
9. 30

333
303

$9. 20
7.95

9
9

41
38

2
1

NONSERVICE MEN
375
349

$15.45
15.30

241
236

$15.85
15.65

30 ..............
23 _______

97
85

$13.40
12.80

1
3

6
2

1 Not computed where base less than 50.

For the 349 nonservice men on the early pay rolls the median
earnings were $15.30. For approximately two-thirds of these (236)
who had received neither meals nor lodging the median was slightly
higher, $15.65, and for those who had been given two or three meals
daily it was considerably lower, $12.80. From the foregoing state­
ments it appears that no connection necessarily existed between cash
payments and additions in the form of meals and lodging.




25

PART II.—HOTELS

Median earnings and hours worked.
Though earnings are an indication of the amount on which a worker
must live for a certain specified time, it is the hours actually worked
for such earnings that give evidence of the fairness or unfairness of
the wage. (See table 8.)
Women—The median week’s earnings of the 713 women on the
late pay rolls for whom time worked was reported were $10.80. As
time worked increased, the median rose from $8.65 for the women
who had worked less than 40 hours to $11.35 for those who had worked
48 but less than 54.
At the time of the early pay rolls the median earnings of the 595
women with hours worked reported were $10. The median for the
women who had worked less than 40 hours was considerably lower,
$8.05, and the 109 women who had worked 44 but less than 48 hours
had the highest median, $11.30. From this point on, with an increase
in hours a decrease in medians is noted, until the figure is $9.55 for
those who had worked longer than 54 hours.
On neither pay roll were there enough women who had worked 54
hours—the maximum set by the code—for the computation of a
median. However, the medians for the large groups who had worked
48 but less than 54 hours were greatly below the minimum of $15 set
by the code for 54 hours.
Men.—The 709 men on the late pay rolls for whom week’s earnings
and hours worked were available had median earnings of $13.80.
For those who had worked 44 but less than 48 hours the median
was $13.55, for those working 48 but less than 54 it was $15.10,
and for those employed longer than 54 hours it was very much less,
$13.05.
For the men on the early pay rolls there appears the usual lower
level of wages, except that the large group working more than 54
hours had a median higher than that of the small group working so
long on the late pay rolls.
Table 8.'—Median

earnings 1 and hours worked, women and men on late and
early pay rolls—Hotels, New York City

Total with
hours worked
reported
rolls

Less than
40 hours

40, less than
44 hours

44, less than
48 hours

48, less than
54 hours

Medi­
Me­
Medi­
Medi­
Medi­
Num­ an
Num­ dian Num­ an
Num­ an Num­
an
ber
ber
earn­
earn­ ber
earn­ ber
earn­ ber
earn­
ings
ings
ings
ings
ings

54
hours
(num­
ber)

More
than 54
hours
Me­
Num­ dian
ber earn­
ings

WOMEN
Late
Early............

713 $10.80
595 10.00

65 $8.65
51 8.05

151 $10.65
33

279 $10.85
109 11.30

198 $11.35
281 10.25

16
6

4
115

149 $13. 55
52 12. 80

369 $15.10
187 14.00

47
14

55 $13.05
239 13. 75

$9. 55

MEN
Late...............
Early..............

709 $13. 80
530 13. 65

47
18

1 Not computed where base less than 50

08163°—36-




42
20

26

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

STATEMENTS BY EMPLOYERS
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A.
Employers replied to questions as to what changes they had
instituted after the President’s Reemployment Agreement became
effective August 1, 1933, due either to their signing that agreement or
to the hotel code itself. (See p. 5 for definition of the P. R. A.)
Though in a number of cases few changes had taken place, some
improvement was noted in hours and in rates as reported. That
there had been a general decrease in hours worked and an increase in
rates paid during the period of about 1 year that elapsed between the
early and the late pay rolls has been shown. As further evidence of
the ‘improved situation the following facts are given.
Of the 24 firms that reported on a change in rates paid to employees
since the P. R. A., 12 had increased the rates for all employees, 4 had
increased the rates for some workers and had left the others as they
were or did not report as to what had happened, and 5 had made no
change. Of the remaining 3, 1 had increased the rates and then
decreased them, 1 had decreased all rates, and the third had decreased
the rates for some and had increased them for others.
Decreased working hours since the P. R. A., applying to all or some
of the employees, were reported by 17 of 24 hotels replying about
changes in hours. Of these 17, 12 had decreased the working hours
for all their employees, 3 had decreased them for some but did not
report for the others, and the 2 remaining had decreased the hours
for men in 1 case and for women in the other, but did not report
for the other sex.
Only 6 hotels reported any change in basis of pay, and only 1 of
these made the change permanent.
Overtime and part time.
Policies of the firms in regard to other questions affecting employees
were examined likewise. Eight of the 22 hotels reporting on the
question of overtijnc claimed to have none. Of the others, 2 gave no
pay for overtime worked, 8 paid regular rates, 2 paid time and a half,
1 paid an increased amount, not specified, and 1 varied the rates paid.
Of the 23 hotels reporting on part time, only 9 had any workers on this
basis. Of the 7 reporting the basis on which they paid for part-time
work, 5 gave the regular rate and the 2 others paid slightly more.
Tips.
The question of tips received and their disposition among service
groups has long been one of absorbing interest. Though it was not
possible to secure data regarding tips from the workers themselves,
the employers did give facts concerning them. The largest pro­
portion, 13 of the 23 hotels that replied to the inquiry as to what
employees received tips, stated that bellhops, porters, hall boys, door­
men, elevator operators, telephone operators, and chambermaids were
compensated by guests for personal service rendered. In 3 other
hotels bellhops and chambermaids were named as the two groups of
workers who received tips. Various types of employees in the
remaining 7 hotels were so reported, in some cases only one group
being mentioned but in most of them several groups. In every case
but 1 of the 23 hotels replying to the inquiry as to the disposition of
tips received, the employees kept the tips given them.




PART II.—HOTELS

27

Uniforms.
In 4 of the 26 hotels surveyed the wearing of uniforms was not
required. Of the 22 hotels that required uniforms, only 9 furnished
them to all employees. Other arrangements were noted in the
remaining establishments. In only 1 hotel did all the employees
provide their own uniforms. In 4 hotels the management furnished
uniforms to all but the maids and in 2 to all but maids and housemen.
In practically equal numbers—8 and 10, respectively—of the 21
hotels reporting as to the laundering of uniforms, employers and
employees were responsible. In the remaining 3 hotels the em­
ployer paid for the laundering for some employees while the others
paid for or laundered their own.




MIDDLE WEST AND COLORADO 4
The section of the country designated here as Middle West and
Colorado includes cities in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, and
Colorado. Kansas and Missouri, also covered by the survey, are
reported separately from the other Midwestern States because of
their separate treatment in the code.
The population groups and the cities surveyed in each are as follows:
Class 1 (over 500,000)—Chicago.
Class 2 (100,000 to 500,000)—Indianapolis, Duluth, Minneapolis, St.
Paul, Des Moines, and Denver.
Class 3 (25,000 to 100,000)—Alton, East St. Louis, Springfield, Sioux
City, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo.

Type and size of hotel.
All but 1 of the 25 hotels included in this section were independently
run. The one chain establishment was a commercial and apartment
hotel. Sixteen of the independent hotels were strictly commercial,
6 were residential as well as commercial, 1 was residential and resort
as well, and 1 was not reported as to type. Practically three-fourths
of the hotels had from 100 to 500 rooms; about one-fourth had fewer
than 100. Only 1 had 500 rooms or more.
Number and type of employees.
In round numbers, 800 workers were employed at the time of the
late and of the early pay rolls, considerably more women than men
in both cases. There were 455 women and 340 men on the late pay
rolls and a like number in each case on the early pay rolls. At each
date the larger group was that of the nonservice employees. Like­
wise, in each of the three classes of cities surveyed, women outnum­
bered men at both dates, and nonservice employees outnumbered
the service group in every case but one. (Table on p. 2.) Employees
in hotel restaurants are not discussed here but later in the restaurant
section.
HOURS
Hours worked in week.
Women.—In Chicago, the only city of class 1, more than one-half
of the 102 women on the late pay rolls worked 40 but less than 48
hours. One-fifth of the total exceeded this, but none worked so long
as 54 hours. In the cities next in size three-fourths of the 182 women
were fairly evenly divided between 48 but less than 54 hours and the
hour group just below. A small proportion (only three women) were
employed 54 hours, but none for longer than this. In cities of class
3, as in Chicago, the largest proportion of the 101 women worked 40
hut less than 48 hours. Two women worked 54 hours, and 12 (close
to one-eighth) exceeded 54, in spite of the code prohibition.
Men.—In general, men worked longer hours than women did. In
Chicago well over one-half of the 96 men, in cities of class 2 more than
three-fifths of the 98, and almost two-fifths of the 70 in the smallest•
• Tables for this section of the report are available in the Women’s Bureau.

28




PART II.—HOTELS

29

cities worked 48 but less than 54 hours. In each class, roughly onesixth or one-seventh worked 54 hours. There was violation of the
54-hour maximum set by the code, slight in Chicago, worse in the
next class, and excessive in the smallest cities. In the last named
more than one-fourth of the men exceeded the code hours.
Scheduled days per week.
_ In Chicago, all the women and men reported had a scheduled work­
ing week of 6 days. Only a small proportion of those in the cities
next in size worked on 7 days, the remainder on 6. In the smallest
cities, however, close to one-fifth of the 108 women reported, and
more than one-fourth of the 90 men, had a scheduled week of 7 days.
Shifts.
Among the women in the three classes of cities very little variation
is noted in the proportions that had the same shift each day—that is,
the same scheduled hours and the same hours of beginning and of
ending work. More than four-fifths of the 97 women reported in
Chicago, about three-fourths of the 201 in the cities next in size, and
well over four-fifths of the 107 reported in the smallest cities had the
same hours throughout the week.
The hours of men were somewhat more regular than those of women.
In Chicago about nine-tenths of the 82 men reported, and in cities
of class 2 practically the same proportion of the 114 men had the
same shift every day, as had well over four-fifths of the 86 in cities of
class 3.
Employee-days.6
In Chicago, the average number of employee-days per worker was
6, agreeing with the statement just made as to days operating weekly.
In the other cities the average ranged from just below 6 to 6.3.
No woman in Chicago had a workday so long as 9 hours. Not far
from three-fifths of all the 582 days were of less than 8 hours, but only
5 percent were of less than 7. Men’s days in Chicago were longer
than women’s, just over two-thirds of the 492 employee-days having
working hours of 8 and less than 9 and practically one-fourtli having
hours of 9 and less than 10. In the distribution by spread of hours,
a small proportion of the men’s days—2.4 percent—were of more than
12 hours between beginning and ending work.
Women’s hours were longer in cities of class 2, just over one-half
of their 1,199 employee-days having working hours of 8 and less
than 9 and a small group (0.5 percent) being reported as of 10 hours
and more. The spread of hours was reported as more than 12 in
practically 1 percent of the women’s days. As was true of Chicago,
about two-thirds of the men’s 691 days in cities of class 2 had working
hours of 8 and less than 9. Less than 10 percent were shorter than
this, and 6.5 percent had hours of 10 and more, almost one-half of
the latter being of more than 12 hours. The spread of hours was in
excess of 12 for 5.4 percent of the men’s employee-days.
Hours for both women and men were longer in cities of class 3
than elsewhere. Something over one-half of the days—53.9 percent
of the 661 in the case of women and 51.4 percent of the 539 in that
of men—had hours of work of 8 and less than 9, but one-third of the
women’s days, in contrast to only one-fifteenth of the men’s, were
‘ Tor general introduction to “employee-days” see New York City, p. 17.




30

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

shorter than 8 hours. More than one-eighth of the women’s days
were of 9 hours and more, practically 1 percent being of 10 and more,
just over two-fifths of the men’s days were almost equally of 9
and less than 10 hours and of 10 hours and more. In the case of
the latter, more than one-half were of 11 hours and almost one-fifth
were in excess of 12.
In these smaller cities there was greater discrepancy between hours
of work and spread of hours than elsewhere. Though not quite 1
percent of the women’s days had a schedule of as much as 10 hours
of work, 13.6 percent of their days had a spread of 11 hours and 1.8
percent had a spread of more than 12. The difference was even
greater for the men. Though the days showing hours of work had
20.8 percent in the hour group 10 and more, the distribution by
spread of hours had 53.8 percent with a lapse of 11 and more hours
from beginning to end of the day. Almost 9 percent had a lapse of
more than 12 hours.
WAGES
Basis of payment.
In the three classes of cities at the time of the late pay rolls, the
most usual basis of pay for both women and men was monthly, and
the next most common was hourly. In all classes of cities much
larger proportions of women than of men were paid on an hourly
basis, the largest proportion thus paid being in cities of class 2 and
the smallest in those of class 3.
...
Practically all the women and men in cities of classes 2 and 3 at
the time of the early pay rolls were paid on a monthly basis. Large
proportions of those in Chicago also were paid monthly, and the
remainder, with the exception of two men, were paid a daily rate.
WEEKLY RATES

Rate distribution and scheduled hours.
Women.—The minimum-wage rates set by the code for women in
the three classes of cities included in the Middle West and Colorado
were $15, $14, and $13, respectively, for a 54-hour week. All but 4
of the 62 service women in Chicago had a weekly rate of $10 but
less than $15.
.
All but 1 of the 74 service women for whom rate was reported m
cities of class 2 had a weekly rate of $9 but less than $14. Among
the nonservice women a large proportion, 92 of the 102 reported, had
a weekly rate of $5 but less than $14. Two of the eighty-five in this
group whose hours were reported had a scheduled week of 54 hours.
In cities of class 3 all the 25 service women whose weekly rate
was reported were paid $7 but less than $13. All but 13 of the 58
nonservice women had a rate of $5 but less than $13, though 8 of the
39 in this group whose hours were reported had a week of 54 hours
or longer.
Men.—All but 7 of the 33 service men in Chicago whose weekly
rate was reported had a rate of less than $15. Fifteen of these had
a rate of less than $5. One of the twenty-six whose rate was below
$15 had a scheduled week of 54 hours. Of the nonservice men, more
than one-half, 36 of the 64 for whom rate was given, were paid $6 but
less than $15. Among these were 6 of the 11 whose scheduled week
was 54 hours.




PART XI.—HOTELS

31

In cities of class 2 all but 2 of the 55 service men whose weekly
rate was reported had a rate of less than $14. Well over two-fifths
of these had a rate of less than $5. Twenty-one of the 46 with hours
and rates reported had a scheduled week of at least 54 hours. Of
the nonservice men, 36 of the 51 reported had a rate of $5 but less
than $14, though 9 of the 31 in this group with hours reported had a
scheduled week of 54 hours or longer.
. All but 2 of the 58 service men for whom a weekly rate was reported
in cities of class 3 had a rate of less than $13, practically two-fifths
having a rate of less than $5. Seventeen of the fifty-three in the
group earning less than $13 and whose hours were reported had a
scheduled week of 54 hours or longer. Twenty of the twenty-eight
nonservice men reported had a rate of less than $13. Sixteen of the
seventeen in this group whose hours were reported had scheduled
hours of 54 or more.
Median weekly rates6 and scheduled hours.
Women. The median weekly rate of the service women in Chicago
at the time of the late pay rolls was $11.70; in cities of class 2 it was
$10.75. Due to insufficient numbers it is not possible to correlate
weekly hours and median rates for any group of service women in
the Middle West. In cities of classes 2 and 3 only are median rates
available for nonservice women; these were $9.85 for the 102 reported
in the former class and $10.65 for the 58 in the latter. Only one
median is available for a specified hour group. This is $9.15 for the
58 women in cities of class 2 who worked 48 but less than 54 hours.
Men. Median weekly rates are available for the service men in
cities of classes 2 and 3. For these, 55 and 58 having been reported,
they are $5.30 and $5.10, respectively. For the nonservice men the
median weekly rates are $14.75 for the 64 reported in Chicago and
$13.40 for the 51 in cities of class 2. Median rates are not available
for specified hour groups.
WEEK’S EARNINGS

Earnings distribution.
Women.—Three-fifths of the 107 women in Chicago, almost twothirds of the 62 service women, and more than one-half of the 45
nonservice women, received $10 but less than $15 at the late pay-roll
date. Of this service group (40), more than one-half were given one
meal daily, but the remainder had nothing in addition to the cash
wage. Two women—one service and one nonservice—earned less
than $5; the service worker received one meal a day in addition and
the other was given lodging only. At the early date also the largest
proportions of both service and nonservice employees had earned
$10 but less than $15. Five-eighths of the 64 service employees and
more than one-half of the 25 nonservice employees composing this
group had received 1 meal a day in addition. The number earning
less . than $5 was small—only 2—both nonservice employees who
received neither meals nor lodging.
In the cities next in size the largest proportions of both the 99 service
and 126 nonservice employees received $10 but less than $15 at the late
pay-roll date. Of the nonservice group almost the same proportion
6 Medians have been computed for all, regardless of additions in the form of meals or lodging, where as
many as 60 employees were reported,
’




32

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

earned $5 but less than $10. Fairly comparable proportions (about
one-eighth) of the service and nonservice women received less than $5
in payment for their week’s work. The great majority of both types
of employees in all earnings groups had no additional, compensation.
On the early pay rolls the largest proportions had received $5 but less
than $10. About one-tenth of the 115 comprising this group as a
whole, all service women, had received one meal a day; only 2 others
had been given anything additional—1 lodging only, and 1 lodging and
three meals. About one-eighth of all the 196 women, but including
only 3 of the 71 service women in contrast to 22 of the 125 nonservice,
had earned less than $5.
The largest proportion of the 123 women on the late pay rolls m the
smallest cities received $10 but less than $15, but somewhat the largest
group of the 77 nonservice women were paid $5 but less than $10.
Only 5 of the 52 women who were paid $10 but less than $15 received
an addition to their cash wage, but 7 of the 31 nonservice women with
a cash wage of $5 and less than $10 did so. More than one-sixth of all
women and somewhat less than one-sixth of the nonservice women
were paid less than $5. Only 4 of these 21 women received meals or
lodging. At the early date, the largest proportions of both types of
workers had received $5 but less than $10. More than four-fifths of
the 75 women in this earnings group had had neither meals nor lodg­
ing in addition. Almost one-eighth (15) of all the 122 women, prac­
tically equal numbers of the 49 service and 73 nonservice, had earned
less than $5, and only 3 of these 15 women had been given meals or
lodging in addition.
.
Men.—The largest proportions of the approximately 100 men and
of the 70 nonservice men in Chicago, on both pay rolls, had received
$10 but less than $15. Roughly three-fourths of these had no lodging
nor meals in addition. Seventeen men on the late pay rolls, about
one-sixth of the whole, all but two of whom were service employees,
earned less than $5. More than one-fiftli of the whole group on the
early pay rolls, nearly all of whom were service employees, had earned
less than $5. None of these had had either meals or lodging to supple­
ment their meager wage.
In cities of class 2 at the time of the late pay rolls the largest propor­
tion of the 75 service men—well over one-half—were paid less than $5,
practically the same proportion of the 71 nonservice men $10 but less
than $15. Fairly similar proportions of the group as a whole—very
roughly three-tenths—received less than $5, $5 but less than $10, and
$10 but less than $15. The majority of the men were given nothing in
addition. At the early date, one-third of the 139 men, including more
than one-half of the service men, had earned less than $5; this was m
contrast to somewhat under one-half of the nonservice men, who had
received $10 but less than $15. Eleven men, all service employees,
had worked for tips only.
.
In the smallest cities at the late pay-roll date the largest proportion
of the 94 men and of the 60 service men, practically two-fifths m
each case, earned $5 but less than $10. Almost as large a number of
the service men earned less than $5. The majority of both the
service and the nonservice employees received neither meals nor
lodging in addition to their cash wage. Only six service men worked
for tips alone. At the earlier date, the largest proportion of all the
84 men and of the 54 service men had received less than $5. Very




PART II.—HOTELS

33

few (13) of these workers had been given meals or lodging in addition.
Four service men had received nothing but tips as remuneration for
their work.
Earnings distribution and hours worked.
Earnings and hours as discussed here are for the group as a whole,
regardless of type of service. In Chicago, 21 of the 25 women whose
earnings were $5 but less than $10 worked 28 but less than 40 hours.
Only one worked as long as 40 hours. All but 2 percent of the 62 who
earned $10 but less than $15 worked 40 hours or longer. In the cities
next in size (class 2), well over one-lialf of the 61 women whose earnings
were $5 but less than $10 worked 48 hours or more. All but 5 of
the 104 who earned $10 but less than $15 worked 40 hours or longer.
Three-fourths of the 33 women in the smallest cities included who
earned $5 but less than $10 worked 40 hours or longer. Two-thirds
of the 49 whose earnings were $10 but less than $15 worked 40 but less
than 48 hours.
All but 1 of the 15 men who earned less than $5 in Chicago worked
40 hours or longer, 13 working 48 but under 54 hours. Nine of the
11 whose earnings were $5 but less than $10 worked 40 hours or more.
Twenty-one of the 24 men in cities of class 2 whose earnings were
less than $5 and 24 of the 27 who earned $5 but less than $10 worked
40 hours or longer. Of the 23 men in cities of class 3 whose earnings
were less than $5, 17 worked 40 hours or longer. Twenty-four of
the 28 who earned $5 but less than $10 worked at least 48 hours.
Median earnings.
Women.—The median earnings of women employees increased with
size of city from $9.55 in cities of class 3 to $11.80 in Chicago on the
late pay rolls and from $8,70 to $10.85 on the early.
Medians could be computed for service women who received no
meals to supplement their cash wage in only the second class of cities.
These medians ($10.45 and $9.35) were but slightly higher at both
pay-roll dates than those for the service women as a whole. The
median of the 53 nonservice women in Chicago at the early date
was $12.80, considerably higher than that of the 83 service employees
($10.55). In cities of class 2 the medians of the nonservice women
at both late and early dates ($9.50 and $8.65) were lower than those
of the service employees ($10.35 and $9.15). The median earnings
of the nonservice women in cities of class 3 at the time of the late and
early pay rolls were practically the same, $9.25 and $9.30, respectively.
In every case the medians for the nonservice women who received no
meals nor lodging in addition to their cash wage were lower than those
for the whole group of nonservice employees.
Men.—Among the men, also, the median earnings in the three
classes of cities were higher at the late pay rolls than at the early.
The median increased with size of city from $5.70 in cities of class 3
to $13.45 in Chicago on the late pay rolls and from $5.50 to $11.55
on the early. As noted, in Chicago the median earnings of the men
were higher at both dates than those of the women, but in the other
two groups of cities the medians of men were lower.
The medians of the service men are available for those in cities of
classes 2 and 3, $4.65 and $5.15 at the time of the late pay roll and
$4.10 and $3.90, respectively, at the early. These amounts are lower
than those of the whole group. For the men in cities of class 2 who



84

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

received no meals in addition to a cash wage the median earnings
were lower than for the service group as a whole. _
Among the nonservice groups medians are available for those in
Chicago and in cities of class 2, $14.40 for the late and $12.45 for the
early date in Chicago, and $12.95 and $12.20, respectively, m the
latter cities. These medians are larger than those for all men: In
cities of class 2 they are not far from double those of the men as a
whole, and not far from treble those of the service employees. Median
earnings are available for three groups of the nonservice men who had
received no meals nor lodging in addition to cash wages, those on the
early pay rolls in Chicago ($12.95) and those on the early and the late
pay rolls in cities of class 2 ($13.15 and $12.45). In every case these
medians are higher, though not greatly so, than those of the corre­
sponding groups of nonservice employees as a whole.
Median earnings and hours worked.
Women.—For the hotels included in the survey, earnings received
for the week of the late pay rolls were correlated with hours worked.
As was noted in the discussion of median earnings of all the women,
those of the group for whom hours worked as well were reported in­
creased with size of city, from $10.10 to $11.80. For only one speci­
fied hour group in Chicago, 59 women who worked 40 but less than
48 hours, is a median available. This figure, $12.05, is slightly higher
than that for the group as a whole. In tbe cities next in size the
median for the 66 women who worked 40 but less than 48 hours also
is somewhat above the figure for the whole group, $10.80 as compared
with $10.40. For 72 women who worked 48 but less than 54 hours
the median is $11.80. At the time of the early pay roll the number
for whom hours worked as well as earnings were reported was very
small and did not warrant computation of medians.
Men.—In Chicago at the late date the median earnings of the 96
men for whom hours worked were reported are $13.45, and for a
large part of the group (52) who worked 48 but less than 54 hours
they are only 5 cents higher—$13.50. In cities of the next size, the
median for the 98 men for whom hours were reported is $9.50, while
for the 61 who worked 48 but less than 54 hours it is $12.60. For no
class of cities at the time of the early pay roll was there a sufficient
number of men for whom hours worked were reported on which to
compute a median.
STATEMENTS BY EMPLOYERS
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A.
Changes that had occurred since the President’s Reemployment
Agreement were inquired into. These changes consisted of a reduc­
tion in hours, an increase in rates, or a difference in basis of payment.
In 23 of the 25 hotels included in the study in this geographic sec­
tion some change had been made in the hours worked. In 19 cases
the hours had been decreased for all employees, in 3 they had been
decreased for some while for others they were unchanged, and in the
remaining case they were decreased for a time but later were restored
to the former schedule.
Of the 24 hotels reporting as to whether there had been any change
in the rates paid employees, only 6 had made no change. In 14 of




PART II.—HOTELS

35

the remaining cases rates had been increased, and in 4 the rates had
been raised for some persons while for others they had remained the
same or were not reported on.
Only 9 of the 24 hotels reporting had made any change in their
basis of payment. Five had changed from a monthly to an hourly
basis, though in only one of these did the change affect all employees;
one had changed from a monthly to a daily basis for some workers;
and two from a monthly to a weekly basis, only one of these having
made the change for all. The remaining establishments had changed
from a daily to an hourly basis for some of the employees.
Overtime and part time.
Only 12 of the 25 hotels surveyed in this section reported having
any overtime. Six stated that they paid straight time rates for over­
time; no pay was given in two instances; and in the remaining four
other systems were used, though in one of these some employees were
not paid for overtime.
When pay for part time was investigated it was found that 14 of
the 17 establishments reporting such type of employment paid the
regular rates and the other 3 paid various rates.
Tips.
Of the 23 firms that reported as to which employees received tips,
only 1 stated that no employees did so. In seven hotels, bellhops,
chambermaids, porters, and doormen were reported as receiving tips;
in five, the same group with the substitution of housemen for cham­
bermaids ; in four, only bellhops were said to receive tips; and in three,
bellhops and chambermaids. In every case but one the hotels re­
ported that the employees kept their own tips.
Uniforms.
In 18 of the 21 hotels requiring uniforms, the employers furnished
all or part of them to the workers. In eight cases the employers pro­
vided ail; in seven, all but those of the maids; and in the remaining
three, the men’s only, the women furnishing their own. In the
other three hotels all employees provided their uniforms.
In 9 of the 21 hotels the employer paid for the laundering of all
uniforms, and in 6 the employer paid for men’s uniforms but the
women paid for their own. In three hotels the employees paid for
the laundering, and in two they laundered their own.




CALIFORNIA7
The cities of each population class in the California survey may
be seen in the summary following:
Class 1 (over 500,000)—Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Class 2 (100,000 to 500,000)—Oakland and San Diego.
Class 3 (25,000 to 100,000)—Pasadena, Santa Barbara, and Stockton.

Type and size of hotel.
Greater variation was noted in the types of hotels included in the
California survey than in any other section. Of the 14 hotels, 11 were
independently run and 3 were chain hotels. Of the independent
hotels, three were commercial and residential, 1 was commercial,
residential, and resort, one was commercial and tourist, and 2 were
resort hotels. Two of the three chain hotels were commercial and the
third was an apartment as well as a commercial hotel. Most of the
hotels, 9 of the 13 reporting on size, had from 100 to 500 rooms; only
2 had as many as 500.
Number and type of employees.
At both pay-roll dates in California, roughly 500 persons were
employed in the hotels surveyed, 537 on the late pay rolls, 464 on the
early. In the first case there were 282 women and 255 men and in the
latter 246 women and 218 men. The number of women employed
was larger than that of men, the only exception to this being in cities
of class 2 on the late pay rolls. Except in the smallest cities, the
number of nonservice workers was greater than that of service
employees. On both pay rolls in cities of classes 1 and 3 more women
than men were service workers, but in those of class 2 the opposite
was true. (Table on p. 2.) Employees in restaurants in hotels are
included in the section on restaurants.
HOURS
Hours worked in week.
In only one class of cities, class 2, were there sufficient numbers of
women or men with hours worked reported for the computation of
percentages. A large proportion of the 102 women on the late pay
rolls whose hours were reported, close to one-half, worked less than
40 hours, and almost two-fifths worked 48 but less than 54. None
worked so long as 54 hours. Of the 106 men reported at the same
time, the largest proportion, more than two-fifths, were employed
54 hours, and close to one-tenth for more than 54. Actual hours in
excess of 54 were prohibited by the code.
Scheduled days per week.
The 6-day week was applied almost universally among the hotel
employees in California at the time of the late pay rolls._ None of the
116 women reported in cities of class 1 nor the 106 in cities of class 2
had a scheduled week of more than 6 days, and only 3 of the 46 women
7 Tables for this section of the report are available in the Women’s Bureau,

36




PART II.—HOTELS

37

reported in class 3 had a schedule of 7 days. None of the 104 men
in the larger cities, and only 2 each of the 105 and 33 in the 2 groups of
smaller cities, had a scheduled week of 7 days.
Shifts.
'
Practically all (96.6 percent) of the 116 women reported in cities of
class 1 at the late pay-roll date had the same shift each day—the
same beginning and ending hours and the same number of hours to
be worked. Eighty-three percent of the 106 women in cities of
class 2 also had no irregularity in their shifts. About 80 percent of
the 104 men reported in cities of class 1 and 70 percent of the 106
in the cities next in size had the same shift each day.
Employee-days.8
The average number of employee-days per worker ranged in the
three classes of cities from 5.9 to 6.1.
In the larger cities, seven-eighths of the women’s 694 days had
hours of work of 8 and under 9; 1 percent fell in the group 9 and less
than 10 hours, the remainder being of less than 8. In contrast to the
women’s 1 percent at as much as 9 hours, about 28 percent of the
men’s 624 days were of 9 hours and more.
In cities of class 2, the women’s 632 employee-days showing hours of
work were practically equally divided between the hour groups less
than 8 and 8 and less than 9. About one-third were of only 6 hours.
Men, on the other hand, had one-half of their 631 days with working
hours of 9 and more.
In cities of class 3, women’s most usual days had working hours of
7 and less than 8, almost four-fifths (78 percent) of the 273 being so
reported. Less than 9 percent of their days had as many as 8 hours of
work. Many of the women’s days had a disproportionate spread of
hours, 17.6 percent having a lapse of 10 and more hours between
beginning and ending the day though all working hours were below 9.
Just over 2 percent had a spread of more than 12 hours. The largest
proportion of the men’s 205 days—38 percent—had working hours of
9 and less than 10, and 18 percent were of 10 hours and more. On the
other hand, 26.3 percent—a proportion very greatly in excess of the
women’s short days—were of only 6 working hours. The same pro­
portion—26.3 percent—had a spread of hours in excess of 12.
WAGES
Basis of payment.
At both pay-roll dates more employees were paid on a monthly
basis than on any other, the only exception to this being women on the
late pay rolls in cities of class 2, among whom a weekly basis was the
most common.
WEEKLY RATES

Rate distribution and scheduled hours.
As explained in previous sections of this report rates as discussed
here are cash rates exclusive of any additions given.
Women.—Of the 68 service women with rates reported in cities of
class 1 at the time of the late pay rolls, 43 had a weekly rate of at least
$15, the minimum set by the code for 54 hours’ work, though none of
these women had a scheduled week so long as 54 hours. Of the 56•
• Tor general Introduction to "employee-days” see New York City, p. 17.




38

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

nonservice women, only 7 had a weekly rate of less than $15, though all
these women, too, had a scheduled week of less than 54 hours.
In class 2 cities, 22 of the 31 service women reported but only 32
of the 73 nonservice women had a weekly rate of less than $14, that
set by the code for 54 hours’ work in cities of this size. None of these
women, service or nonservice, had a schedule so long as 54 hours.
In cities of class 3, 26 of the 35 service women and 4 of the 10 non­
service women whose rates and hours were reported had a weekly rate
of less than $13, the minimum set by the code for 54 hours’ work, but
here too no women had a schedule so long as 54 hours. It may be
noted here that all the women on the late pay rolls in California were
scheduled to work less than 54 hours.
Men.—In general, a corresponding observance of the code was not
found in the figures for men. Of the 36 service men reported in cities
of class 1 all but 6 were paid a weekly rate of less than $15, the mini­
mum set by the code for 54 hours’ work, but none of these men had a
scheduled week so long as 54 hours. Among the 69 nonservice men
in this group, 54 had a rate of less than $15. Twenty of the non­
service men had worked 54 hours, yet 18 of these 20 were paid less
than $15.
_
In cities of class 2, 29 of the 32 service men reported had a weekly
rate of less than $14, the minimum set by the code for a 54-hour week
in cities of this size. Twelve of these had a scheduled week of 54
hours or longer. Of the 73 nonservice men whose rates were reported,
50 were paid less than $14; and of the 47 in this group whose sched­
uled hours were reported; 25 had a week of 54 hours or longer.
All the 17 service men in cities of class 3 had a rate of less than $13,
though 7 of them had a scheduled week of 54 hours or more. Eleven
of the 18 nonservice men had a rate lower than the code minimum,
and 9 of the 11 had a scheduled week of at least 54 hours.
Median weekly rates and scheduled hours.
Women.-—Due to the small numbers in the various groups it is
possible to compute only a few medians.
In the largest cities included in the survey the median for the 68
service women with rates reported is $16.05. Of the 67 in this group
whose scheduled hours were reported, all but 1 had a week of 48 but
less than 54 hours, and for these 66 the median is, as would be ex­
pected, the same as that for the whole group.
The medians of the nonservice women are $17.30 for the 56 women
in cities of class 1 and $14.90 for the 73 in cities of class 2.
Men.—There were not enough service men for the computation of
medians in any group of cities surveyed in California. For the non­
service men the medians were $12.15 and $11.75 for the 69 and 73
men in cities of class 1 and class 2, respectively.
WEEK’S EARNINGS

Earnings distribution.
In this discussion of earnings, both median and distribution, atten­
tion has been given to the supplements received in the form of meals
or lodging.
Women.—The largest proportions of both the 69 service women and
the 56 nonservice women in cities of class 1 earned $15 and over
at the late pay-roll date. More than 5 in 8 of the 79 women in this




PART II.—HOTELS

39

earnings group as a whole received nothing but their cash wage. Only
four women, three in the service and one in the nonservice group,
earned less than $5. Of these, the three service employees were given
lodging in addition and the nonservice employees one meal a day.
At the earlier date, the largest proportions of the 104 women and of
the 51 nonservice women had been paid $15 and over, and the largest
proportion of the 53 service women $10 but less than $15. Of the
women earning $10 but less than $15 and $15 and over, the majority
received nothing in addition to their cash wage. Eight women, six
of whom were service employees, earned less than $5. Of these
eight, only three received anything in addition in the form of lodging
or meals. Only in this class of cities were there enough service em­
ployees to justify consideration.
In cities of class 2 the largest proportions of the 110 women and of
the 79 nonservice women at the late date and of the total of 103
women and of the 77 nonservice women at the early date received $10
but less than $15. About one-half of the 60 women whose earnings
were so reported on the late pay rolls, nearly all of whom were service
workers, received nothing in addition. Of the remaining 29, 23 had
2 or 3 meals daily; 3 of them had lodging also. Small numbers, three
at the late date and six at the early, were paid less than $5. Of these,
two at the late date were given 1 meal daily and five at the early
date had 2 or 3 meals.
Men.—The largest proportions of all the 106 men and of the 69
nonservice men in cities of class 1 at the late pay-roll date and of the
87 men and of the 59 nonservice men at the early date had earned $10
but less than $15. All but 2 of the 43 who earned such an amount
at the late date received 1 meal, 2 or 3 meals, or lodging and 3 meals
in addition; 25 had received 2 or 3 meals daily. All but 6 of the 38
in this earnings group at the early date had received something in
addition; 19 had been given 2 or 3 meals. More than twice as large
a proportion at the early date as at the later one had earned less than
$5. All the 12 who had received this small amount at the earlier
date had, in addition, 2 or 3 meals daily. Five of the six at the late
date had one or more meals. Two service employees had earned
nothing but tips.
In the cities next in size at the late date, the largest proportion
(close to two-fifths) of all the 114 men earned $5 but less than $10
and of the 78 nonservice men $10 but less than $15. Of the 44 men
who earned $5 but less than $10, 19 were given lodging and 3 meals.
All but 7 of the 29 nonservice men who earned $10 but less than $15
were given lodging, or meals, or both. Of the 16 who earned less than
$5, 11 were given lodging, 1 or more meals daily, or both lodging and
meals.
At the early pay-roll date also, the largest part of the group as a
whole (100 men) had earned $5 but less than $10; the largest group of
the 66 nonservice men had received $15 and over. About two-thirds
of the 37 men in the total group who had been paid $5 but less than
$10 had received in addition 1 or more meals, lodging, or lodging
and 3 meals. Of the 21 nonservice men whose earnings were $15 or
over, only 3 had received lodging or meals.
Twenty-one men in these cities had earned less than $5, and 6 of
these had received nothing in addition to this cash wage.




40

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

Earnings distribution and hours worked.
The group as a whole, regardless of types of service, will be dis­
cussed here as to earnings distribution and hours worked. In cities
of class 2 only 1 of the 10 women whose earnings were $5 but less
than $10 worked as long as 48 hours. Practically three-tenths of the
60 women who earned $10 but less than $15 worked this long.
All but 3 of the 14 men in cities of class 2 whose earnings were less
than $5 worked 40 hours or more.
Median earnings.9
Women.—Though the minimum-wage law of California applies to
women employed in hotels, the data secured regarding earnings show
the median in many cases to have been below $16, the minimum set
for a 48-hour week in the order of the Industrial W elfare Commission
for this industry.10
.....
,
The median earnings for the 125 women in cities of class 1 at the
late pay-roll date were $16.25, for the 69 service women $13.50, and
for the 56 nonservice $17. In cities of class 2 the median for the
group of all women (110) was $13.70, and for the 79 women in the
nonservice group $13.90. When the medians computed for the
early pay-roll date are compared with those for the late, they are
found to be lower in every case but one, that of service employees in
cities of class 1
Men.—The median earnings for all men (106) in cities of class 1
at the late date were $10.85, and for the 69 nonservice men some­
what higher, $11.85. In cities of class 2 the medians for both these
groups—$8.90 for the 114 in the total group and $11.40 for the 78
nonservice men—were lower, considerably so for all men. For the
early pay rolls the median for all the men (87) in class 1 was found
to be the same as that for the late pay roils, $10.85. The median
for the 59 nonservice men was slightly less ($11.50) than for those
on the late pay rolls. In cities of class 2 the median earnings of all
men (100) on the early pay rolls were $6.80, considerably less than
those for the corresponding group at the later date, though the
median for the 66 nonservice men, $11.25, was only slightly less.
STATEMENTS BY EMPLOYERS
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A.
In the 13 hotels in which some change in hours of employees since
the President’s Reemployment Agreement was reported, 12 had
decreased the hours of some, if not all, of their employees. Four
hotels had decreased the hours of all employees, and five had de­
creased the hours of men but had not reported as to what was done
for the women. In the remaining three cases, various other systems
had been evolved; in one the hours were increased for women and
decreased for men, in another the hours of some were decreased
while for others no report was made, and in the remaining hotel
hours were decreased for some and for the rest they were not changed.
Changes in rates were reported by 9 of the 12 hotels replying to
this inquiry. In seven of the nine the rates of some workers were
• It is not possible to correlate median earnings and hours worked, because of the small numbers involved.
10 This order fixed a minimum rate of $16 for women in hotels and restaurants for a 48-hour week, or an
hourly rate of 38 cents for a shorter week.




PART II.—HOTELS

41

increased and others were left the same or were not reported. In
only one were the rates increased for all employees.
Only five hotels reported any change in the basis of payment. In
one of these the change was made for all employees; this change was
to a weekly from a monthly basis. Two of the other changes were to
weekly from monthly or hourly, one was to monthly from daily,
and the last was to hourly or daily from monthly.
Overtime and part time.
Overtime was reported by six hotels. In one of these no pay was
given for such work, in three straight time was paid, and in two time
and one-third. Thirteen hotels reported that they had part-time
workers. Ten paid straight rate for such work, time and one-third
was paid by one, and in the other two different systems were in use.
Tips.
Of the 14 hotels surveyed in California, all but 2 reported that some
employees received tips. In four hotels bellhops and chambermaids
were so reported, in five others bellhops and porters, and some
additional workers in three of these, and in three bellhops only. In
10 of the 12 hotels reporting on the disposition of tips received, the
employees kept their own. In one of the two remaining hotels the
check girl turned her tips over to her employer, and in the other case
chambermaids and porters kept their tips but the bellboys pooled
theirs.
Uniforms.
Various systems were practiced in regard to uniforms. In 4 of the
13 hotels reporting as to who furnished the uniforms, all were provided
by the employee. In three of the remaining nine the employer fur­
nished all the uniforms, in one men’s uniforms were provided but the
women supplied their own, in one only the maids’ uniforms were
supplied, and in the remaining four all but maids’ uniforms were
provided, though two of these hotels furnished aprons to maids.
Great variety was noted in the arrangements made for the laundry
of uniforms. In only 2 of 13 cases did the employers pay for all the
employees’ uniforms. In five of the hotels the workers cared for and
laundered their own, in one the employees attended to all but the
maids’ aprons, and in another all hut the maids’ aprons and the
housemen’s coats. In three cases the men’s uniforms only were done
by the hotel.

08163°—36




4

THE SOUTH 11
In the 10 Southern States included, 26 cities and towns were visited.
These were:
Class 2 (100,000 to 500,000)—Atlanta (Ga.), Birmingham (Ala.), Louis­
ville (Ky.), New Orleans (La.), and Norfolk and Richmond (Va.).
Class 3 (25,000 to 100,000)—Charleston and Wheeling (W. Va.), Char­
lotte, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem (N. C.), Cumberland (Md.),
Greenville (S. C.), Lexington (Ky.), Macon (Ga.), Montgomery (Ala.),
and Roanoke (Va.).
Class 4 (2,500 to 25,000)—Athens (Ga.), Biloxi (Miss.), Concord, Gas­
tonia, Salisbury, and Shelby (N. C.), Danville and Suffolk (Va.), and
Rock Hill (S. C.).

Type and size of hotel.
Of the 32 hotels included in the South, all but 2 were independent
establishments. Twenty-six of the 30 hotels independently run were
commercial, 3 were residential as well, and 1 was resort. Both the
chain hotels were commercial. The size of the establishments varied.
Twenty-four had from 100 to 500 guest rooms, 7 had fewer than 100,
and only 1 had more than 500.
Number and type of employees.
In the study at the late pay-roll date, 1,236 employees were in­
cluded, with about equal proportions of women and men, 624 and 612,
respectively. On the earlier pay rolls there were 1,054 persons,
these too being practically equally divided as to sex—545 women and
509 men. Much the greatest numbers, on both late and early pay
rolls, were in cities of classes 2 and 3. Very few were in the smallest
cities.
...
.
On both pay rolls in cities of classes 2 and 3 nonservice workers
greatly outnumbered service employees, the only exception to this
being the men in cities of class 3. In other words, those who received
tips were fewer in number than those who received no tips. Employ­
ees in hotel restaurants are included in the section on restaurants.
(See table on p. 2.)
HOURS
Hours worked in week.
Due to the small numbers for whom hours worked were reported,
their distribution can be computed only for women on the late pay
rolls in two classes of cities and on the early pay rolls in one. For
only the same two classes and only at the later date are facts available
for men.
Women.—Practically two-fifths of the 233 women on the late pay
rolls in cities of class 2 for whom hours worked were reported were
employed 48 but less than 54 hours; three-tenths worked less than 40
hours. Just over 2 percent had worked 54 hours, the maximum set
by the code, and the same proportion longer than 54 hours.ii
ii Tables for this section of the report are available in the Women's Bureau.

42




PART II.—HOTELS

43

On the later pay rolls in cities of class 3 a somewhat larger propor­
tion of the 182 women for whom hours worked were reported worked
48 but less than 54 hours, and a very much larger proportion-—onefifth of the total—worked 54 hours or more. Almost 3 percent were
employed longer than 54 hours, though 54 was the maximum set by
the code. An indication of the change that had taken place between
the early and the late pay rolls is the fact that close to two-thirds
(64.2 percent) of the 53 women reported in cities of class 3 had been
employed more than 54 hours at the earlier date.
Men.-—At the time of the late pay rolls, the largest proportion of
the 177 men for whom hours worked were reported in cities of class
2, about two-fifths, worked 54 hours, and more than one-sixth had
worked longer than that.
In cities of class 3, slightly] over two-fifths of the 159 men worked
54 hours, but only one-twentieth exceeded that.
Scheduled days per week.
Of the 293 women in hotels in cities of class 2 with scheduled days
reported at the time of the late pay rolls, close to three-tenths (82)
had a schedule of work of 7 days in the week. In the next group of
cities only somewhat more than one-eighth of the 270 women had so
long a week. Only 46 women were reported in the smallest group of
cities, but 19 (or over two-fifths) of these had a scheduled week of
7 days.
Among the men the proportions working 7 days differed less with
size of city. Practically one-third of the 256 reported in class 2,
somewhat under three-tenths of the 281 in class 3, and 15 of the 62
in class 4 had a schedule of this duration.
Shifts.
About four-fifths of the 290 women reported in cities of class 2
and five-sixths of the 264 in cities of class 3 had the same shift each
day—the same hours of beginning and ending and the same hours of
actual work. Hours were regular for large numbers of men also;
close to seven-eighths of the 251 in cities of class 2, and about threefourths of the 260 in class 3 and the 54 in class 4, had the same shift
each day.
Employee-days.12
The average number of days worked per employee, arrived at by
dividing employee-days by number of employees, was 6.3. Only for
women in cities of class 3 was it less than 6.3, and in that case the
average was 6.1.
In all classes of cities visited the largest proportion of women’s days
had hours of work of less than 8, and the second largest proportion
fell at 8 and less than 9 hours. In the smallest cities all days were in
those groups, but in cities of class 2 practically 5 percent of the 1,819
employee-days, and in those of class 3, 17 percent of the 1,613 days,
had schedules of from 9 hours to 10 or 11. In contrast to working
hours of 10 or 11 were the following short hours. The women in
cities of class 2 had a 6-hour schedule on 19 percent of their days and
a 7-hour schedule on 27.5 percent; those in the cities next smaller
(class 3) had a 7-hour schedule on 30.4 percent of their days; and
» For general introduction to “employee-days” see New York City, p. 17.




44

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

those in the smallest places (class 4) had a 7-hour schedule on 21.3
percent of their 253 days and one of less than 5 hours on 15.4 percent.
Except in the smallest cities, some of the women’s days—1.9 percent
in class 2 and 4.8 percent in class 3—had a spread in excess of 12
hours. In cities of class 4, though no days had so many as 9 hours of
work, 7.9 percent had a spread of hours of 10 and more, most of them
over 11.
....
Men’s days were longer than women’s, especially in cities of classes
2 and 4. In class 3 about 15 percent of the men’s 1,634 days were
of 6 working hours and a few were of less than 6, the total with such
short hours being 2/ times the proportion of women’s short days.
The spread of men’s hours was long, especially in cities of classes 3
and 4, where respectively one-fourth and about one-fifth of their days
had a spread of 12 hours and more.
WAGES
Basis of payment.
In cities of class 2 the most usual basis of pay for women at the time
of the late pay rolls was hourly, as contrasted with monthly for men.
However, a considerable proportion of women were paid monthly,
and this was the most common basis for both women and men in cities
of classes 3 and 4. In all three groups of cities, monthly was the most
usual method of pay on the early rolls.
WEEKLY RATES

Data as to weekly rates were obtained from the late pay rolls only.
As mentioned in previous sections the rates discussed here are net cash
rates. For minimum rates set by the code for cities of the population
classes included in the South see note 2 to table on page 6.
Rate distribution.
Women.—For all the 125 service women in cities of class 2 whose
weekly rates were reported the rate was $5 but less than $10. More
than one-third had a rate of $5 but less than $7. Among the 138 non­
service women, practically 70 percent also had a rate of $5 but less
than $10, 1 had a rate of less than $5, and 3 of as much as $15. Well
over one-half of those whose rate was $5 but less than $10 had a rate
of $5 but less than $8.
There were only five service women in cities of class 3 whose rates
were reported; all theso had a rate of $5 but less than $10. Among
the nonservice women in cities of this class, about three-fifths of the
237 had a rate of $5 but less than $10, though 16 had 1 of less than
$5 and 13 of $15 and more. In cities of class 4, 19 of the 21 service
women for whom rates were available had rates of $5 but less than $15.
All but 1 of the 12 nonservice women in cities of class 4 had a rate of $5
but less than $10.
Men.—In cities of class 2, practically four-fifths of the 109 service
men had a rate of less than $5; only 2 had one of as much as $15.
Among the nonservice men, approximately one-half of the 129 had a
rate of $10 but less than $15.
In the cities next in size, 13 of the 117 service men worked for tips
only. More than one-half of the remainder had a rate of less than $5.
In contrast to this more than three-fifths of the nonservice men had a
rate of $5 but less than $10.



PART II.—HOTELS

45

For only 29 service men in cities of class 4 were rates reported.
Seventeen of these had a rate of $5 but less than $10 and the remain­
der had a rate of less than $5. The seven nonservice men for whom
rates were reported were in the group at $5 but less than $10.
Median weekly rates and scheduled hours.
Service women.—The median weekly rate of the 125 service women
in cities of class 2 for whom rate was reported was $8.65. For the 57
women whose scheduled hours were 40 but less than 44 the median
was somewhat higher, $9.50, and for the 52 whose hours were 48 but
less than 54 it was much lower, $6.90.
For no other group of cities are median rates by hour groups avail­
able, the numbers reported being too small.
Nonservice women.—The median weekly rate of the 138 nonservice
women reported in cities of class 2 was $8.45, and for the 134 whose
scheduled hours as well were available it was practically the same,
$8.40. For the 68 women whose hours were 48 but less than 54 the
median was lower, $7.90. Where comparison is possible, the medians
of nonservice women in cities of class 3 are slightly higher than these.
Service men.—The median weekly rate of the 109 service men in
cities of class 2 was $4.30, and the same for those whose scheduled
hours were reported. In cities of class 3 the median of the 117 re­
ported was practically the same, $4.35, but for the 71 whose hours
were 48 but less than 54 the median was considerably less, $3.45. The
low median rates of these men would seem to be an indication that
the employers expected much to be received in tips, if they were abid­
ing by the principle of the minimum wage as suggested in the cloaked
language of the code.
Nonservice men.—Among the nonservice men rates were much
higher. In cities of class 2 the median weekly rate of the group of
men as a whole (129) and of those with scheduled hours reported
was $10.30. For the 65 men whose hours were reported as 54,
the median was $10. In cities of class 3 the median for the 107 non­
service men reported was $8.70.
The minimum rates established by the code were for 54 hours' work
and were set “irrespectively of by whom or on what basis service
employees are compensated.” As so few women or men were re­
ported with hours of 54, it will be impossible to compare the code rates
for those with scheduled hours of this duration.
WEEK’S EARNINGS

Earnings distribution.
Women.—Much the largest proportions of the 129 service women
and the 172 nonservice women on the late pay rolls and of the 96
service women and the 163 nonservice women on the early pay rolls in
cities of class 2 in the South earned $5 but less than $10. Only 9 of
the 246 women in this earnings group received anything in addition
to their cash wage. These nine were nonservice employees. Six
received one meal a day and three received lodging and three meals.
Close to 5 percent—14 women—earned less than $5 a week and none
of them were given anything in addition. At the early pay-roll date
also the largest proportions of the 96 service women and the 163 non­
service women had been paid $5 but less than $10. Only 5 of the 178
women earning such an amount had received anything but their cash
wage. One-sixth of the women had earnings of less than $5,



46

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

In cities of class 3 at both pay-roll dates three-fifths of the 275
and the 245 women, respectively, had earned $5 but less than $10.
Most of these women were nonservice employees. Just over fourfifths of this earnings group at each pay-roll date were given nothing
in addition to their week’s wage. About one-eighth of the total at
the late date and one-fifth of the total at the early date had earned
less than $5. Only about one in eight at the late date and one in six
at the early had received anything but their cash wage.
Thirty-eight of the 48 women m cities of class 4 at the late date
earned $5 but less than $10, all but 1 of the remainder earned less than
$5. Of the 41 women on the early pay rolls almost equal numbers,
19 and 21, had earned less than $5 and $5 but less than $10, re­
spectively.
Men.—The largest proportion of the whole group of 266 men and
of the 112 service men in cities of class 2 at the late date earned less
than $5. The largest group of the 154 nonservice men earned $10
and less than $15, but those at $5 and less than $10 were almost as
many. Only three employees had either meals or lodging in addition.
About the same conditions were found at the early date as at the later,
though more of the nonservice men had received less than $5. No
meals or lodging had been received by any of the men.
In cities of class 3 at the late pay-roll date the largest proportion
of all men (284) and of the 127 nonservice men received $5 but less
than $10, while of the 157 service men the chief group earned less
than $5. Thirteen service men, close to one-tenth of the whole group
of service employees, received nothing but the tips’given them. Only
15, or about one-eiglith, of the total group (121) who received $5 but
less than $10 were given any meals in addition to their cash payment;
none were given lodging.
At the early date the largest proportion of the whole group (242)
had earned less than $5, followed closely by those earning $5 and
less than $10. Two-thirds of the 122 service group had been paid
less than $5 and almost two-thirds of the 120 in the nonservice group
$5 but less than $10. Only 4 of the 108 men who had received less
than $5 had been given any meals. Seven of the 77 nonservice men
who had earned $5 but less than $10 had been given one or more
meals a day. Thirteen, all service men, had worked for tips only.
Just over three-fifths of the 62 men on the late pay rolls in cities
of class 4 earned $5 but less than $10, and the remainder earned less
than $5. Eleven of the larger group were given two or three meals
daily, and 10 of the 24 whose earnings were less than $5 had one or
more meals daily to supplement their earnings. Owing to the small
number involved, percentages have not been computed for the men
in cities of class 4 at the early date. Twenty-eight of the 43 men
had been paid less than $5, and 10 of these had had two or three
meals daily.
Earnings distribution and hours worked.
Earnings and hours as discussed in this section are for the group
as a whole. Practically seven-tenths of the 191 women in cities of
class 2 whose earnings were $5 but less than $10 worked 40 hours or
longer. In cities of class 3 nine-tenths of the 121 women who earned
$5 but less than $10 worked 40 hours or more.




PART II.—HOTELS

47

Among the men in cities of class 2, seven-eighths of the 57 whose
earnings were less than $5 worked 40 hours or more. A like propor­
tion, nine-tenths, of the 50 men who earned $5 but less than $10
worked 40 hours or longer. In cities of class 3, 33 of the 43 men
who earned less than $5 worked at least 40 hours. All but 1 of the
86 whose earnings were $5 but less than $10 worked this long.
Median earnings.

Women.—In cities of class 2 the median week’s earnings of all
the 301 women at the time of the late pay rolls were $8.30; the median
for the 129 service women was $8.60, and that for the 172 nonservice
women was $8.20. Medians could be computed for only two groups
in cities of class 3, those of the 275 women in the total ($8.25) and of
the 258 nonservice women ($8.55). Great similarity is apparent in
the medians for the two groups of cities. Medians were not com­
puted for the few women in the smallest cities. When data from
the early pay rolls are compared, the medians are found to be lower
in every case than those for the later date.
Men.-—Among the various groups of men the relations were very
different. The median earnings of the 112 service men at the later
date in cities of class 2 were extremely low—only $2.95. For the
group of men as a whole (266) the median was $8.10, and for the 154
nonservice men it was $10.15. In cities of class 3 the range in medians
was not so great as in class 2. The median for the 157 service men
was $3.15, but it was only $5.50 for the total of 284 men and only
$8.80 for the 127 nonservice men. The median for the 62 men in
cities of class 4 was the same as for those in class 3, $5.50. In every
case, median earnings were lower at the time of the early pay rolls
than at the later date.
Median earnings and hours worked.
Women.—At the time of the late pay rolls the median earnings of
the 233 women for whom hours worked were reported in the cities
of class 2 were $8.60. For the 71 employed for less than 40 hours
they were $7.95; for the 59 who had worked 40 but below 48 hours
they were the highest of all, $9.50; and for the 93 who were employed
48 but less than 54 hours they were $8.55. In the cities next in size,
the median for the 275 whose hours were reported was $8.25; for the
50 who wore employed 40 but less than 48 hours it was $8.15; and for
the 78 working 48 but less than 54 hours it was $8.05. There were
no early data for comparison.
_
Men.—Considerable variations appear in the median earnings of
the men in the largest cities (class 2). The median for the 177 men
with hours worked reported on the late pay rolls is $8.80; for the 56
who had worked 48 but less than 54 hours it is $8; and for the 69
who were employed 54 hours it is $10.50.
In cities next in size this same relation among the medians is noted.
The median for the 159 men whose hours worked were reported is
$5.95, for the 53 who were employed 48 but less than 54 hours it is
$5.20, and for the 68 who worked 54 hours it is $9.20. Here too there
were no early pay-roll data.




48

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

STATEMENTS BY EMPLOYERS
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A.
Twenty-nine of the 32 hotels surveyed in the South had made some
changes in the hours of their employees since the President’s Reem­
ployment Agreement. All but 5 of the 29 decreased the hours of all
their workers. Of the other five, two had lessened the hours for some,
while for others they remained the same; two had decreased the hours
for some, and it was not reported as to what was done for the others;
and one had decreased the hours for a time but had returned to the
former schedule.
Changes in rates paid to employees were reported by 25 hotels. All
but six of these had increased the rates of all workers. Five of the
six had increased the rates of some while others remained the same
or the change was not reported.
Only 12 of the 32 reported a change in basis of payment. A change
to an hourly rate was reported for all the employees in 8 of the 12
hotels and for some employees in 2. In only one hotel was a change
made to a weekly basis of pay, and in one bellboys were given a weekly
wage where previously they had received only tips.
Overtime and part time.
Only 13 hotels reported having any overtime. Remuneration for
such work was on a straight time basis in seven cases, on time and
a third in four cases, and at varied rates in the remaining two.
A much larger number of hotels, 29, had part-time workers. All
but two of these paid a straight rate to such employees. The other
two paid slightly more than the regular rates.
Tips.
All the employers reported that some of the workers received tips,
though in one-half of the cases the bellboys were the only ones who
did so. In 12, bellboys and chambermaids were both reported as
receiving tips. Other employees, such as porters, doormen, and
housemen, as well as bellhops, received tips in the remaining four.
In only two of these were chambermaids included. In every hotel
where the question as to disposition of tips was answered (31) the
employees were reported as keeping their own.
Uniforms.
Two hotels did not require their employees to wear uniforms. All
uniforms were furnished by the employers in 12 hotels and by the
workers in 8. In the remaining 10 cases the employer furnished some
but not all of the employees’ uniforms.
In the 24 hotels where a report was made on the laundering of
uniforms various systems were practiced. One-third of these estab­
lishments paid for the laundering of all uniforms, while in five the
cost was borne by the employees. In four hotels the employees
laundered and cared for their own, and in two they were responsible
for all but the porters’ blouses. Of the remaining five hotels, two
took care of the laundering of women’s uniforms and three took care
of it for the men.




Part III.—RESTAURANTS
NEW YORK CITY
Number and type of employees.

Eighty-seven restaurants in Now York City furnished data regarding
the employment of women for the pay period that included March 15,
1934. Five of these had no women in their employ at the time of the
early pay rolls, in most cases a pay period of May 1933. For 86 estab­
lishments data were secured for men on both the early and the late
pay rolls. Earnings data were available for all the men and women
reported on the pay rolls, but time worked was not. Two thousand
employees, 754 women and 1,246 men, were included at the time of
late pay rolls; a smaller number, 1,785 (703 women and 1,082 men)
at the early date. (Table on p. 3.)
In New York City at the time of the late pay rolls there were more
than twice as many nonservice as service men employees. Among
women the situation was reversed, the number of service women
being more than 1 % times that of nonservice women. At the time of
the early pay rolls the conditions were very similar to these.
HOURS

Hours worked in week.

Women.—Time worked in hours during the selected week was avail­
able for some women and men both on early and on late pay rolls.
When a comparison is made of the proportions of women working long
hours it is seen that excessive hours were more common at the earlier
date. Just over 14 percent of the 461 women on the early rolls, as
compared with just over 4 percent on the late ones, had worked
longer than 48 hours. Nevertheless, even 4 percent is surprising, since
the code prohibited women’s employment for more than 48 hours,
with exceptions allowed during two periods not to exceed 3 weeks for
year-round restaurants and one period not to exceed 6 weeks for those
open for business not more than 6 months.
Table 9.—Hours worked in week of late and early pay rolls, by sex of employees—
Restaurants, New York City
Women
Hours worked

Late pay rolls

Men

Early pay rolls

Late pay rolls

Early pay rolls

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Total.............

736

100.0

461

100.0

1,205

100.0

649

100.0

Less than 40
40, less than 48..........
48 i

422
143
140
31

57.3
19.4
19.0
4.2

228
64
103
66

49.5
13.9
22.3
14.3

286
122

23.7
10.1

143
32

22.0
4.9

350
329
118

29. 0

148

9.8

226

54 a________
More than 54______
1 Maximum hours set by the code for women.
* Maximum hours set by the code for men.




49

Percent

34.8

50

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

Men.—Of the 649 men on the early pay rolls for whom time worked
was reported in hours, over one-third (34.8 percent) had worked longer
than 54 hours. On the late pay rolls, copied for a pay period about 1
month after the code for the restaurant industry had been approved,
less than 10 percent (9.8) of the 1,205 had exceeded 54 hours. How­
ever, even this was in violation of the maximum-hour provision of the
code, which set 54 as the maximum working hours for men, with but
few exceptions.
Scheduled days per week.
Of the 87 restaurants surveyed in New York City, somewhat under
one-half operated 6 days and less. In these 41 restaurants were slightly
more than one-half (1,017) of the employees, who also worked on 6
days or less. The remaining 46 restaurants, employing 983 persons,
operated on 7 days, but only 25 of their employees, in 14 of the restau­
rants, worked the full week. This indicates almost complete com­
pliance with the provision of the code that limited the days of work
in the restaurant industry to 6 in any one week.
Shifts.
More than five-sixths of the women in New York City had the same
number of hours in their shifts each day of the week, though the hours
of beginning and ending may have been irregular. Among the men
not quite so large a proportion, though more than four-fifths, likewise
had the same shift each day as far as total hours were concerned, but
in their case, too, the hours of beginning and ending may have varied.
Employee-days.1
The 725 women in New York City restaurants whose hours of work
were reported had a total of 4,230 employee-days on the late pay rolls,
and the 1,206 men had a total of 7,050 such days, in both cases an
average of only 5.8 days per employee.
Table 10.-—Distribution of employee-days of women and men on late pay rolls, by
hours of work and by spread of hours—Restaurants, New York City
[Note.—A classification of hours more detailed than the following is available in the Women’s Bureau
for reference by persons interested]

Hours

Employee-days
with hours of
work as specified

Employee-days
with spread of
hours as specified

Women
(725)

Women
(725)

Men
(1,206)

Men
(1,206)

4,230

7,050

4,230

7,050

70.0
27. 2
2.2
.6

25.9
29.9
34.5
9.8

46.6
19.9
27.3
6.2

16.8
10.0
27.6
145.6

29.9

8.9
O)

27.5
.4

8.7
5.2

Percent distribution

1 22.9 percent at more than 10.
* Less than one-tenth of 1 percent.

Seventy percent of the women's days had hours of work of less
than 8, 3 in 7 of these (29.9 percent of the total) being below 5 hours
in length. Only just over 2 percent of the women’s days were of
1 For general introduction to “employee days” see Hotels, New York City, p. 17.




PART III.—RESTAURANTS

51

9 and under 10 hours, and less than 1 percent were of 10 and more,
but the section of the table showing spread of hours has 6.2 percent
of the days with a lapse of 10 or more hours between the beginning
and the ending of work and 0.4 percent with a lapse of more than 12
hours.
The largest proportion of the men’s days had hours of work of 9
and less than 10, well over one-third being so reported. About 30
percent were of 8 but less than 9 hours, and about 26 percent were of
less than 8. Just over one-third of the days of less than 8 hours
were actually of less than 6, the employment of men for these very
short shifts being slight in contrast to the employment of women.
Practically one-tenth of the men’s days had a schedule of 10 hours and
more, but only one employee-day was of more than 12 hours. The
distribution of men’s days by spread of hours shows 5.2 percent with
a lapse of more than 12 hours between the beginning and the end of
the day.
WAGES
The net cash wage received by workers is of paramount importance.
In the restaurant industry, many workers are given one or more
meals a day, and in some cases lodging, in addition to the money wage.
With this in mind, the tabulations of earnings have been made with
and without the addition of meals and lodging. The minimum rates
established by the restaurant code were set for service and nonservice
employees according to size of city and section of the country.2 By
special provision in the code, deductions were allowed for meals and
lodging. (See discussion, p. 6 of part I.)
Basis of payment.
The weekly basis of pay was the most common for both women
and men in the restaurants of New York City. The proportions of
women so paid decreased slightly between pay rolls, from somewhat
under seven-tenths (68.1 percent) at the earlier date to somewhat
more than three-fifths (62.9 percent) at the later. In contrast to
this, the proportion of men paid on a weekly basis increased from
less than three-fifths (57.7 percent) to nearly three-fourths (73.6
percent) between early and late pay rolls.
The proportion of women paid on an hourly basis increased greatly,
from two-tenths of 1 percent on the early pay rolls to 20.6 percent
on the late. The increase for men was very much less. Payment
by the month declined.
WEEKLY RATES

As explained in the hotel study, all rates discussed are net cash
rates. If charges for meals were made, such costs have been deducted
from the rates quoted. However, unlike the hotel survey, numbers
in the restaurant study are large enough for a discussion of rates for
the group of workers who were. given in addition to their cash wage
two or three meals a day. This group covers the great majority of
restaurant workers. The exclusion of other groups, most of whom
received only one meal a day, eliminates irregular and extra employees.
The reader is reminded that the minimum rate set for nonservice
women for 48 hours of work in cities of over 500,000 population was
$13.33, and for nonservice men for 54 hours of work it was $15.
For service employees the minimums set for women and men for the*
* See p. 5 for definition of service and nonservice employees.




52

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

hours specified were $9.33 and $10.50, respectively. Part-time
workers—defined in the code as employees who worked less than the
maximum workweek prescribed—were to be paid a proportionate
rate in accordance with hours worked.
Rate distribution.
Women.—An analysis of the weekly rates of the 300 service women
on the late pay rolls who received, in addition, two or three meals a
day shows the modal group to be $5 but less than $10. Close to
two-thirds of this group had a rate of $5 but less than $7. The
group with the next largest number of women was less than $5. For
the 219 nonservice women the modal group was $15 and over.
Men.—For the two types of men employees the modal groups were
the same as for the women. Somewhat under one-half (131) of the
300 service men had a rate of $5 but less than $10. Well over twofifths of these had a rate of $5 but less than $7. More than one-half
(420) of the 781 nonservice men had a rate of $15 or more.
Median weekly rates and scheduled hours.
Women.—A comparison of the rates of pay of the 298 service and
217 nonservice women for whom scheduled weekly hours also arc
available shows the median for the nonservice women to be almost 2%
times the median for the service women—$14.20, in contrast to $5.85.
The median rate for the 73 service women whose scheduled hours
were 48 was $6.55. That for the 80 nonservice women was $15.
Aden.—Less contrast may be noted when the rates of men, 297
service and 778 nonservice, are compared. For the service men whose
scheduled weekly hours were secured, the median rate was $9.50,
and for nonservice men it was $15.30. The median rate of the 310
nonservice men working 54 hours was $15.05.
WEEK’S EARNINGS

Though no difference was made in the minimum rates established
by the code according to whether or not meals or lodging were pro­
vided, provision was made for the employer to deduct the value of
such living from the cash wage by agreement with the employee.
As mentioned before, some employers who had never charged for
such services did so after the code was put into effect. Accordingly,
in this study the factors of meals and lodging have been taken into
consideration. Earnings are shown for those receiving no meals or
lodging, one meal a day, two or three meals a day, and lodging and
three meals.
Earnings distribution.
Women.-—The largest proportion of all women on the late pay
rolls earned $5 but less than $10; of service women, less than $5;
and of nonservice women, $15 and more. Close to two-thirds of all
the women whose earnings were $5 but less than $10 earned $5 but
less than $7. Almost three-fifths of the 227 service women whose
earnings were less than $5 earned $3 but less than $5. In each
group the women who earned less than $5 were fewer on the late
than on the early pay rolls; but notwithstanding this, somewhat
under one-third of all women and under one-half of the service
women had such earnings. Only four women, all of them service
workers, received no cash wage; one worked for tips only; the other
three were given one meal a day in addition to tips. (See table 11.)



53

PART III.—RESTAURANTS

Practically two-thirds of all the service women and more than
four-fifths of all the nonservice employees received two or three meals
a day in addition to wages. Correlated with earnings, large propor­
tions of the service women, ranging from about three-fifths of those
who earned less than $5 to four-fifths of those receiving $10 but less
than $15, were given two or three meals. The remaining two-fifths
of the 227 service women who were paid less than $5 were given one
meal a day. Three of the eight nonservice women who earned less
than $5 and nine-tenths of those who earned $15 and more received
two or three meals a day.
At the time of the early pay rolls the women who had received less
than $5 as their week’s wage formed the largest proportion of the
group as a whole and of the service women—close to two-fifths and
three-fifths, respectively. Very few of the nonservice women (less
than 5 percent) were in this lowest earnings group. Almost equal
numbers of the nonservice women fell in the $10 but less than $15
group and that of $15 and over.
At the early pay-roll date large proportions of the service and
nonservice women had two or three meals in addition to their cash
wage.
Men.—On both pay rolls the largest proportions of the men as a
whole and of the nonservice men had received $15 or more as their
cash wage, in contrast to the service men, the largest proportion of
whom on the late rolls were paid $5 but less than $10 and on the
early rolls were paid less than $5. Close to one-half of the 138
service men on the late pay rolls whose earnings were $5 but less
than $10 earned $5 but less than $7. Smaller groups of all men and
of service men earned less than $5 at time of late pay rolls than had
such earnings at the earlier date. The proportion of nonservice men
earning so little was the same at both dates, 3.1 percent.
Large proportions of the service and nonservice men (with the
exception of the service men who earned less than $5) at the late
and early dates were given two or three meals a day.
Table 11.—Earnings distribution of women and men on late and early pay rollsy
by type of employees—Restaurantsf New York City
[Note.—A classification of earnings more detailed than the following is available in the Women’s Bureau
for reference by persons interested]
Men

Women
Late pay rolls

Early pay rolls

Late pay rolls

Early pay rolls

Week s earnings
All

Serv­
ice

Nonserv­
ice

All

Serv­
ice

Nonserv­
ice

All

Serv­
ice

Non­
serv­
ice

All

Serv­ Nonserv­
ice
ice

740
397
849 1,082
342
703
438
265 1,246
Number reported... 754
271
483
Median earnings----- $6. 60 $5.15 $13.05 $5. 70 $4.10 $12.40 $13. 05 $8. 05 $14.75 $12. 45 $6. 55 $14.35

Percent distribution
Less than $5_____ $5, less than $10____
$10, less than $15___
$15 and more............

31.2
36.2
16 0
16.0
l.6

47.0
45.3
5.0
1.9
1.8

3.0
19.9
35.8
41.3

38.3
23.9
17.2
15.2
* 5.4

58.7
26.3
5.0
1.4
>8.7

4.5
20.0
37.4
38.1

10.3
17.7
32.7
39.3
3.1

25.7
34.8
21.2
18.1
8.3

3.1
9.7
38.0
49.2

14.9
19.2
28.0
37.9

40.4
29.2
12.9
17.5

i 1 woman received tips only; 3, 1 meal a day in addition to tips.
* Of these 38 service women, 24 received 1 meal a day; 14, 2 or 3 meals a day in addition to tips.
11 man received 2 or 3 meals a day in addition to tips.




3.1
14.6
35.0
47.3

54

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

Earnings distribution and hours worked.
In this discussion of earnings and hours worked only employees
who received two or three meals a day will be included. Tliis will
exclude many of the part-time and most irregular workers. Among
the service women, well over one-third of the 125 whose earnings
were less than $5 worked 40 hours or longer. About three-fifths of
those who earned $5 but less than $10 worked 40 hours or more.
Eleven of the 32 nonservice women whose earnings were $5 but less
than $10 worked 40 but under 48 hours.
Twenty-four of the forty-five service men whose earnings were less
than $5 worked 40 hours or longer. Practically three-fourths of
those who earned $5 but less than $10 worked 40 hours or longer.
Eighteen of the 49 nonservice men whose earnings were $5 but less
than $10 worked 40 hours or more.




Table 12.—Earnings distribution of women and men, service and nonservice workers, by hours worked—Restaurants, New York City
Number who worked —
Week’s earnings

Number
with
hours
reported

Less
than
20
hours

20,
less
than
28
hours

28,
less
than
40
houis

40,
less
than
48
hours

Number who worked—

More
than
48
hours

48
hours

Number
with
hours
reported

20,
less
than
28
hours

Less
than
20
hours

SERVICE WOMEN

48
hours

More
than
48
hours

310

23

35

94

81

63

14

217

5

17

55

55

68

17

125
161
19
3
2

19
4

22
13

39
46
7
1
1

35
37
7
2

4
55
3

6
6
2

3
32
82
72
28

2
3

1
12
2
1
1

6
26
16
7

11
17
18
9

33
27
8

4
10
3

1

Number
with
houis
reported

Number who worked—

Less
than
20
hours

20,
less
than
28
hours

28,
less
than
40
hours

40,
less
than
48
hours

48,
less
than
54
hours

54
hours

More
than
54
hours

Number
with
hours
reported

Less
than
20
hours

20,
less
than
28
hours

40,
less
than
48
hours

48,
less
than
54
hours

54
hours

More
than
54
hours

NONSERVICE MEN

SERVICE MEN
286

13

10

44

42

102

37

38

770

26

13

45
115
61
32
33

6
7

7
3

8
18
11
5
2

14
12
12

4
56
15
18
9

3
12
10
3
9

3
7
13
6
9

18
49
300
191
212

16
10

2
6
3
2

4

28,
less
than
40
hours

PART III. — RESTAURANTS




40,
less
than
48
hours

NONSERVICE WOMEN

Number who worked—

Week’s earnings

28,
less
than
40
hours

67

75

241

272

76

15
31
10
11

6
26
16
27

10
72
76
83

1
129
71
71

1
39
16
20

Or

Or

56

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

Median earnings.
In every comparable case but one, both for men and for women, the
median week’s earnings are higher for those who receive two or three
meals in addition than for the group as a whole.
Women.—Among the 754 women on the late pay rolls, the great
majority, not far from two-thirds, were service employees. For
these 483 women the median was $5.15, and for the large group of
them who received two or three meals a day in addition to the cash
wage it was $5.45. Unpublished figures for women who had only one
meal a day, probably part-time employees, show the lowest of all
medians, $4.05.
For the nonservice group as a whole (271 women) the median
earnings were $13.05. Four-fifths of these women received two or
three meals a day in addition to the cash wage, and for this group the
median was $13.90.
When the median earnings of women are compared for late and
early pay rolls, increases appear in all cases, some of them considerable.
Unpublished figures show one exception to this, the median for
service employees receiving one meal a day being slightly lower in
1934 than m 1933.
Men.—The median earnings of all the men (1,246) on the late pay
rolls were $13.05. Not quite one-third (397) were service employees,
and the median for this group was $8.05.
All but two of the service men had been given one or more meals
daily in addition to their cash wage; more than three-fourths of them
received two or three meals, but only two had lodging as well. For
those given two or three meals, the median earnings were higher than
for the group as a whole, $9.30 as compared with $8.05. The 89
who received only one meal a day (probably part-time workers) had
a median of $4.30.
For the 849 men who were nonservice employees, the median
earnings at time of the late pay rolls were $14.75. A large part of this
group received two or tliree meals in addition, and these had median
earnings of $15.15.
When median earnings for men on the late pay rolls are compared
with those for 1933, they are seen to be higher in every case for the
later year. In only two cases, however, both for service men, was
the difference considerable—$1.50 and $2.40.
Table 13.—Median of the week’s earnings of service and nonservice women and men
on late and early pay rolls according to additions in the form of meals, by type of
employees—Restaurants, New York City
Men

Women
Service

Service

Nonservice

Nonservice

Time of pay rolls
All
women

Late............................
Early.........................

$6.60
5. 70




All

$5.15
4.10

Receiv­
ing 2
or 3
meals
a day

All

$5.45 $13. 05
4.05 12.40

Receiv­
ing 2
or 3
meals
a day

All
men

$13.90
13.45

$13.05
12.45

All

$8.05
6. 55

Receiv­
ing 2
or 3
meals
a day

All

$9.30 $14.75
6.90 14.35

Receiv­
ing 2
or 3
meals
a day
$15.15
14.60

57

PART III.—RESTAURANTS

Median earnings and hours worked.
When earnings and time worked were to be examined, the employees
who had received two or three meals a day in addition to their cash
wage were selected for analysis, as this would eliminate many of the
part-time, extra, or relief workers, some of whom worked for only one
meal period and were given only the one meal. Due to the time that
had intervened since the early pay-roll data were recorded, hour
records for these workers were less complete than for those on the
late pay rolls.
Service women.—Where it is possible to correlate the earnings of
service women on the late pay rolls with hours of work, the medians
increase with hours worked from $4.85 for those employed less than
40 to $6.60 for those employed 48 hours. This median of $6.60 is
considerably below the minimum set by the code for work of this
type done for 48 hours ($9.33).
, For only one hour group on the early pay rolls could median earn­
ings be computed. The median for the 56 women .who had been
employed less than 40 hours was $3.25, practically one-third below
that for the group working so short a week on the late pay rolls.
Table 14.—•Median earnings 1 and hours worked, women and men on late and
early pay rolls, by type of employees—Restaurants, New York City
WOMEN
Total with
hours work­
ed reported

Total
Type of em­
ployees and
time of pay
rolls

Service:
Late____
Early___
Nonservice:
Late
Early___

Number

Less than 40
hours

40, less than
48 hours

More than
48 hours

48 hours

MediMediMediMediMediMediNumNumNumNuman
Numan
an
an
an
ber
ber
ber
earn­
ber
ber
earn­
earn­
earn­
earn­
earn­
ings
ings
ings
ings
ings
ings

323
287

$5.45
4.05

310
161

$5.50
4.15

152
56

$4.85
3.25

81
40

$5.30
<*)

63
41

$6. 60
»

14
24

(»)
(2)

219
221

13. 90
13.45

217
185

13. 75
14.40

77
69

12.15
11.45

55
21

14.85
m

68
53

15.10
13. 75

17
42

(2)
«

MEN
Total with
hours work­ Less than
40 hours
ed reported

40, less than 48, less than
More than
54 hours
48 hours
54 hours
54 hours
Type of em­
ployees and
time of pay
Me­
Me­
Me­
Me­
Me­
Me­
Me­
rolls
Num­ dian Num­ dian Num­ dian Num­ dian Num­ dian Num­ dian Num­ dian
ber earn­ ber earn­ ber earn­ ber earn­ ber earn­ ber earn­ ber earn­
ings
ings
ings
ings
ings
ings
ings
Total

Service:
Late___
Early...
Nonservice:
Late___
Early...

304 $9.30
280 6.90

286 $9.15
137 9.30

67 $5. 65
31 (2)

785 15.15
695 14. 60

770 15. 20
436 14.40

106 11.00
61 12. 30

1 In addition, 2 or 3 meals a day were received.
* Not computed; base less than 50.

98163°—36------5




42
17

8

75 $15.70
14 (*)

102 $9. 30
33 (2)
241 15.90
108 14. 75

37
21

8

272 $15. 20
78 17. 00

38
35

8

76 $14.50
175 14.40

58

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

Nonservice women.—The median earnings were much higher among
the nonservice than among the service women. The median for the
77 women on the late pay rolls who worked less than 40 hours was
$12.15; for the 55 whose week was 44 but less than 48 hours it was
$14.85, and it was $15.10 for those working 48 hours. This median
of $15.10 is considerably higher than the minimum set by the code
for a 48-hour week, $13.33, and it must be remembered that the
median means that one-half of the women received even more than
$15.10. As just noted, the median for the service women who worked
48 hours was only $6.60. The only explanation of so great a discrep­
ancy seems to be that the employers took into account the fact that
service employees would be able to increase the amount of their
earnings by tips. In regard to the amount of tips received, however,
no information was available.
In the two hour groups with enough women at the earlier date for
computation of median earnings, the medians were less than those for
the corresponding groups on the late pay rolls.
Service men.—For only two hour groups were there enough men
service employees on the late pay rolls for the computation of median
earnings. The median for the 67 men who were employed less than
40 hours was $5.65, and the median for the 102 who worked 48 but less
than 54 hours was $9.30. No hour group on the early pay rolls was
large enough for a median.
Nonservice men.—The median earnings of the nonservice men on
the late pay rolls ranged from $11 for the 106 who worked less than
40 hours to $15.90 for the 241 who worked 48 but less than 54 hours.
The median of $15.20 for the 272 men employed 54 hours was slightly
higher than the minimum ($15) set by the code, but the 76 who ex­
ceeded 54 hours had a median of only $14.50. When data from the
early pay rolls are compared it may be seen that the medians of those
who had worked less than 40 hours and those who had worked 54
hours were higher than at the later date.
STATEMENTS BY EMPLOYERS
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A.
As previously stated, the President’s Reemployment Agreement,
which became effective on August 1, 1933, had as one of its immediate
objectives the improvement of employment conditions. It was a
temporary expedient to be in effect while codes for the most important
industries were being prepared.
All but 3 of the 87 restaurants in the New York City survey re­
ported as to whether there had been any change in the rates paid
their employees since the P. R. A. More than one-half (55 percent)
had made some change, a large part of them increasing the rates.
In 41 of the 87 restaurants no change had been made in the hours
of work after the adoption of the agreement, while in the remaining
46 hours had been shortened, due, no doubt, to its provisions.
When the basis of payment was inquired into it was found that few
changes had been made in this. Of the 87 restaurants, 75 had made
no change in basis of payment since the P. R. A. Of the 12 in which
changes had been instituted, 6 had changed from a daily or weekly




PART III.—RESTAURANTS

59

to an hourly basis for some of the employees. Five had changed
from some longer period to a weekly basis, and one had changed from
monthly to daily for some of its employees.
Overtime and part time.
Fifty-three of the restaurants in New York City reporting on over­
time stated that it was required of their employees at times. Thirtythree of these gave no compensation for overtime work, while 13 paid
for it on a straight basis. In six of the firms time and one-third was
paid, and in one case extra pay was given but the amount was not
reported.
Various systems were in vogue in payment for part-time work.
Of the 72 establishments answering the inquiry, only 30 had any part­
time employment. Twenty-two of these paid the same rate as that
of their regular employees. For the remaining 8, the rates varied.
One paid time and one-half, one time and one-third, and one time
and one-sixtli. One paid waitresses the regular rate and dishwashers
a triple rate, another paid kitchen help the same and dining-room
help 10 percent extra, and three paid double or almost double to all
or some of their employees.
Tips.
There has always been much speculation as to the disposition of tips
received for services rendered. All the restaurants replied to this
inquiry. Seven of the 87 reported that no tips were received. In
58, or close to three-fourths, of the establishments in which tips were
given, the employees kept their own; in only 3 were the tips pooled.
In the remaining 19 establishments tips were shared with others by
all or some of the employees.
Uniforms.
, Another important factor affecting the wages of restaurant workers
is the cost of uniforms. The policy in regard to their requirement
varies greatly. In some places the employer furnishes the uniform
and pays for the laundering. In other cases the uniform is furnished,
but the employee must keep it in condition by laundering it herself
or by paying to have it done. In other places the employee must
provide the uniform as well as keep it in condition.
One-third of the 87 employers in the New York City survey pro­
vided the required uniforms, and there were only 10 establishments
m which the employees furnished their own. Practices differed in
the 48 remaining restaurants. In 27, the employer furnished the
men’s uniforms but the waitresses provided their own. In 16 es­
tablishments kitchen workers were supplied with uniforms, but din­
ing-room employees furnished their own. Various practices were
found m the other establishments.
Of the 85 employers reporting on the payment for laundering of
uniforms, 28, or about one-third, paid for all such service. In some
cases (20 and 12, respectively) the employers paid for kitchen workers’
and men’s uniforms only. In the remaining 25 restaurants the em­
ployees had to attend to the laundering of their own uniforms,
either doing the work themselves or paying to have it done. All the
employees in 14 of these restaurants and some employees in 2 others
fell m this first group, that is, they laundered then- own, and in the 9




60

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

remaining they paid varying amounts weekly for their laundry.
In one firm waitresses paid 70 cents a week and men 30 cents; in
another, waitresses paid $1.20 and men $2.50 weekly; in a third,
waitresses paid $1 and men 50 cents a week. These amounts do not
appear enormous on the face of things, but when it is realized that
they come out of earnings already very low, it is clear that the exist­
ing practices in regard to the purchase and the upkeep of uniforms
are m need of change.




CONNECTICUT 3 4
The code for the restaurant industry set minimum wages for a
54-hour week according to locality, size of city, and type of employ­
ment. Part-time employees were to be paid a proportionate hourly
rate in accordance with the hours worked. Women were to have
the same hourly rate as men but the hours they were permitted to
work in any one week were limited to 48. The rates set for the
Northern cities are given on page 6 of part I of the present report.
For convenience the various population groups of cities will be
classed throughout the restaurant study as follows: *
Size of city:
clast
Over 500,000________
_
_ _____
i
250.000 to 500,000______________
2
100.000 to 250,000______
_________ ___________'
3
25.000 to 100,000... .
.
______ .'4
10.000 to 25,000___________
. _
" " ‘
5

In Connecticut, cities of three classes were surveyed, and in these
cities 77 restaurants were covered. Forty of the 77 were in cities
of class 3, 22 were in cities of class 4, and 15 were in cities of class 5.
Classified according to size, the cities are as follows:
Class 3 (100,000 to 250,000)—Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport.
Class 4 (25,000 to 100,000)—Waterbury, New Britain, Stamford, Meriden,
Norwalk, and New London.
Class 5 (10,000 to 25,000)—West Hartford, Norwich, East Hartford,
Naugatuck, Willimantic, Danbury, and Wallingford.

Number and type of employees.
Data were available for approximately 1,000 employees on both
the early and the late pay rolls. Smaller numbers of women, 471
and 423, than of men, 565 and 536, were included on the pay rolls.
At the time of the late pay rolls there were 712 nonservice and
324 service employees. While practically equal numbers of women
in the total for all cities were engaged in the two types of occupation,
service and nonservice, close to five times as many men were nonserv­
ice as were service workers. The same relations, in general, may be
noted for the women in cities of classes 3 and 4, but in class 5, with
comparatively, small numbers,. the service women greatly outnum­
bered nonservice, and in both groups of smaller cities the number
of service men was insignificant. (Table on p. 3.)
HOURS
Hours worked in week.
The maximum hours per week permitted by the restaurant code
were 48 for women and 54 for men, with certain exceptions as given
on page 5. A record of hours worked was available on both early
and late pay rolls in the largest cities for some women and men.
3 Tables for this section of the report are available in the Women’s Bureau.
4 The groupings of cities by population diflered in the hotel and the restaurant codes.
the same city may fall in different classes in the two divisions of this study.




Accordingly,

61

62

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

When these data are compared, conditions from the point of view
of hours worked weekly are seen to have improved at the time of
the late pay rolls.
Women.—Only in cities of two classes at the late pay-roll date
and in one of these at the early pay-roll date were there sufficient
numbers of women working specified hours on which to base com­
parisons. Small proportions of the women reported on the late
pay rolls worked longer than 48 hours, about 5 percent of the 302
women in the largest cities included and about 7 percent of the 109
in the cities next in size. Though these proportions were small,
they were in violation of the code maximum set. Evidence of the
great improvement in hours worked under the code is the fact that
27.4 percent of the 62 women on the early pay rolls, in contrast to
5.3 percent of the 302 on the late, exceeded 48 hours of work.
Men.—Only for cities of class 3 at either pay-roll date were there
sufficient numbers of men in specified hour groups for the compu­
tation of percentages. These figures, like those for women, serve as
an example of the beneficial effect of the codes in reducing hours of
work in the largest cities. Of the 75 men for whom hours worked
were reported on the early pay rolls, nearly three-fifths (57.3 percent)
had worked longer than 54 hours, the maximum for mon set later
by the code, whereas less than one-tenth (9.7 percent) of the 383
men on the late pay rolls had exceeded 54 hours.
To be sure, the smaller percentage was in violation of the code
though the larger was not, but it shows a great decrease in excessive
hours of work due to the code.
In the smaller cities of classes 4 and 5, with 89 and 55 men, respec­
tively, at the time of the late pay rolls, the proportions of men work­
ing longer than 54 hours were very large, about one-fifth and somewhat
under one-half, respectively. As was generally true, the proportion
of men whoso hours of work exceeded the code maximum at the time
of the late pay rolls was very much larger in the smallest cities
surveyed.
Scheduled days per week.
Though it is a well-known fact that many restaurants are open
7 days a week, the provisions of the restaurant code as to number
of days to be worked by employees, both men and women, set a
maximum of 6, with exceptions as required for a small group of
employees. In cases where the restaurants were open on only
6 days, no problem arose. Facts regarding the days the restaurants
operated and the employees worked are for the late pay rolls.
Eighteen of the 40 restaurants in cities of class 3, employing about
two-fifths of the 698 workers, operated 6 days or less. Though the
remainder operated 7 days, a large part of their employees worked
on 6 days or less. When it is realized how essential is at least 1
day's rest in 7, that even 6.2 percent of the employees in restaurants
open on 7 days worked this long, in violation of the code provisions,
is a matter of concern.
Only 8 of the 22 restaurants in cities of class 4, employing about
one-fourth of the workers, were open to the public on 6 days or less,
but in the 14 restaurants that were open on 7 days all but 5 of the
164 employees worked on 6 days or less.




PART III.—RESTAURANTS

63

As would be expected in the smallest cities included, class 5, only
I of the 15 restaurants operated on 6 days or less. The 14 restau­
rants operating on 7 days employed 116 workers, 22 of whom worked
on 7 days. So large a proportion working on 7 days is an indication
of less rigid adherence in the smaller cities to provisions of the code.
Shifts.
About three-fifths of the 274 women in the largest cities surveyed
in Connecticut had the same shift each day; that is, the same number
of hours of work and the same beginning and ending hours. In the
two groups of smaller cities, the proportion with the same shift each
day was considerably smaller, being a little over two-fifths.
Practically three-fourths of the 356 and 61 men in cities of classes
3 and 5, and about two-thirds of the 85 in cities of class 4, had the same
shift every workday.
Employee-days.6
The average number of days per worker—arrived at by dividing
number of employees into number of employee-days—was j ust below
six in cities of classes 3 and 4 and was six for women and very slightly
over six for men in those of class 5.
In all population groups the largest proportion of women’s days
had hours of work of less than 8. In classes 3 and 4, with 1,588 and
522 employee-days of women, not far from 10 percent had hours
below 5; in class 5, with 300 employee-days, no shifts were of less
than 5 hours, but 21 percent were of 6 and 3 percent were of 5. The
second largest proportions of women’s days had hours of 8 and under
9. In cities of class 3, less than 5 percent of the women’s days had
working hours of 9 and more; in the cities next larger (class 4), just
over 10 percent of the days had such hours; but in the smallest places
almost one-fourth were so reported, 6 percent of the 300 days having
a schedule of at least 10 working hours. However, no days, either
for women or for men, had hours in excess of 12, and only very small
proportions of women’s days (from 0.1 percent to 3 percent) exceeded
II hours. More than the usual difference between hours of work and
spread of hours is apparent. In cities of class 3, less than 5 percent
of the women’s days had a schedule of 9 hours or more, but 14 per­
cent had a spread of at least 10 hours and 0.8 percent had a spread in
excess of 12; in the cities next smaller, just over 10 percent had hours
of work of 9 and more, but 35.6 percent had a spread of at least 10
hours and 8.4 percent a spread of more than 12; in the smallest places,
not quite 25 percent had hours of work of 9 and more, but 39.7 per­
cent had a spread of hours of at least 10 and as many as 22 percent
had a spread of more than 12 hours.
In cities of classes 3 and 4 with 2,103 and 507 days, respectively,
the largest proportions of men’s days had hours of work of 9 and less
than 10, but in class 5 with 368 employee-days the proportion at 10
and more was the largest. In the group last mentioned, almost twothirds of the days (22 percent of the total) had a work schedule of 10
hours. In each class of city some of the men’s days—ranging from
1.4 percent in the smallest places to 8.7 percent in the largest—had
schedules of less than 5 hours. A spread of hours out of proportion
to the hours of work is seen in the following: In cities of class 3,*
* For general introduction to “employee-days” see Hotels, New York City, p. 17.




64

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

where 5.1 percent of the men’s days had working hours of 11 or more,
detailed figures show that 20.1 percent had a spread of 12 hours and
2.9 percent a spread of more than 12; in class 4, where 6.1 percent
had working hours of 11 and more, 9.3 percent had a spread of 12
hours and 6.5 percent a spread of more than 12; in class 5, where 11.2
percent had a schedule of 11 or more hours, 12.2 percent had a spread
of 12 hours and 21.7 percent a spread in excess of 12.
WAGES
Basis of payment.
On both the early and the late pay rolls in cities of classes 3 and 4
the weekly basis of pay was most common for women and for men.
The greatest increases in proportions, if the late pay-roll data be
compared with the early, were, with one exception, for those paid on
an hourly basis, and the greatest decreases in the case of women for
those paid a weekly rate and in the case of men for those paid a daily
rate. Fewer comparisons are possible for cities of class 5, though
here too the weekly basis of payment was most common for those
reported.
WEEKLY RATES «

Kate distribution.
Women.—In the three classes of cities the modal groups of the
107, 34, and 33 service women were those whose rates were $5 but
less than $10 weekly. Well over one-half in each case earned $5
but less than $7. Among the nonservice women the modal groups
in the two larger classes of cities were those receiving $10 but less
than $15, while in the smallest cities the group was that of $5 but
less than $10.
Men.—The modal group among the 70 service men in cities of class
3 was that of $5 but less than $10, and in the two classes of smaller
cities (though the number in each of these was very small) it was that
of $10 but less than $15.
In the two classes of larger cities the modal groups among the non­
service men were those at $10 but less than $15, and in the smallest
cities the group at $15 and over.
Median weekly rates and scheduled hours.
Women.—Median weekly rates of women have been computed for
only the largest cities included. The median for the 107 service
employees in these cities was $6.85, as compared with $10.65 for the
116 nonservice women. No median rate has been computed for any
specified hour group.
Men.—Owing to the larger numbers of men employed in Connecti­
cut, medians could be computed for several groups, including two
specified hour groups. The median rate of the 70 service men in
the largest cities was $8.90. Among the nonservice groups, the
median rose from $12.60 for the 302 men in the largest cities to
$15.10 for the 53 men in the smallest cities. For the 96 nonservice
men employed for 54 hours in the largest cities the median rate was
$12.95, though the minimum rate established by the code for 54
hours’ work in cities of this size was $14. The median rate of the
nonservice men who had worked 48 but less than 54 hours was $11.90.•
• As explained in other sections of the report (e. g., p. 51), the rates discussed for restaurant workers are the
pet cash rates for the group that were given in addition 2 or 3 meals a day.




PART III.—RESTAURANTS

65

WEEK’S EARNINGS

Earnings distribution.
Women.—The largest proportion of the 302 women and of the 131
service women in cities of class 3 at the late date were paid $5 but
less than $10, and of the 171 nonservice women $10 but less than $15.
Not far from three-fifths of the 65 service women whose earnings were
$5 but less than $10 earned $5 but less than $7. Smaller proportions
at the late pay-roll date than at the early date received less than $5,
but three-tenths of the service women fell in this class.
At the early date, practically one-half of both the 131 service and
the 145 nonservice women had received $5 but less than $10. Con­
siderable proportions, almost one-fourth of the 276 women in the
total group and close to two-fifths of the service women, had been
paid less than $5, but hardly more than one-tenth of the nonservice
women had earned so little. Six women, all service employees, had
worked for tips and two or three meals daily.
In cities of class 4 also the largest proportion of the 114 women and
of the 58 service women fell in the $5 but less than $10 group, but most
of the 56 nonservice women were in that of $10 but less than $15.
Practically one-half of the 35 service women whose earnings were $5
but less than $10 earned $5 but less than $7. It is possible to compare
with the foregoing only one group on the early pay rolls, that of all
women. Though the difference was negligible, the proportion paid
less than $5 was greater at the late than at the early date. The largest
part of the whole group at the early date had received $5 but less
than $10.
Owing to the small numbers in the cities next in size, 55 at the
late and 50 at the early date, the percentages in the various wage
groups are computed only for the total. At both the early and the
late date about two-thirds of the women had received $5 but less than
$10. At the later date the proportion receiving less than $5 was
one-half again as large as at the earlier, 18.2 percent as compared with
12 percent.
Men.—Among men the wage levels were higher than those of the
women. In cities of class 3 at the late date, the largest proportion of
the 396 men in the group as a whole and of the 319 nonservice men
were paid $10 but less than $15. The largest group of the 77 service
men, as of service women, were paid $5 but less than $10. In each
case the proportion paid less than $5 was smaller on the late than on
the early pay rolls, but even at the later date more than one-fifth of
the service men had earned less than $5. At the early date only two
men, both service employees, had received no cash wage but had
worked for two or three meals daily in addition to such tips as they
might receive.
In the cities next in size, earnings data were available only for the
102 men in the total and for the 90 nonservice men. At the later
date the largest proportion of each group had earned $10 but less
than $15; at the earlier date, $15 and more. In both cases, smaller
proportions at the later than at the earlier date received less than $5.
In the smallest cities, as in those of class 4, there were almost no
service men on the pay-roll records. In each case, men’s earnings in
the smallest cities were higher than in cities of classes 3 and 4. In
class 5, at both the late and the early pay-roll date, the largest pro-




66

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
•

portion of the 67 men and of the 60 nonservice men had received $15
and more. At the late date, large proportions also were in the $10
but less than $15 group.
Earnings distribution and hours worked.
In cities of class 3 only 4 of the 35 service women whose earnings
were less than $5 worked for as long as 40 hours. Close to four-fifths
of the 62 who earned $5 but less than $10 worked this long. Well over
one-half of the 43 nonservice women whose earnings were in this group
worked 40 hours or longer.
Among the service men almost two-fifths of the 26 who earned $5
but less than $10 worked 40 hours or longer. Almost one-half of the
46 nonservice men whose earnings fell in this group worked for so
long a time.
In cities of class 4, four of the eight nonservice men whose earnings
were $5 but less than $10 worked 40 hours or more.
Median earnings.
Women.—In every case but one where it is possible to compare the
median earnings of the women on the late pay rolls with those on the
early pay rolls, the figure for the later date is higher. The median for
the 302 on the late pay rolls in the largest cities is $8.95, for the 114 in
the next smaller, $9.25, and for the 55 in the smallest cities, $6.85.
The medians for those on the early pay rolls fall in the same order—
$7.20, $9.30, and $6.45 for 276, 97, and 50 women.
Only in the largest cities have medians been computed for the
women who received two or three meals a day. The median for
service women on the late pay rolls is $6.55 as compared with $5.40
for those at the earlier date, while for nonservice women on the late
rolls it is $10.25 and for those on the early it is $8.90, representing
increases of slightly over 20 percent and 15 percent, respectively.
Men.—The median of the earnings of all men on the late pay rolls
varies only from $12 for the 396 men in cities of class 3 to $12.45 for
the 67 men in cities of class 5. The range was far greater on the early
pay rolls, the lowest median at this date being $11.25 for the 375 in
cities of class 3 and the highest $14.40 for the 67 in the smallest cities.
For all men and for service men in the largest cities earnings had
higher medians on the late than on the early pay rolls. In the smallest
cities, however, where there were practically no service men, the
median earnings of all men and the nonservice men were approxi­
mately $2 higher in 1933 than in 1934. Other comparable medians
were too nearly alike to show any significance in date of pay rolls.
Median earnings and hours worked.7
For neither group of women, nor for service men, were the numbers
on the late pay rolls for whom earnings and hours worked were reported
sufficient for the computation of medians. For the nonservice men in
cities of class 3 who worked 54 hours the median earnings were $12.50.
This is considerably below the $14 minimum established by the code
for 54 hours' work. Those who worked 48 but less than 54 hours had
a median of $12.45.
For no group on the early pay rolls were there sufficient numbers
with hours and earnings reported on which to compute medians.
7 As explained for New York City earnings are correlated with hours worked only for the group that
were given, In addition to cash wages, 2 or 3 meals a day.




PART III.--- RESTAURANTS

67

STATEMENTS BY EMPLOYERS
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A.
As already suggested, some of the changes affecting employees were
a result of signing the President’s Reemployment Agreement, which
antedated the codes. Of the 62 restaurants reporting on the question
of hours, 53 had made some change. In only one case were the hours
increased, while in 50 cases they were shortened for all employees. In
one of the remaining establishments hours were shortened for men and
there was no report concerning women, and in the other the hours of
some employees were decreased.
Though changes in the rates paid to employees were not reported
by so large a proportion as those just discussed, 49 of the 68 restaur­
ants replying to this question had made some change. In 29 of the
49 establishments rates had been increased for all or some of the em­
ployees and in 15 rates had been increased for some but had remained
the same for others, or no report was made as to nature of change.
Increased rates for some and decreased rates for others had been set
in three restaurants, and in two rates had been decreased for all or
some of the employees.
Four-fifths of the 60 restaurants in Connecticut that reported on a
change in basis of pay since the P. R. A. had made no such change.
Of the 12 in which some change had been made, 6 had changed to an
hourly from a weekly or daily basis for some of their employees, 3 to
a weekly from a daily basis, and 3 had made some other adjustment.
Overtime and part time.
Of the 64 restaurants reporting on overtime, only 24 required such
extra work. Eight of these firms gave only straight pay for overtime,
four paid time and a third, three paid time and a half, and five gave
extra pay but no regular rate. Four did not pay for overtime.
Of the 51 restaurants reporting on part time, 40 had employees who
worked less than the full-time hours. Thirty-six of the forty paid a
straight rate for part-time work, one paid time and one-third, and the
remaining three paid the regular rate to some employees but their
records were incomplete.
Tips.
All but 6 of the 77 employers reported on their policy in regard to
tips. Practically one-fifth of those reporting said that no tips were
received. Of the 57 firms in which the workers received tips, 53 re­
ported that the employees kept their own. In the remaining four,
tips were pooled in two, were shared with the bus boys in one, and
were turned over to the management in the other.
Uniforms.
Of the 77 restaurants, all but 2 reported that the wearing of uni­
forms was required. In 30 of the 75 firms, the employer furnished
them; in 14, the employees provided their own though the employers
supplied aprons for some workers; in another 14, the men’s uniforms
were provided by the employers but the waitresses furnished their
own; in 9 cases, kitchen employees’ uniforms were provided by em­
ployers but the dining-room workers supplied their own; and in the
8 other restaurants there were various systems regarding the provision
of uniforms, the employers furnishing some and employees supplying
others.



68

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

In addition to the cost of the uniforms, the expense connected with
their upkeep is of great importance. Where several uniforms a week
are required, in some cases a fresh one daily, the expense involved or
the labor expended is a thing to be taken into account. Of the 73
firms reporting, 19 paid laundry charges for all employees, 8 for the
kitchen employees only, 18 for men only, and 3 for some of the em­
ployees. In 23 firms the employees paid their own laundry charges,
the weekly cost ranging from 40 cents to $1.




MIDDLE WEST AND COLORADO 8
As noted earlier in the report on hotels, the group of States included
here comprises Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Colorado.
The following cities were included in the population classes specified: 9
Class 1 (over 500,000)—Chicago.
Class 2 (250,000 to 500,000)—Indianapolis, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and
Denver.
Class 3 (100,000 to 250,000)—Evansville, Duluth, and Des Moines.
Class 4 (25,000 to 100,000)—Alton, East St. Louis, Springfield, Sioux
City, Pueblo, and Colorado Springs.

Number and type of employees.
Seventy-nine establishments were surveyed, 6 in the largest city,
30 in cities of class 2, 10 in class 3, and 33 in class 4. Close to 2,400
employees on the late pay rolls were covered, and of these slightly
more than one-half (53 percent) were women. From the early pay
rolls information was secured for somewhat over 2,200 employees,
and here, too, the larger proportion were women.
Only in the largest city on either pay rolls were there more men
than women, the former comprising roughly two-thirds of the 478
employees at the late date and of the 488 at the early date. In
cities of classes 2 and 4, men outnumbered the women in nonservice
occupations, and in those of class 3 the nonservice jobs were almost
equally divided between men and women. In all other cases women
greatly outnumbered men, in some service groups constituting more
than four-fifths of the total. (Table on p. 3.)
For the group as a whole, the proportions of service and nonservice
workers were fairly similar on the two pay rolls. At both dates
almost 4 times as many men were nonservice as were service employees.
Women, too, were somewhat more generally in nonservice occupa­
tions, but the proportion so employed was only 51 percent at the
earlier date and 54 percent at the later.
HOURS
Hours worked in week.
Women.—Data as to hours worked weekly were available for
sufficient numbers of women on the late pay rolls in ail four classes
of cities to justify the computation of percentages, and on the early
pay rolls in all classes but one. In the largest city (Chicago) more
than three-fifths of the 154 women reported, 61.7 percent, worked
less than 48 hours at the later date. However, 29.2 percent worked
48 hours, the maximum set by the code for women in the restaurant
industry, and almost one-tenth (9.1 percent) exceeded 48. On the
earlier pay rolls a much larger proportion had worked more than 48
hours, but three-fifths of the total had worked less than 40.* •
8 Tables for this section of the report are available in the Women’s Bureau.
• The groupings of cities by population differed in the hotel and the restaurant codes. Accordingly, the
same city may fall in different classes in the 2 divisions of this study. See p. 4 of part I.




69

70

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

In cities of class 2 the proportion of 590 women who worked less
than 48 hours at the time of the late pay rolls was seven-tenths;
somewhat more than one-fourth worked 4*8 hours, but less than 3
percent exceeded 48. On the early pay rolls the proportion of the
278 women working 48 hours was practically the same as at the later
date, but just over one-fifth of the total had worked longer than 48
hours.
Slightly over one-fifth of the 180 women in cities of class 3 at the
later date worked 48 hours, and more than one-third exceeded 48,
furnishing a good example of the lack of compliance with one of the
important provisions of the restaurant code. A much smaller
proportion than in the other cities worked less than 40 hours.
Close to three-fifths of the 293 women on the late pay rolls in cities
of class 4 worked less than 48 hours. Almost 34 percent worked 48
hours and 8.5 percent exceeded that code maximum. At the early
pay-roll date about two-fifths of the 135 women had worked less than
48 hours, one-eighth had worked 48, and close to one-half (46.7
percent) had worked longer than 48. This is an example of the long
hours of work for women in these smallest cities at the earlier date,
and the improvement under the code.
Men.—Data as to hours worked weekly by men on the late pay
rolls were available in the four classes of cities surveyed in this
section. For only two of these was sufficient material secured for an
earlier date to make significant comparisons possible.
In Chicago more than four-fifths of the 268 men worked less than
54 hours at the time of the late pay rolls, and one-sixth worked 54,
the maximum permitted by the code. Only 3 percent worked in
excess of 54 hours.
In the cities next smaller more than three-fifths of the 446 men
worked less than 54 hours at the later date. The proportion working
54 hours was large—34.5 percent—but only 3.5 percent exceeded
that code maximum. On the early pay rolls in these cities more than
one-half (52.2 percent) of the 201 men had worked more than 54 hours.
Only one-seventh had worked 54, and only about one-third had worked
less than 54.
Just over one-half of the 112 men in cities of class 3 worked less
than 54 hours at the late date. About one-fourth worked 54 hours
and one-fourtli exceeded 54.
In the smallest cities included, almost one-half of the 179 men
on the late pay rolls worked less than 54 hours, the remainder being
equally divided—25.7 percent in each case—between the other hour
groups. This proportion working longer than the maximum allowed
by the code is large, though it is nothing in comparison to the pro­
portion—close to four-fifths—of the 63 men on the early pay rolls
who had worked such hours.
Scheduled days per week.
All but 10 of the 79 restaurants included in this section operated
on all 7 days of the week. Of these, 64 had about 1,950 employees
who worked on 6 days or less, but in 40 of them were 175 workers
who had a 7-day week. In restaurants that were open on all days of
the week, the proportions of employees working on 7 days increased
from less than 1 percent in Chicago to more than 20 percent in cities
of class 4—conclusive proof of the greater laxity in smaller cities in
the observance of the code.



PART III.—RESTAURANTS

71

Shifts.
Practically four-fifths of the 118 women reporting in Chicago and
of the 541 and 254 in cities of classes 2 and 4, respectively, and
seven-tenths of the 160 in cities of class 3, had a uniform schedule
throughout the week, that is, the same number of hours each day and
the same hours of beginning and ending work.
Larger proportions of the men, approximately seven-eighths of the
203 in Clncago and of the 414 and 176 in cities of classes 2 and 4,
respectively, and about three-fourths of the 93 in class 3, also had
uniform shifts.
Employee-days.10
In the four population classes of cities surveyed in the Middle
West and Colorado, the days worked in the week of the late pay
rolls averaged from 5.9 to 6.3 per employee. The average was
slightly higher in the smaller than in the larger cities.
In cities of classes 1, 2, and 4, the largest proportions of the 696,
3,216, and 1,539 employee-days of women had scheduled hours of
work of 8 and under 9, the next largest group falling at less than 8
hours. In cities of class 3 where women had 975 employee-days the
positions were reversed, 51.6 percent of the days having hours of
less than 8. In each case a number of days—ranging from 4 percent
in cities of class 3 to 11.4 percent in those of class 2—had a work
shift of less than 5 hours; in class 3, more than 13 percent had a 6-hour
shift. Only in the smallest cities had any working days of women
hours of 11 and under 12, and here the proportion of such days was
only 0.5 percent. That broken shifts were common is indicated by
the lower half of the table. In Chicago (class 1), where only 5 per­
cent of the women’s days had hours of work of 9 and more, 18.5 per­
cent had a spread of hours of 10 and more, and on 3.6 percent of the
days the spread was more than 12 hours. In cities of class 2, where
less than 1.5 percent of the days had a schedule of 9 hours and more,
22.9 percent had a spread of 10 hours and more, and 3.7 percent had a
spread of more than 12. In the cities next smaller, where just over
9 percent of the women’s days had schedules of 9 or more hours, 34.2
percent had a spread of 10 and more, 7.3 percent a spread of more
than 12. The most striking figures are those for the smallest cities,
where only 2.2 percent of the days had hours of work of 9 and more
but 41.5 percent had a spread of 10 and more hours, 10.5 percent
having a lapse of 12 hours, and 18.3 percent a lapse of more than 12,
between the beginning and the end of the day.
In Chicago almost as large a proportion of the 1,219 men’s days
(53.5 percent) as of women’s (56.8 percent) had working hours of 8
and less than 9. In cities of classes 2 and 3 with 2,454 and 558
employee-days, men’s largest proportions fell at 9 and under 10 hours,
but in the smallest cities with 1,115 employee-days of men hours of
8 and less than 9 again were the most common. As was true of the
women’s days, in each class of cities a small proportion of the men’s
days (from 2.5 percent to 7.4 percent) had work shifts of less than
5 hours. In the smallest cities as many as 8.6 percent of the men’s
days had hours of work of at least 10, 1.3 percent being of 12 hours
and 0.6 percent of more than 12, the only workdays in the Middle
West section of over 10 hours. In spite of this 10-houf maximum in*•
*• For genera] introduction to “employee-days” see Hotels,




New York City, p. 17.

72

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAUKANTS

all but the smallest places, each group of cities had a considerable
proportion of the men’s days with a long spread of hours: In Chicago,
6.7 percent had a spread of 12 hours and 5.7 percent a spread of more
than 12; in cities of class 2, 14.9 percent had a spread of 12 hours and
4.8 percent a spread in excess of 12; in class 3, one-fifth of the days
(20.4 percent) had a lapse of 12 hours, and one-eighth (12.5 percent)
a lapse of more than 12 hours, between the beginning and the end of
the day; and in the smallest places such lapse of time was 12 hours
on 16.7 percent of the days and was more than 12 hours on 26 percent.
WAGES
Basis of payment.
In Chicago the largest proportion of the women for whom basis of
payment was reported on the late pay rolls, about two-fifths, were
paid weekly; of the men, more than one-half were paid monthly.
In cities next in size, more than one-half of the women were paid on
an hourly basis, though for men the most common basis here too
was monthly. In cities of class 3 the largest proportions both of
women and of men were paid monthly, while in the smallest cities
weekly was the most usual basis of pay.
Of the women on the early pay rolls the largest proportion was
paid weekly in every group of cities but class 3, where the monthly
rate was by far the most common. For the men at the early date
monthly was the most common basis of pay except in cities of class 2,
where a few more men were paid weekly then were paid monthly.
WEEKLY RATES a

The reader is reminded that the minimum rates set by the code
for the restaurant industry were for a 54-hour workweek. (See p. 5.)
Part-time workers were to be paid a proportionate hourly rate.
Women were to be paid the same hourly rate as men, but the maxi­
mum hours of work permitted for women were 48.
Rate distribution.
The modal group of weekly rates of the service women was the
same for the four classes of cities, $5 but less than $10. In all
cities but Chicago this same group was the mode for the nonservice
women, but in Chicago the modal group for these women was $10
but less than $15.
The numbers of service men in the various classes of cities in this
section were small, and for this reason the modes were of less signi­
ficance. In Chicago equal numbers, 16 of the 44, had a weekly rate
of $5 but less than $10 and of $10 but less than $15. In cities of
classes 2 and 3 the largest numbers of service men had a weekly rate
of $5 but less than $10, and in the smallest cities the largest group
had a rate of $10 but less than $15.
Every modal group among the nonservice men in the four classes
of cities fell at $10 but less than $15.
Median weekly rates and scheduled hours.
As already noted, the rates discussed here are for the group of
workers who were given in addition two or three meals a day.11
11 As explained in the other sections of the restaurant report, the rates discussed here are the net cash rates
for the group of workers who had been given in addition two or three meals a day.




PART III.—RESTAURANTS

73

Women.—For the service women in cities of classes 2, 3, and 4
median rates have been computed. Though the range was slight,
the medians decreased with size of city from $7.40 to $6.85. These
somewhat lower median rates in the larger cities, though there was
little difference, may be a result of the supposition on the part of
employers that wages of service workers would be supplemented by
tips.
Median weekly rates for the women in cities of classes 2 and 4 who
had worked 48 hours were $7.95 and $7.60, respectively. These
medians were considerably below the minimum rates set by the code
for women working 48 hours in cities of these sizes, $9.33 and $9.11,
respectively. Furthermore, the reader is reminded of the meaning
of median—that half the rates on the pay rolls were above and half
were below the median, whereas the rates set by the code were
minimums.
Median weekly rates have been computed for the four groups of
nonservice women classed by city. Contrary to the facts just noted
for the service women, the median rates ranged upward with an in­
crease in size of city, from $9.25 to $11.20. The median could be
computed for those who had worked 48 hours only in cities of class 2.
For these 156 women the median was $10.10, or about one-fifth less
than the minimum rate of $12.89 prescribed by the code.
Men. In only one class of cities were the men service employees
reported numerous enough for the computing of medians. For the
53 service men in this group (class 2) the median rate was $10.25.
For no specified hour group of service men were numbers sufficient
for separate showing. For men nonservice workers, medians were
computed for all groups of cities. The median weekly rate of 179
nonservice men in Chicago was $13.25, and for the other population
classes the medians were very similar, $11.55, $11.65, and $11.50,
respectively. Practically the same median rates resulted when com­
putations were made for those whose scheduled hours also were
reported. The highest median, $14.50, was for men in Chicago.
11ns figure was considerably larger than that for men whose rates
only were reported. In the other 3 classes of cities the medians for
the two groups varied by only 5 cents.
In two of the three cases where medians could be computed for the
men whose scheduled hours were 48 but less than 54, the medians
were higher than for the total reported. In only one group of cities,
those of class 2, was it possible to compute the median rate for men
who had worked 54 hours. For this group the median was $11.85,
or considerably below the minimum of $14.50 set by the code for 54
hours’ work in cities of this size.
WEEK’S EARNINGS

Earnings distribution.
Women.-;—Almost equal proportions of the 164 women on the late
pay rolls in Chicago, more than one-third, had earnings of $5 but
less than $10 and $10 but less than $15. The largest part of the 58
service women, well over one-half, received less than $5 as their week’s
earnings, whereas most of the 106 nonservice women earned $10 but
less than $15. More than one-fifth of the group as a whole, but less
than 3 percent of the nonservice women, earned less than $5. As
already mentioned, well over one-half of the service women had these
88163 °~36-------6




74

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

low earnings. In the cases of the group as a whole and of the service
women, even these large proportions were very much less than those
at the early pay-roll date, when almost one-third of the women and
seven-tenths of the 71 service women had earnings below $5. More
than two-fifths of the 164 women at the early date, and well over
one-half of the 93 nonservice women, earned $5 but less than $10.
In cities of class 2 the largest proportions of both service and non­
service employees had earnings of $5 but less than $10 at the late
date. Practically two-thirds of the 161 service women whose earn­
ings were $5 but less than $10 earned less than $7. Approximately
one-sixth of 601 in the whole group, one-fourth of the 260 service
women, and one-eighth of the 341 nonservice women received less
than $5. Four nonservice women worked for their meals only—two
or three daily.
At the time of the early pay rolls also, the largest groups of both
types of employees, 252 service and 302 nonservice, were paid $5 and
under $10. Larger proportions of both types of workers had received
less than $5 at the early date than had such earnings in 1934. Four
nonservice workers on the early pay rolls also had worked for two
or three meals daily and no cash wage.
The great majority of the 188 women at late date and of the 201
at early date in the cities that ranked next in size had earned $5 but
less than $10. The proportions earning less than $5 generally were
smaller than in Chicago and cities of class 2, and in every case were
less at the late than at the early date.
In the smallest cities also, the majority of the women at both pay­
roll dates, 313 at late and 282 at early, had received $5 but less than
$10, and in most cases larger proportions than in cities of classes 2
and 3 had earned less than $5. Approximately two-fifths of the 114
service women whose earnings at the late date were $5 but less than
$10 earned $5 but less than $7.
Men.—In Chicago at the late date the largest proportion of the 314
men and of the 196 nonservice men received $10 and less than $15,
but more than one-half of the 118 service men received $5 but less than
$10. Almost two-tliirds of the 60 service men whose earnings were
$5 but less than $10 earned $8 but less than $10. Another very
large proportion of the nonservice men earned $15 and more. In
every case the proportion earning less than $5 was smaller in 1934
than in 1933. At the earlier date the great majority of the 123
service men had earned $5 but less than $10, and the largest group
of the 201 nonservice men had earned $15 and more, though almost
as many of the latter had received $10 and less than $15.
In cities of class 2, the largest proportions of the 472 men in the total
group, the 71 service, and the 401 nonservice men on the late pay rolls
and of the 420 total, the 58 service, and the 362 nonservicc men on the
early pay rolls fell in the same earnings class as in Chicago. The
earnings of nonservice men on the early pay rolls were at a lower
level in the smaller places. Practically equal proportions, one-tenth,
of each of the three groups on the late pay rolls received less than $5
at that date. Seven nonservice men at the late date and eight at the
early date received only meals (2 or 3 daily) in payment for their labor.
In the case of service men, the proportion earning less than $5 was
larger on the late than on the early pay rolls.




PART III.—RESTAURANTS

75

Percentages have not been computed for the few service men in
cities of class 3. The largest proportions of the 121 men and of the
102 nonservice men earned $10 but less than $15 at the late date and
of the 113 men and 99 service men earned $15 and more at the early
date, the latter followed closely by the group earning $5 but less than
$10. About one-eighth of the men on the late pay rolls received less
than $5, much smaller porportions than had been paid so little at the
early date.
In the smallest cities, also, few service men were reported. More
than one-tliird of the total of 209 men and of the 184 nonservice men
on the late pay rolls earned $10 but less than $15, and two-fifths of
each group, 1/5 and 151, respectively, on the early rolls had earned
$5 but less than $10. Roughly one-tenth at each date had received
less than $5. Two service and two nonservice employees at the late
date, and two service and one nonservice at the early date, had received
no cash wage.
Earnings distribution and hours worked.
In this section employees who were given two or three meals a day
are discussed as to earnings and hours worked. Some part-time and
most irregular workers are eliminated for this reason.
In Chicago, all but 1 of the 28 nonservice women whose earnings
were $5 but less than $10 worked 40 hours or more. There were too
few service women for analysis.
Practically two-tliirds of the 148 service women in cities of class 2
whose earnings were $5 but less than $10 worked at least 40 hours dur­
ing the week. Four-fifths of the 150 nonservice women in cities of this
size whose earnings fell in this group worked 40 hours or longer. A
large majority of the service and all the nonservice women who earned
less than $5 worked less than 40 hours.
. Like proportions of the 55 service and of the 54 nonservice women
in cities of class 3 whose earnings were $5 but less than $10 worked
40 hours or more.
In cities of class 4 seven-eighths of the 95 service women and a
much larger proportion, 44 in 46, of the nonservice women, whose
earnings were $5 but less than $10 worked 40 hours or more.
Eight of the 13 nonservice men in Chicago whose earnings were $5
but less than $10 worked 48 hours or more, the 5 remaining worked
less than 40 hours.
In cities of class 2 four-fifths of the 102 nonservice men whose
earnings were $5 but less than $10 worked 40 hours or longer. The 30
men with earnings of less than $5 worked less than 28 hours.
Seven of the 14 nonservice men in cities of class 3 who earned $5 but
less than $10 worked 40 hours or longer. All but 8 of the 40 nonservice
men in the cities next in size whose earnings fell in this group worked
so long.
Median earnings.
Women.—The median week’s earnings of all women at the late
pay-roll date were highest in Chicago, $9.80 for the 164 women, and
lowest in cities of class 4, $7.30 for 313 women, though the decrease
was irregular. The lowest median for service women, $4.75, was for
the 58 women in Chicago, and the highest, $7.45, was for the 80 women
in cities of class 3. This low median in Chicago no doubt is a result




76

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

of the belief on the part of employers that service women in a city of
this size receive a large amount in tips. In two of the classes of cities
for which facts were obtained, women receiving two or three meals
daily had wage medians slightly higher than those of all service women.
Week’s earnings were much higher among nonservice than among
service women. Medians ranged from $11.20 for the 106 women in
Chicago to $9 for the 126 women in cities of class 4. In three of the
four classes of cities, the medians of the nonservice women who
received two or three meals daily varied by not more than 20 cents
from those of the nonservice group as a whole, but in class 4 the women
receiving two or three meals had median earnings lower by $1.60 than
the median for the whole group.
Men.—Median earnings of the men on the late pay rolls decreased
with size of city from $12.15 for the 314 in Chicago to $10.40 for the
121 men in cities of class 3 and the 209 in class 4. In the case of service
men, only for those in the two largest classes of cities could median
earnings be computed. For the 118 service men in Chicago the
median was $8.85, and for the 71 men in cities of class 2, smaller in
population, it was $9.85. As suggested previously, employers prob­
ably expected that service workers would receive more in tips in the
larger city.
_
_
When "the median earnings of nonscrvice men are examined, much
the same relations may be noted as were found for all men, this group
dominating the whole. The highest median was $13.15 for the 196
nonservice men in Chicago, and the lowest was $10.70 for the 184 in
the smallest cities. In every case but that of the men in Chicago the
median for those who received two or three meals a day in addition to
their cash wage was higher, though only slightly so, than that of the
whole group of nonservice men.
_
_
Increase in wages.—In all possible comparisons but one, the median
was higher for the late pay rolls than for the early. Most of the differ­
ences in women’s earnings were inconsiderable, only one-sixth being
$1 or more, though two-thirds of the men’s groups showed such an
advance. In most cases the percent of increase also was higher for the
men.
Median earnings and hours worked.12
Women.—The median earnings of service women on the late pay
rolls could be computed for only two specified hour groups, both in
cities of class 2. The median earnings of the 76 women who worked
less than 40 hours were $5.60, or $1 less than those for the whole
group whose hours and earnings were reported; they were $6.65 for
the 100 employed 40 but less than 48 hours.
For nonservice women, also, median earnings could be computed
for specified hour groups only in cities of class 2. As the hours
worked increased the medians increased from $6.90 for women
employed less than 40 hours to $10.25 for those who had worked
48 hours. The latter figure is 20 percent below the $12.89 minimum
set by the code for 48 hours’ work.
_
_
Men.—Owing to insufficient numbers in the various groups, no
median earnings have been computed for service men. Moreover,
in only two classes of cities were there sufficient numbers of non­
12 As explained in the other sections of the restaurant report, earnings are correlated with hours worked
only for the group of employees who were given two or three meals a day in addition to their cash wage,
as this eliminates extra and irregular workers.




PART III—RESTAURANTS

77

service men in specified hour groups for the computing of medians.
In Chicago the median for the 99 nonservice men who worked 48
but less than 54 hours was $14.75, or $1.75 higher than for all non­
service men. In cities of class 2 the medians ranged from $4.75
for the 57 men employed less than 40 hours to $12.05 for the 143 who
worked 54 hours. This $12.05 median is 17 percent below the mini­
mum, $14.50, set by the code for 54 hours’ work in cities of this
class.
For the early pay-roll date, only one median could be computed—
$10.95 for the 87 nonservice men in cities of class 2 who had worked
longer than 54 hours. This was less than $1 greater than the median
for the group of nonservice men as a whole.
STATEMENTS BY EMPLOYERS
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A.
Some of the restaurants had signed the President’s Reemployment
Agreement in the fall of 1933 and instituted changes affecting their
employees. In other cases the changes were a result of the adoption
of the code. All but 7 of the 79 restaurants reported as to whether
they had changed the rates paid employees after the P. R. A.
Almost one-fourth (17) had made no change. Of the 55 employers
who had revised their rates, 35 had increased them for all or some
of their employees and 16 had increased them for some. The
remainder lowered rates for all or part of their employees, or made
no report as to what had been done.
Changes in hours were noted in 64 restaurants. In only 2 of
these were the hours increased for all or some of the employees, and
in the remaining 62 they were decreased for all or some. Hours
were shortened for all employees in 51 restaurants. In the other
cases various plans were put into operation. S me decreased men’s
hours but did not report as to women’s hours; some decreased the
hours for some of the employees but the reports were incomplete;
and some decreased the hours for women but failed to report what
they did in the case of men.
Only 21 restaurants reported a change in their basis of payment.
Twelve of these had changed to an hourly basis (there had been no
such basis before) and six to a weekly basis.
Overtime and part time.
All but one of the restaurants reported on overtime, and 48 of
these required such extra time on the part of their employees.
Eighteen of the restaurants gave their employees a straight rate
for overtime, 17 paid time and one-third, and 5 paid time and a
half. The remaining eight establishments paid irregular rates or
gave extra time off.
Fifty of the 58 restaurants that reported on part time paid a
straight rate for such employment, and 3 paid more than the regular
rate but the amount was not reported.
Tips.
More than one-tenth of the restaurants reported that their
employees received no tips. Of the 70 reporting as to what the
employees did with the tips they received, 68 stated that the workers
kept their own.




78

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

Uniforms.
In only 15 of the 79 restaurants surveyed in this section were the
workers’ uniforms furnished by the employer. In 37 restaurants
the employees supplied their own, though in some cases the
employer furnished aprons. Dining-room workers provided their
own uniforms in 13 restaurants in which kitchen workers received
theirs from the employer.
Various systems in regard to the laundering of uniforms were
practiced. In 56 of the 79 restaurants laundry was paid for by
the employee and in 14 the employer paid for it. In eight cases
the employer paid for the laundry of kitchen workers’ uniforms and
in the remaining one for men’s uniforms only. The range in weekly
cost of laundry per worker was from 30 cents to $1.50.




KANSAS AND MISSOURI 13
Kansas and Missouri are reported separately from the other Mid­
western States because of the 10 percent lower minimum rates allowed
by the code in these two States.
In the survey of Kansas and Missouri four cities were included.14
These are—
Class 1 (over 500,000)—St. Louis.
Class 2 (250,000 to 500,000)—Kansas City (Mo.).
Class 4 (25,000 to 100,000)—Topeka and St. Joseph.

Number and type of employees.
In the 17 establishments surveyed, 938 employees, almost threefifths women, were reported on the late pay rolls. On the early pay
rolls were 871 workers, and of these also the larger proportion were
women.
_
At both pay-roll dates, very much larger proportions of men were
nonservice than were service workers. Women, too, were more com­
monly nonservice than service workers, but there was much less dif­
ference than in the case of men. Practically these same conditions
were found in the three classes of cities. (Table on p. 3.)
HOURS
Hours worked in week.
Women.—Only for Kansas City is it possible to compare the time
worked by women on the early and on the late pay rolls. Less than
2 percent of the 71 women in this city had a 48-liour week at the early
date, but close to one-half of the 171 (47.4 percent) had such hours at
the later date. Practically one-third (32.4 percent) had worked more
than 48 hours at the time of the early pay rolls, while at the later date
only just over 2 percent worked so long. In St. Louis at the late
pay-roll date, almost one-half of the 252 women worked 48 hours and
less than one-half of 1 percent exceeded 48 hours. Practically onethird of the 94 women in cities of class 4 worked 48 hours at time of
the late pay rolls, and about 1 in 16 (6.4 percent) worked longer than 48.
Men.—Hours worked weekly by men were reported in sufficient
numbers to permit of discussion only on the late pay rolls. Almost
one-half of the 206 men in St. Louis, 48.1 percent, worked 54 hours,
but none worked longer than this. Well over one-third (36.1 percent)
of the 83 men in Kansas City also had worked 54 hours, and just over
7 percent had exceeded 54. In cities of class 4 somewhat under threetenths (28.6 percent) of the 56 were employed 54 hours, and not far
from one-tenth (8.9 percent) for more than 54.
Scheduled days per week.
Six of the 17 restaurants surveyed in these States were open on
6 days or less a week. In these restaurants 342 persons were em­
ployed. In the 11 restaurants that were open on 7 days, employing
is Tables for this section of the report are available in the Women’s Bureau.
The groupings of cities by population differed in the hotel and the restaurant codes.
same city may fall in different classes in the 2 divisions of this report.




Accordingly, the

79

80

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

nearly 600 workers, all but 14 of tbe employees had worked on 6 days
or less. Twelve of the 14 who worked on 7 days were in restaurants
in the smallest cities.
Shifts.
Larger proportions of men than of women had regular shifts; that
is, the same scheduled hours of work and the same hours of beginning
and ending work each day. About four-fifths of the 171 men in St.
Louis and nine-tenths of the 85 in Kansas City and the fifty-odd in
cities of class 4 were so reported. On the other hand, only about twothirds of the 163 women in St. Louis, though five-sixths of the 142
in Kansas City, had the same shift each day. The proportion in the
smallest cities fell between these.
Employee-days.16
As in other sections of the country, the employee-days in Kansas
and Missouri restaurants averaged about 6 per employee. The aver­
age was 5.9 days for the women in Kansas City, and it ranged from
6 to 6.2 in the five other cases.
Not far from two-thirds of the women’s 1,494 days in St. Louis
(class 1) had hours of work of 8 and less than 9, all the remainder
being of less than 8 hours and more than one-fourth of the total being
of less than 5. More than three-fifths of the men’s 1,288 days in
St. Louis were of 9 and less than 10 hours, all others being shorter
than this. Only 4 percent in contrast to the women’s 26.8 percent
were of less than 5 hours.
In Kansas City (class 2) more than 70 percent of the women’s 1,010
days had working hours of 8 and less than 9. Practically all the
others had hours below 8, 14.7 percent having hours of less than
5, but 0.7 percent were of 9 hours and 0.1 percent (1 day) of 10. Not
much below two-thirds of the men’s 573 days had working hours of 9
and under 10, all others being shorter than that and 5.9 percent being
below 5 hours.
In cities of class 4, about three-fourths of the women’s 537 days had
hours of work of 8 and below 9; 2.4 percent were 10 hours in length,
the remainder being below 8 hours, with 9.3 percent at 6 hours.
About 42 percent of the men’s 334 days in these cities had working
hours of 9 and under 10, almost as many having a schedule of 8 and
under 9. Fifteen percent were of less than 8 hours, 2.1 percent of
less than 5, and 3.3 percent had hours of 10 and under 11.
Though no hours of work for women were more than 10, and none
for men were so high as 10 except the 3.3 percent in the smallest
cities, an overlong spread of hours, especially in the smallest places
and for men in Kansas City, is evident from the figures following:
In St. Louis, 4.7 percent of the women’s days had a spread of 12
hours, and 0.6 percent a spread of more than 12; in Kansas City the
corresponding figures are 2.1 percent and 4.1 percent; in cities of
class 4 they are 13.2 percent and 22.7 percent. In St. Louis, 5.1
percent of the men’s days had a spread of 12 hours and 3.2 percent
had a spread in excess of 12; in Kansas City the corresponding pro­
portions were 7.5 percent and 9.2 percent; and in the smallest cities
12.6 percent had a spread of 12 hours and no less than 36.8 percent
had a spread in excess of 12 hours.
18 For general Introduction to “employee-days’' see Hotels, New York City, p. 17.




PART III.—RESTAURANTS

81

WAGES
Basis of payment.
In St. Louis at the time of the late pay rolls the largest number of
women were paid by the hour and the largest number of men by the
week. In Kansas City the largest number of women were paid by
the week; the men were practically evenly divided between a daily
and a wreekly basis. The most usual basis of pay for both women and
men in cities of class 4 was monthly.
On the early pay rolls in St. Louis the largest numbers of both
women and men had been paid on a weekly basis, while in Kansas
City and in cities of class 4 nearly all had been paid monthly.
WEEKLY RATES «

Rate distribution.
Women.—The modal weekly rate of pay of the 56 service women
in St. Louis and of the 30 in cities of class 4 was $5 but less than $10.
All but 1 of the 54 service women in St. Louis whose rate was $5 but
less than $10 had a rate of less than $7. In Kansas City the mode
for the 28 women was less than $5. For the 151 nonservice women
in St. Louis the modal rate was $10 but less than $15, and for the 75
in Kansas City and the 46 in cities of class 4 it was $5 but less than $10.
Men.—There were too few service men for a discussion of modal
rates. Among the nonservice men the same situation existed as was
noted for the women. The modal rate of the 182 men in St. Louis
was $10 but less than $15 and of the 43 in Kansas City and the 45 in
cities of class 4 it was $5 but less than $10.
Median weekly rates and scheduled hours.
Women.—The median weekly rate of the 56 service women in St.
Louis was $6.50. Owing to the small numbers included, medians
have not been computed for service women in the other classes of
cities.
Among the nonservice employees, median rates have been computed
for those in St. Louis and in Kansas City. The median for the 151
women in St. Louis was $10.75, and for the 75 in Kansas City it was
slightly less, $10.20. In St. Louis the median for women w'hose
scheduled hours were 48 was the same as that for all nonservice
women, and in Kansas City it wras only 10 cents higher than for the
entire group. These median rates are considerably below the minimums established by the code for 48 hours’ w'ork in such cities—$12
and $11.60.
Men.—The numbers of service men were too small for the com­
puting of medians. Further, for only one group of nonservice men,
the 182 in St. Louis, could a median be computed. This figure was
$10.95. The median for those whose scheduled hours were 54 was
$10.80, very much below the $15 minimum set by the code for such
wTork.
WEEK’S EARNINGS

Earnings distribution.
Women.—In St. Louis the largest proportion of the 170 nonservice
women and of all women (257) on the late pay rolls, four-fifths and
well over one-half, respectively, received $10 but less than $15 as*
*8 As explained in the other sections of the restaurant report, the rates discussed here are the net cash
rates for the group that were given in addition 2 or 3 meals a day.




82

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

their week’s earnings. Almost two-thirds of the 140 whose earnings
were $10 but less than $15 earned less than $11. More than one-half
of the 87 service women received $5 but less than $10, and well over
two-fifths were paid less than $5. Only about one-sixth of the group
as a whole and less than 3 percent of the nonservice women were in
the lowest wage class. In every case the wage level was higher at
the late pay-roll date, except that larger proportions were paid $15
and over in 1933 than in 1934.
In Kansas City at the late date, the largest proportion of the total
group of 183 women and of the 130 nonservice women earned $5 but
less than $10, but more than two-thirds of the 53 service women were
paid less than $5. Unlike St. Louis, the proportions earning less
than $5 were smaller at the earlier date. A larger proportion in 1933
than in 1934 earned as much as $15.
In cities of class 4 at the late date, the largest proportion of the 97
women and of the 63 nonservice women received $5 but less than $10.
Practically one-half of the 65 women whose earnings were $5 but
less than $10 earned less than $7. About one-tenth of each group
earned less than $5. For nonservice women this showed a worse
condition than at the earlier date; further, fewer women in 1934 than
in 1933 earned $15 and over.
Me7i.—Too few service men were on the pay rolls in the various
cities for separate showing by wage group. For this reason the dis­
cussion of men will be limited to all men and nonservice men.
The largest proportions of both the 227 men in the total group
and the 196 nonservice men in St. Louis at the late date received $10
but less than $15. Close to three-fifths of the 112 nonservice men
whose earnings were $10 but less than $15 earned less than $11.
About one-tenth of the group as a whole, but less than 2 percent of
the nonservice men, earned less than $5. These proportions wore
less than those of the early pay rolls; in fact, at the earlier date not
far from 60 percent of the 206 men in the total group and well over
50 percent of the 182 nonservice men had earnings below $10, in
contrast to about 30 percent and 20 percent, respectively, at the
later date.
In Kansas City there was less difference than elsewhere on account
of pay-roll date. Most of the 112 men on the late and of the 88 on
the early pay rolls had received $5 but less than $10, and large pro­
portions—roughly one-fifth—had received less than $5. Only 1 of
the 93 nonservice men on the late rolls worked for 2 or 3 meals daily.
In cities of class 4, the largest proportions of the 62 men and of
the 50 nonservice men at the late date and of the total 59 men at the
early date earned $5 but less than $10. From 10 to 12 percent earned
less than $5.
Earnings distribution and hours worked.
In this discussion only the workers who were given two or three
meals a day—thus excluding a number of part-time and most irregular
workers—will be treated. Seven of the 24 service women in St.
Louis whose earnings were less than $5 worked 40 hours or more. A
smaller proportion (10) of the 46 women who earned $5 but less than
$10 worked as long as this. Among the nonservice women, none of
those who earned less than $5 and only 1 of the 12 who earned $5 but
less than $10 worked so long as 40 hours. In Kansas City all but




PART III.—RESTAURANTS

83

3 of the 43 nonservice women whose earnings were $5 but less than
$10 worked as long as 40 hours. The large majority of the nonservice
women in cities of class 4 whose earnings were $5 but less than $10
worked 40 hours or more.
Of the 33 nonservice men in St. Louis whose earnings were $5 but
less than $10, 22 worked 40 hours or longer. Thirty-three of the 39
nonservice men in Kansas City whose earnings were $5 but less than
$10 worked 40 hours or longer, 22 for 54 hours or more.
Median earnings.
Women.—For women on the late pay rolls the highest median of
the week’s earnings ($10.55) was for the 257 women in St. Louis, the
largest city, and the lowest ($7.50) was for the 183 women in Kansas
City, which ranks next in size. The median for the 97 women in the
smallest cities was $7.80. The medians for the early pay rolls in­
creased with size of city from $7.15 for the 94 women in the smallest
places to $8.35 for the 256 in St. Louis.
The median earnings of the 87 service women on the late pay rolls
were $5.15 in St. Louis and for the 53 women in Kansas City they
were $3.50. At the early pay-roll date the 73 service women in St.
Louis had a median of $4.50.
At both dates the medians for the nonservice women who received
two or three meals in addition to wages were the same for the group
as a whole in cities of class 4, practically the same as the whole group
in St. Louis, and one-eighth higher in Kansas City.
Men.— In this section the median earnings of all men increased with
size of city, from $8.15 for the 62 men in class 4 to $10.80 for the 227
men in St. Louis at the late date, as compared with $8.10 for the 59
men and $9.35 for the 206 men, respectively, at the early date.
For nonservice men on the late pay rolls the earnings were slightly
higher in each case than for all men, ranging upward from $8.35 for
the 50 men in the smallest cities to $10.95 for the 196 men in St. Louis.
Median earnings and hours worked.17
Women.— For only one group of service women for whom hours
worked were reported at the late date, those in St. Louis, has a median
been computed. This median for 72 women is $5.30. The median
for the nonservice women whose hours worked were reported is
$10.85 for the 160 in St. Louis and $9.15 each for the 95 in Kansas
City and for the 55 in cities of class 4.
In St. Louis and in Kansas City the median earnings of the non­
service women who had worked 48 hours were $10.85 and $10.75,
respectively, considerably lower than the minimums of $12 and
$11.60 set by the code for 48 hours’ work.
Men.—-Too few service men for the computing of medians were
reported in Kansas and Missouri. For the 176 nonservice men with
hours worked reported the median was $10.90 in St. Louis; for the
66 in Kansas City, $9.65. In the larger city the median for those
who had worked 54 hours was $10.85, much below the minimum,
$13.50, established by the code.
No data from the early pay rolls are available for comparison.
17 As explained in the other sections of the restaurant report, earnings are correlated with hours worked
only for those workers who received in addition to their cash wage 2 or 3 meals a day.




84

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

STATEMENTS BY EMPLOYERS
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A.
In 14 restaurants some change had been made since the President’s
Reemployment Agreement in the rates paid employees. In seven
cases rates were increased, and in five they were raised for some
workers and left the same or not reported for others.
In 15 of the restaurants hours were decreased, though in six of
these the decrease affected only some employees.
In only 5 of the 15 restaurants reporting on basis of payment had
any change been made in this. Two of these changes were to an
hourly and one was to a weekly basis.
Overtime and part time.
Only seven restaurants reported overtime, and one of these paid
nothing for it. Straight time rate was paid for overtime in five of the
remaining six, and time and a third was paid in the sixth case.
In the 15 restaurants that had part-time employees, a straight rate
was paid for all such work.
Tips.
In 11 of the 17 restaurants reporting on tips the employees kept
their own. In the remaining six no tips were received.
Uniforms.
In 6 of the 17 cases the employers provided all uniforms, and in 7
cases the employees did so. Various arrangements were reported in
the four remaining establishments. The employer furnished the
kitchen help with their uniforms in two of these, while the dining-room
employees provided their own; in one case the employer furnished
uniforms to the waiters and waitresses only; and in the other case
the men’s uniforms were furnished by the employer and the waitresses’
uniforms by themselves.
In only 6 of the 17 cases did the employer pay for the laundering of
uniforms; in all other cases it was paid for by the employee. In two
restaurants the cost to the employee was 30 cents a week; in a third
case waitresses paid $1 a week.




CALIFORNIA18
This State was included in the group classed as the North by the
National Recovery Administration, but owing to the large number of
establishments and employees covered the facts secured will be
treated separately here. Of the 108 restaurants surveyed, 20 were in
cities of class 1, 21 in class 2, 20 each in classes 3 and 4, and 27 in
class 5. The following are the cities included in the California survey:
Class 1 (over 500,000)—Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Class 2 (250,000 to 500,000)—Oakland.
Class 3 (100,000 to 250,000)—San Diego.
Class 4 (25,000 to 100,000)—Santa Barbara, Pasadena, San Jose, Stock­
ton, and Berkeley.
Class 5 (10,000 to 25,000)—Huntingdon Park, Palo Alto, Vallejo, Modesto,
Burlingame, San Mateo, Santa Rosa, and Richmond.

Number and type of employees.
A total of 2,576 employees—1,436 men and 1,140 women— were
on the late pay rolls. Well over two-fifths of the workers were in the
largest cities and about one-tenth were in the smallest. More than
2,400 workers—1,324 men and 1,087 women—were on the early pay
rolls.
_
At the time of the late pay rolls the proportion of nonservice
workers as compared with service workers was about 2 to 1, the
service employees being greatly outnumbered in all but the smallest
cities. This was due to the condition among the men, who were
heavily in the nonsorviee occupations.
Among women, on the other hand, service workers greatly out­
numbered nonservice in cities of classes 4 and 5, the two groups were
about equal in classes 2 and 3, and only in the largest cities were there
considerably more nonservice than service women, the proportions
being roughly 5 tp 4. Somewhat similar comparisons may be drawn
from the figures secured for the earlier date. (Table on p. 3.)
HOURS
Hours worked in week.
Women.—Large proportions of the women—from 38 to 48 percent—worked less than 40 hours on the late pay rolls, but this did not pre­
vent other large groups—21 to 49 percent—working 48 hours, the
maximum allowed by the code, and small proportions exceeding 48.
Though the groups exceeding 48 hours were small, it is surprising to
find increases in these proportions over those at the earlier date in
three of the five classes of cities—1, 2, and 4.
...
.
Men.—In two of the four classes of cities for which it is possible
to compare the data as to hours worked weekly by men, larger pro­
portions worked less than 48 hours at the later date than at the
earlier date. In classes 1,3, and 5 very much larger proportions at
the later date worked 54 hours, due chiefly to the universal and very
great decline in the proportions working more than 54 hours. How» Tables for this section of the report are available in the Women’s Bureau.




85

86

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

ever, the proportions at the late date working longer than the max­
imum allowed by the code ranged from about 2 percent in the smallest
cities to 24.6 percent in cities of class 4.
Scheduled days per week.
All but 15 of the 108 restaurants included in California were open
on 7 days. The 15 restaurants that were open on 6 days or less
employed 186 workers. In 92 of the 93 restaurants that operated
7 days a week, 2,211 employees worked on 6 days or less. However,
in 50 of these restaurants there were 179 persons who worked on 7
days, thus violating the code provision of a maximum of 6 days’ work.
The largest proportions working on 7 days in restaurants operating
every day in the week were in cities of class 4, where about one-eighth
were so employed, and in cities of class 5, with only a slightly smaller
proportion.
Shifts.
In four of the five groups of California cities very large proportions
of the women, roughly 70 percent, had the same shift each day of the
week—the same hours of work and the same hours of beginning and
ending work. In the cities of class 4, the proportion with the same
shift each day was about three-fifths.
Larger proportions of the men, about four-fifths in cities of classes
3, 4, and 5, about three-fourths in the largest cities, and seven-tenths
in the city of class 2 had the same shift each day.
Employee-days.19
Only in cities of class 4 did the employee-days in the California
restaurants surveyed average as many as 6 per worker on the late
pay rolls. In the other cases the average was from 5.6 to 5.9.
In all population groups of cities the largest proportion of the
women’s days had working hours of 8 and less than 9, the next largest
proportion having hours of less than 8. In the smallest cities these
proportions were practically alike. A workday of less than 5 hours
was very common, more than 14 percent of the women’s days in cities
of classes 1 and 2, more than 15 percent in cities of classes 3 and 4,
and more than 18 percent in the smallest cities having this short shift
of working hours. Only in cities of classes 4 and 5 were as many as
1 percent of the workdays as long as 9 hours, and here the proportions
were only 1.3 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively. In the city of
class 2, one of the days (0.1 percent) was of 10 working hours.
The largest proportions of men’s days in cities of classes 1, 4, and
5 also had working hours of 8 and under 9, but in the other places
more were of 9 and under 10 hours, three-fifths of the days in the city
of class 3 being in this group. Nowhere but in the smallest cities had
more than 4 or 5 percent of the men’s days working hours of less than
5. In four population groups, small proportions—from 1.5 percent
to 5.1 percent—had working hours of 10 or more. In cities of class
4 this proportion was 17.9 percent, almost wholly (16.6 percent) falling
at 10 and under 11, but with 0.7 percent (7 days) at more than 12
hours.
In view of the fact that such very small proportions of the women’s
days had working hours of 9 and under 10, the long spread of their
hours is surprising. In the five population classes of city, the women’s
” For general introduction to “employee-days” see Hotels, New York City, p. 17.




1

•

*

*

PART III.—RESTAURANTS

87

days had an excessive spread as follows: Class 1, 6.2 percent at 12
hours, 1.2 percent at more than 12; class 2, 2 percent at 12 hours,
10.3 percent at more; class 3, 3.8 percent at 12 hours, 5.5 percent at
more; class 4, 7.6 percent at 12 hours, 19.5 percent at more; and
class 5, 3.6 percent at 12 hours, 7 percent at more. The corresponding
figures for men, also an excessive spread, are these: Class 1, 7.7 per­
cent and 5.1 percent; class 2, 10.8 percent and 9.8 percent; class 3,
29.7 percent and 14.4 percent; class 4, 13.1 percent and 32.8 percent;
and class 5, 9 percent and 6.5 percent.
WAGES
Basis of payment.
In cities of classes 1, 2, and 3 the weekly basis of pay was the most
usual for women and men at both pay-roll dates, with the single
exception that in the city of class 3 at the early date one more man
was on a daily than on a weekly rate. In cities of class 5 also the
largest groups were on a weekly basis, except that more women on
the late pay rolls were paid by the hour.
In the remaining cities—those of class 4—much the largest pro­
portion of men at each date were on a monthly basis. On the late
pay rolls the largest group of women were paid weekly, but at the
earlier date the numbers were almost equally divided between weekly
and monthlv.
WEEKLY RATES 20

Rate distribution.

Women.—In all but the largest cities the modal weekly rates of the
service women on the late pay rolls who received two or three meals
daily in addition to their cash wage were $10 but less than $15. In
the largest cities the modal rate was $5 but less than $10. All but
7 of the 67 service women whose earnings fell in this group earned $7
but less than $10.
...
.
Among the nonservice women the modal rates in cities of classes 1
to 4 fell in the $10 but less than $15 group, and in the smallest cities
in the group $15 and over.
_
Men.—The number of men engaged as service employees was small,
especially in cities of classes 4 and 5. Only in the largest cities were
rates reported for as many as 50. The modal rate varied much. In
the largest cities it was $10 but less than $15, and in the city next in
size it was $5 but less than $10. In the city of class 3 equal numbers
(18) fell in the $5 but less than $10 group and in the group $10 but
less than $15, while in cities of class 5 equal numbers (7) fell at $10
but less than $15 and at $15 and over.
The modal rate of the 496 nonservice men whose rates were re­
ported in the largest cities was $10 but less than $15. This was also
the mode of the 187 nonservice men in the city of class 2, though
almost as large a group fell at $15 and over. In the next two classes
of cities, the mode was $15 and over, though in both classes the group
at $10 but less than $15 was almost as large. In the smallest cities
the modal rate fell in the group $15 and over.
Median weekly rates and scheduled hours.
Women.—Median weekly rates have been computed for the groups
of service and nonservice employees on the late pay rolls who received
20 As explained in previous sections of the restaurant report, the rates discussed here are the net cash rates
for the group of workers who received in addition two or three meals a day.




88

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

two or three meals daily in addition to their cash wage. The median
rates of service women increased, though somewhat irregularly, from
$9.60 for the 122 women in the largest cities to $13.20 for the 66
women in the smallest.
The median rate of the nonservice women was lowest in the city of
class 3, $12.25 for the 59 women, and highest in that of class 2, $13.90
for the 96. The median of the 229 women in cities of class 1 was next
to the lowest, or $12.55, and that for the 59 women in cities of class 4
was $13.70. Too few nonservice women were reported in cities of
class 5 for the computation of medians.
When scheduled hours of nonservice women are correlated with
weekly rates the median rate of the 168 women in cities of class 1
whose scheduled hours were 48 is seen to be $12.50; for the 62 in the
city of class 2 it is $14.40. The median of $12.50 is somewhat below
the $13.33 minimum prescribed by the code for 48 hours’ work in the
largest cities, though $14.40 is well above the minimum of $12.89 set
by the code for cities next in size.
Men.—For only the largest cities has a median weekly rate been
computed for men service employees. This median is $12.55 for
81 men.
The median weekly rates of the nonservice men varied less than
those of the women. The highest median was that for the 138 men
in the city of class 3, $14.80, and the lowest was for the 187 in the
city of class 2, $13.75. The median for the 147 men in cities of class 4
was only 10 cents higher and for 496 in class 1 it was only 20 cents
higher than this low figure.
In the cities of classes 1, 2, and 3, for which median rates have been
computed for the nonservice men whose scheduled hours were 54,
these medians are $14.45, $14.50, and $16.60, respectively. The
median for the 157 men in cities of class 1 is 55 cents below the mini­
mum set by the code for the largest cities, the $14.50 for the 65 men
in class 2 is exactly the same as the minimum for such cities, and the
$16.60 for the 68 men in class 3 is $2.60 above the code minimum.
.

WEEK’S EARNINGS

Earnings distribution.
In all but three cases where the modal groups for rates and earnings
can be compared, they fall in the same class as to money; that is, if
the largest proportion have rates of $10 and less than $15, the largest
proportion on the earnings table also fall at $10 and less than $15.
The three exceptions are service women in cities of classes 2 and 4,
where modal rates are $10 and under $15 but modal earnings are $5
and under $10, and nonservice men in cities of class 1, where the rates
of the largest proportion of men are $10 and less than $15 but the
earnings of the largest proportion fall at $15 and over.
Women.—'The largest proportion of the 473 women and of the 256
nonservice women in cities of class 1 earned $10 but less than $15 at
both pay-roll dates, though on the early rolls almost as large a part
of the total 476 earned $5 but less than $10. The largest group of the
approximately 210 service women earned $5 but less than $10 at both
dates.
In the city of class 2 the largest group of the 218 women and of
the 110 nonservice women at the late date and the 188 and 102 at the
early earned $10 and under $15, though at the late date almost as




PART III.—RESTAURANTS

89

many earned $15 or more. Of the 86 service women, the chief group
also earned $10 and under $15 at the early date, while of the 108 on
the later rolls the largest proportion fell at $5 and under $10.
In the city of class 3 the largest proportion of the 135 women at the
late date and of the 132 at the early had earned $10 but less than $15
In cities of class 4 the largest proportions of the 178 women on the
late and of the 171 on the early pay rolls and also of the nonservice
women, 74 and 72, respectively, had earned $10 but less than $15.
liie largest proportions of the approximately 100 service women at
the late and early dates, respectively, had earned $5 but less than $10,
though almost as large groups had earned $10 but less than $15.
Only for all women and for service women could percentages be
™“Puted f°r Clties of class 5. The largest proportions of both groups,
13b total and 106 service women, on the late pay rolls and of the 88
service women at the early date had earned $10 but less than $15.
Un the early pay rolls somewhat the largest proportion of the 120
women had received $15 and more. At both late and early pay-roll
dates three nonservice women had received no cash wage at all “ onlv
their meals.
J
, Men-—}n cit.ies of class 1 tlie fargest proportions of the 642 men and
ol the 104 service men at the later date had earned $10 but less than
$15. Practically equal proportions of the 538 nonservice men had
earned $i5 and more and $10 and under $15, the difference of only
one-hall of 1 percent being in favor of the higher earnings \t the
early date the largest proportions of the 572 men and of the 471 non­
service men had earned $15 and more, and that of the 101 service men
$5 but less than $10.
In the city next in size, percentages are available for all men and
nonservice men only. The largest proportions of the 268 men in total
and the 224 nonservice men at the late date had earned $10 but less
than $15, while at the earlier date the largest groups of the 248 men
as a whole and of the 209 nonservice men had received $15 and more.
In the city of class 3 at both dates the largest proportions of the
service men (52 at the late and 53 at the early date) had received $5
but less than $10, and of the nonservice men (161 and 158 at these
respective dates) $15 and more. The largest proportion of the groun
as a whole (213) had received $10 but less than $15 at the late datethe largest proportion of the 211 at the early date, $15 and more.
’
1 he largest proportions of all men and of nonservice men—the only
groups for which data were available, and ranging in numbers from
lbl to 187 in cities of class 4 and from 99 to 126 in cities of class 5—
had received $15 and over at both the late and the early date.
in class 5, at time of early pay rolls, 10 of the 99 nonservice employ­
ees had received no cash wage, having worked for two or three meals
a day.
Lowest and highest wage groups—In the smallest cities much larger
proportions of the 136 women and of the 106 service women at the
late date than of the 120 women and 88 service women at the early
date earned less than $5. Considerably smaller proportions with
these low earnings at the later date as compared with the early date
appear for men in the city of class 2 and for service women and men
in that of class 3.
Larger proportions with earnings of $15 and more at the later than
at the earlier date appear for women in the city of class 2, for service
98163°—36---- 7



90

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

women in cities of class 4, and for nonservice men in the smallest
cities. There are more cases than these of a considerably smaller
percentage at the late than at the early date earning $15 or more,
notably service women in cities of classes 3 and 5 and nonservice
women in class 4, and service men in cities of class 1 and nonservice
men in class 3.
Earnings distribution and hours worked.
Only employees who received two or three meals a day were corre­
lated with hours worked. In this way many of the part-time and
irregular workers were excluded. Only 9 of the 84 service women and
6 of the 33 nonservice women in cities of class 1 whose earnings were
$5 but less than $10 worked as long as 40 hours.
In Oakland (class 2) 1 of the 26 service women and 5 of the 17 non­
service women whose earnings were $5 but less than $10 worked 40
hours or longer. In San Diego (class 3) 3 of the 14 service women and
1 of the 9 nonservice women who earned $5 but less than $10 worked
40 hours or more. In cities of class 4, 5 of the 17 service women and
none of the 8 nonservice women whose earnings were $5 but less than
$10 worked this long. Only 1 of the 11 service women in class 5 who
earned $5 but less than $10 worked as much as 40 hours.
Among the men conditions were somewhat different. Two of the 13
service men and 31 of the 55 nonservice men in San Francisco and
Los Angeles (class 1) whose earnings were $5 but less than $10 worked
40 hours or longer. In Oakland (class 2) 16 of the 27 nonservice men
whose earnings were $5 but less than $10 worked 40 hours or more.
Six of the 15 nonservice men in San Diego (class 3) who earned $5
but less than $10 worked as much as 40 hours. Exactly one-half
(9 of 18) of the nonservice men in class 4 who earned as little as this
worked 40 hours or longer. Three of the 8 nonservice men in class 5
who earned $5 but less than $10 worked as long as 40 hours.
Median earnings.
Women.—For al women on the late pay rolls the range of median
earnings was from the low of $10.60 for the 473 employed in cities of
class 1 to $12.50 for the 136 in the smallest cities, an increase in earn­
ings, though irregular, with a decrease in size of city. For service
women the range was from $8.35 for 217 women in cities of class 1 to
$12.40 for the 106 in those of class 5. In every case but one the median
earnings were higher for those who received two or three meals a day,
indicative of longer hours, than for the whole group of service women.
The range of these medians from the largest cities to the smallest
was from $9.05 to $13.55.
For the 504 nonservice women on the late pay rolls in the four classes
of cities where numbers were large enough for the computation of
medians, the median earnings were higher in every case than for the
groups of women as a whole or for the service women. The range,
though quite irregular, was from $12.05 for the 256 in cities of class 1 to
$13.10 for the 74 in cities of class 4. Here, too, the median earnings of
those who received two or three meals a day in addition were higher,
though only slightly so, the difference ranging from 5 cents to 55 cents.
For all women on the early pay rolls the median earnings ranged,
though somewhat irregularly, from $10.15 for 476 women to $12.45
for 120, the figures for the largest and smallest cities, respectively.
The lowest and highest median earnings for all service women were



PART III.—RESTAURANTS

.

91

for the same groups, the 208 in the largest and the 88 in the smallest
cities, and these were $7.35 and $12.50. The addition of two or three
meals made no change in the median for the largest cities, but in
classes 4 and 5 wages averaged considerably higher where meals also
were received.
As on the late pay rolls, the range of medians for nonservice women
on the early pay rolls was not great. The lowest, $11.20, was for
the 62 in the city of class 3, and the highest, $12.75, was for the 72 in
cities in class 4. For the nonservice women who received two or
three meals daily in addition, the range was somewhat greater, but
the lowest was for the city of class 3 and the highest for that of class 2.
Men.—The median earnings of all men on the late pay rolls ranged
from $11.95 to $15.15, the lowest being for the 268 men in the city of
class 2 and the highest for the 126 in cities of class 5. For only two
groups of service men, those in classes 1 and 3, were the numbers
sufficient for the computing of medians. The lower median for serv­
ice men was $9.50 for the 52 in the city of class 3, and the higher was
$11.90 for the 104 in cities of class 1.
For nonservice men the range of median earnings was from $12.35
for the 224 men in the city of class 2, to $15.50 for the 108 in the small­
est cities. Little difference from the figures just quoted appears in
the medians for the nonservice employees who received two or three
meals a day, the range of the latter being from $12.75 to $16.15.
For all men on the early pay rolls the lowest median was for the
248 men in the city of class 2, $10.25, considerably below the figures
for the late pay rolls, and the highest was for the 121 men in the
smallest cities, $15.15, the same as on the late pay rolls.
For service men on the early pay rolls, median earnings could be
computed for cities of only two classes, 1 and 3, as was the case at the
later date. These median earnings, $8.25 and $10.30 for 53 and 101
men, were lower than the corresponding medians on the late pay rolls.
At the early date the median for the service men in cities of class 1
who received two or three meals a day was much less than that of
the corresponding group on the late pay rolls, $9.15 as compared with
$12.

1

At the early date, the lowest median for nonservice men, $11.35,
was for the 209 in the city of class 2, and the highest, $14.70, was for
the 158 in the city of class 3. The lowest and highest medians for the
nonservice men who received two or three meals daily, $12 and
$14.90, were for the same two cities.
Median earnings and hours worked.21
Women.—For service women whose hours worked were reported
the median earnings were inversely proportionate to size of city, the
lowest median being $9.10 and the highest $13.60. As suggested
previously, probably it was the opinion of employers setting rates for
service women that those in the largest cities would receive more in
tips than would those in the smaller cities. Too few women for the
computing of medians were reported to have w'orked 48 hours, the
maximum set by the code for women’s work.
The range in medians for the nonservice women whose hours worked
were reported was small, being from $12 for those in the city of class
*1 As explained in previous sections of the restaurant report, earnings are correlated with hours worked
only for those employees who were given in addition to their cash wage 2 or 3 meals a day.




92

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

3 to $13.30 for the cities of class 4. For only one group of the women
who had worked 48 hours, those in cities of class 1, could a median
be computed. This median of $12.35 was practically $1 less than the
minimum prescribed by the code for 48 hours of such work in cities of
this size.
Men.—Only in the largest cities were hours of work reported for as
many as 50 service men on the late pay rolls. For these 86 men the
median was $12.
Median earnings for nonservice men on the late pay rolls have been
computed for all classes of cities. The lowest median of men whose
hours worked also were reported was $12.50, in the city of class 2, and
the highest was $14.45, for the city of class 3. The median earnings
for the men who had worked 54 hours ranged upward as size of city
decreased, from $14.15 in cities of class 1 to $15.65 in the city of class
3. In classes 1 and 2 the medians were below the minimums, $15
and $14.50, established by the code for cities of these sizes, but in
class 3 the median was considerably above the minimum set, the
latter being $14.
Comparable data as to earnings and hours from the early and the
late pay rolls were available for the service women in only two classes
of cities (1 and 3), and for these the medians at the late pay-roll date
were higher. This same situation was found to exist for the non­
service women where it was possible to compare them, that is, in
cities of classes 1,2, and 3. In three of the four cases where compari­
son
is possible the medians of the nonservice men were higher at the
pal'll pr fl ft f P

,

*

STATEMENTS BY EMPLOYERS
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A.

Some changes that had taken place in conditions affecting employ­
ees were a result of the signing of the President’s Reemployment
Agreement. Others were due to the code.
Of the 105 restaurants reporting on a change in the rates paid to
employees, 63 had made no change in rates. In 27 of the 42 estab­
lishments reporting changes some rates were increased, some were
left the same, and some were not reported. In 10 cases the rates were
raised for all or some employees and in 5 cases they were lowered for
all or some.
_ More of the establishments reporting had made a change in hours
since the P. R. A. than had changed their rates. A total of 65 res­
taurants had made some change in hours; 62 had decreased them,
though 6 of these had returned later to their former schedule. Twelve
of the remaining 56 had shortened the hours for all workers, 17 had
shortened the hours for men but did not report concerning women’s,
16 had decreased the hours for some workers but not for others, and
11 had decreased the hours for some but did not report for others.
Of the 104 establishments reporting on change in basis of pay, only
5 had made any change; 2 to hourly from weekly, 2 to weekly from
hourly or monthly, and 1 some other change.
Overtime and part time.

One-half of the 98 restaurants reporting on overtime required such
work. Practically two-thirds of the 49 requiring overtime paid for
it at the straight time rate, about one-fifth paid time and one-third,
and two restaurants paid time and one-half.



*

*

PART III.--- RESTAURANTS

93

A large part of the restaurants reporting on pay for part time, 59
of the 71, had this type of work. About seven-tenths of the restau­
rants reporting part time,41, paid straightwages for such work, 2 paid
time and one-third, and 5 paid more than the regular rate but the
amount was not stated.
Tips.

_ Tips were quite generally received by workers in the restaurants
included in the study. In all but 6 of the 93 establishments report­
ing, the workers received tips. The employees kept their own tips
in all but four restaurants, where the receipts were pooled.
Uniforms.

In 2 of the 106 restaurants reporting as to uniforms none were
required. In one-fifth of the remaining 104 (21) the employers fur­
nished all the uniforms. In 18 cases the employers provided uni­
forms to the kitchen help but the dining-room workers furnished their
own. In 10 establishments the employers provided the men with
their uniforms and the waitresses furnished their own. In 39 res­
taurants all the employees supplied their own.
Of almost as great importance as the furnishing of uniforms is the
responsibility for their laundering. In about two-fifths of the 99
restaurants answering this question (42) the cost of laundering was
paid by the employee. The employer paid for all laundry m 24
restaurants, for men’s only in 15 establishments, and for kitchen em­
ployees’ only in 2. In the remaining 16 cases, systems of payment
too varied to enumerate were in effect. The lowest weekly charge to
employees for laundry of uniforms was 15 cents and the highest was
$1.50.




THE SOUTH 22
In the South 28 cities, of population classes 2 to 5, were included
in the restaurant survey. The list of cities follows:
Class 2 (250,000 to 500,000)—Atlanta (Ga.), Birmingham (Ala.), Louis­
ville (Ky.), and New Orleans (La.).
Class 3 (100,000 to 250,000)—Norfolk and Richmond (Va.).
Class 4 (25,000 to 100,000)—Charleston and Wheeling (W. Va.), Char­
lotte, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem (N. C.), Cumberland (Md.),
Greenville (S. C.), Lexington (Ky.), Macon (Ga.), Montgomery (Ala.),
and Roanoke (Va.).
Class 5 (10,000 to 25,000)—Athens and Rome (Ga.), Bessemer (Ala.),
Biloxi (Miss.), Concord, Gastonia, Salisbury, and Shelby (N. C.),
Danville and Suffolk (Va.), and Rock Hill (S. C.).

Number and type of employees.

More than 3,000 employees were covered on the late pay rolls,
well over one-half of these being men. Figures available at the earlier
date covered practically 2,500 workers.
On the late pay rolls almost twice as many workers were nonservice
as were service employees. The proportion of women nonservice
workers was much smaller than this, hut approximately two and
one-half times as many men held nonservice as held service positions.
Great differences may he noted in these proportions in the various
classes of cities. The larger proportions in classes 2, 3, and 4 were
nonservice workers, though in class 3 the difference among the women
was slight. In cities of class 5, where the numbers were small, the
proportion of service women was practically two and one-half times
as great as that of nonservice women. An analysis of the types of
men workers shows that the numbers of nonservice men were far
larger in all classes of cities, the greatest difference being in class 3.
(Table on p. 3.)
HOUKS

Hours worked in week.

Women.-—The cities of class 5, with the smallest populations,
differed greatly from the others in the matter of hours worked. On
the late pay rolls only 5 percent of the 96 women in the smallest
cities, in contrast to 29, 33, and 39 percent in the other groups, 388,
172, and 505 in number, had a week of less than 40 hours; and the
overwhelming majority in the smallest cities—81 percent—in contrast
to 39, 48, and 51 percent in the other groups, -worked 48 hours or
more. The proportions exceeding the code maximum of 48 hours
were fairly similar in classes 3, 4, and 5—very roughly one-eighth—but
less than 2 percent in cities of class 2 worked more than 48 hours.
In the two cases where late and early pay rolls may be compared,
there had been a drastic reduction in the working of long hours.
Men.—The proportions of men working less than 48 hours on the
late pay rolls ranged—though irregularly—from about 12 percent of
the 138 in the smallest cities to about 32 percent of the 688 in
the largest (class 2). This is reflected in the proportions working 5423
23 Tables for this section of the report are available in the Women’s Bureau.

94




PART III.--- RESTAURANTS

95

hours or more, which ranged from 75 percent in the smallest cities to
43 percent in the largest. The drop between pay-roll dates in the
proportions working in excess of 54 hours was very great. In spite
of this fact, from about 11 percent of the 186 men in cities of class 3
to almost 17 percent of the 138 in cities of class 5 worked more than 54
hours at the late date. In cities of class 2 only 4.4 percent of the 688
had such horn's, these places having a very much larger proportion
than other cities with hours below 48.
Scheduled days per week.
Of the 161 restaurants covered in the South, 133, with close to
2,400 employees, were open on all 7 days of the week. In the 28
establishments open on 6 days or less, 657 persons were employed.
In 110 of the 7-day establishments were 2,042 persons who worked
on 6 days or less, but in 60 of the 133 there were 347 persons who were
employed on 7 days. This number constitutes about one-seventh of
the total group of employees in the establishments that were open
7 days, but such proportions varied considerably with size of city.
Only about 1 employee m 20 in the largest cities included (class 2),
as compared with practically one-sixth of those in class 4 and more
than one-fourth of those in classes 3 and 5, were employed on 7 days.
Shifts.
The proportions of women whose scheduled days throughout the
week were of the same duration and had the same hours of beginning
and ending work varied from about seven-tenths of the 107 women in
cities of class 5 to more than nine-tenths of the 238 in class 3.
Among men the proportions varied less. About four-fifths of the
224 and 135 men in cities of classes 3 and 5, respectively, represented
the lowest proportion with the same shift each day; the highest,
almost seven-eighths, was for the 626 in cities of class 2.
Employee-days.23

For the 2,700 restaurant workers in the South whose hours of work
were reported, the average days per week were from 6 to 6.3 for all
groups but the women in cities of class 3, whose average was 5.9.
In all population classes but number 4, the largest proportion of
women’s days had working hours of 8 and under 9, the proportion
next in size having hours of less than 8. In cities of class 4 these
proportions were reversed, 50.2 percent of the days being in the group
with the shortest hours; in class 3 the difference in the two percentages
was negligible. The employment of women for less than 5 hours
varied with size of city. In the smallest places only 2.6 percent of
the women’s 664 days had such short hours, but in cities of class 2,
9.9 percent of the 2,840, and in those of class 3, 15.4 percent of the
1,400, were so reported. Except in cities of class 4 oidy trifling pro­
portions of the women’s days had hours of work of 9 and more; in
class 4 as many as 8.8 percent had such hours, one-third of them
being of 11 and under 12 hours. In the smallest places, class 5, no
women’s days had so many as 10 hours of work.
In cities of classes 2, 4, and 5, the largest proportions of men’s
3,785 days, 2,926 days, and 845 days, respectively, had hours of work
of 9 and under 10, the next in size falling at 8 and under 9. Cities of
class 3 were an exception, somewhat the largest proportion of the
“ Tor general Introduction to “employee-days” see Hotels, New York City, p. 17.




96

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

1,377 days having hours of 8 and under 9. In no class of city had
so many as 3 percent of the men’s days working hours of less than 5.
Though hours of 11 or 12 were commoner than they should have been,
the days of such length were only small proportions—from less than
1 percent to less than 5 percent—of the totals.
A spread of hours disproportionate to the hours of work is apparent
for both sexes and for all classes of cities. In the largest and second
largest places surveyed (classes 2 and 3), though but 0.2 percent of
the women’s days had working hours of 10 and more, the spread of
hours was 12 on respectively 3.2 percent and 4 percent of the days,
and it was more than 12 on respectively 7 percent and 6.2 percent.
In cities of class 4, where 4.8 percent of the days had hours of work
of 10 and more, a spread of 12 hours was reported for 11.9 percent of
the days and a spread of more than 12 for 10.7 percent. In the
smallest places, though no working days for women were so long as
10 hours, 8.3 percent had a spread of 12 hours and 30.4 percent a
spread in excess of 12.
In each class of city some of the men’s workdays had hours of 10
and more, the proportions ranging from 1.2 percent to 9.2 percent of
the total, but a spread of 12 or more hours on from 18 percent to 38
percent of the total days seems an unreasonable discrepancy. In
cities of class 2, only 1.2 percent of the men’s days had working hours
of 10 or more, but 9.7 percent had a spread of 12 hours and 8.3 percent
had a spread of more than 12; in the cities next smaller, 9.2 percent
of the days had working hours of 10 or more, but 8.3 percent had a
spread of 12 hours and 11.4 percent a spread of more than 12; in
cities of class 4, 8.7 percent of the days had hours of work of 10 or
more, but the spread of hours was 12 on 21.6 percent of the total days
and was more than 12 on 16.7 percent; in the smallest cities, where
but 4.7 percent of the workdays were of 10 or more hours, 9.3 percent
had a lapse of 12 hours, and 28.4 percent a lapse of more than 12,
between the beginning and the end of the day.
WAGES
Basis of payment.

In cities of class 2 the largest proportion of women on the late pay
rolls were paid by the hour and the largest proportion of men by the
month, though the men’s figure was followed very closely by the pro­
portion paid by the hour. In the cities next in size, the largest group
of women were paid by the hour and the largest group of men by the
week. For both women and men in cities of classes 4 and 5 the most
usual basis of pay was weekly.
On the early pay rolls the most common basis of pay for both
women and men in the largest cities was monthly, but for the three
groups of smaller cities a weekly basis was more general.
WEEKLY RATES «

Rate distribution.

Women.—In the largest cities included in the South the modal rate
among the 139 service women was less than $5, while for the 68
women in the cities next in size there were two rates, less than $5,
24 All rates quoted here, as in the other sections of the restaurant report, are the net cash rates for those
employees who received also 2 or 3 meals a day.




97

PART III,—RESTAURANTS

and $5 and less than $10, represented by equal numbers of women.
The modal rates in the two classes of smaller cities were the same, $5
but less than $10.
. The modal rates of the nonsorvice employees—233, 64, 198, and 23
m number—in each of the four classes of cities fell in the $5 but less
than $10 group. In the smallest cities an almost equal number bad
a rate of less than $5.
Men. The modal rates both of service and of nonservice men
fell m the same group, that of $5 but less than $10, in each of the four
classes of cities.
Median weekly rates and scheduled hours.

. Women. Medians of the weekly rates of women were available in
cities of classes 2, 3, and 4 for both service and nonservice employees
who received two or three meals daily in addition to their cash wage.
For service employees, these medians were inversely proportionate to
the size of the city, the range being from $4.55 for 139 women to $5.50
for 128. In only two of these classes of cities were the numbers of
women service employees who were scheduled to work a 48-hour week
sufficient for the computation of a median. The median rate of the
76 women in cities of class 2 whose scheduled hours were 48 was $4.55,
less than 60 percent of the minimum rate established by the code,
$7.93. For the 74 women in cities of class 4 who had hours of 48 the
median rate was $6.55, considerably below, though more nearly ap­
proaching, the minimum of $7.74 set by the code.
The median weekly rates of the nonservice women decreased as
size of city decreased, the range being from $9.10 for the 233 women
m cities of class 2 to $7.85 for the 193 in those of class 4.
For the same classes of cities as among the service employees, class
2 and class 4, it was possible to compute the medians of the nonservice
women with a weekly schedule of 48 hours. In class 2, the median
rate of $9.45 for the 144 women whose scheduled hours were 48 was
considerably below the minimum rate set by the code, $10.96, and
in cities of class 4 also the median for the 70 women who had worked
so long, $8.45, was far below the code minimum, $10.20.
Men. Median weekly rates of the service men could be computed
for cities of classes 2 and 4 only. The median for the 149 men in the
larger cities was $7.10, and for the 128 in the smaller it was $6.35.
Owing to the small numbers no medians have been computed for the
service men who worked 54 hours.
A definite decline with a decrease in size of city appears in the
median rates of nonservice men, the range being from $9.85 for the
402 men to $7 for the 92. The same holds true for those men who
had worked 54 hours, the rates in this case ranging from $10.45 to
$6.80. In every case the median rates of the nonservice men whose
scheduled hours were 54 were lower than the minimum's established
by the code, the differences increasing with decrease in size of citv
from $1.87 to $4.04.
J
Population
class of city

Class
Class
Class
Class

2_
3_
4_
5.




Median weekly rate
of nonservice men
(64 hours)

$10.
9.
9.
6.

45
75
25
80

Minimum set by the
code for nonservice
mm (54 hours)

$12.
11.
11.
10.

32
90
47
84

98

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
WEEK’S EARNINGS

Earnings distribution.

Women.—In cities of class 2 at the late pay-roll date the largest
proportion of the 544 women and of the 350 nonservice women
earned $5 and less than $10, as had the 267 nonservice women at
the earlier date. The large majority of the 194 service women on
the late rolls and of the 192 on the early rolls, and more than one-half
of the 459 total women at the early date, earned less than $5.
At both dates in cities of class 3 the largest group of all women,
240 at the late and 201 at the early, and of nonservice women, 126
and 104, respectively, earned $5 and under $10, but service women,
114 and 97 on the late and early rolls, were more heavily in the lowest
wage brackets—less than $5. At the late date almost as many
service women earned $5 and under $10.
In cities of class 4 the largest proportions of all women, 446 on the
late and 385 on the early, and of nonservice women, 269 and 225,
respectively, at both dates, earned $5 and less than $10. At the
late date more than half the 177 service women also had such earn­
ings, but on the earlier rolls almost two-thirds of the 160 service
women were in the group under $5. Only five women at both pay­
roll dates, all nonservice women, had received two or three meals
daily as their only remuneration.
Very few women in cities of class 5 were in nonservice occupations.
All women and service women were very heavily in the wage group
$5 and less than $10 at both dates.
Men.—In every case, on both pay rolls, the modal group of men
fell at $5 and under $10. Ten nonservice workers at the late date
and four at the earlier date had received two or three meals daily as
their only remuneration.
Lowest and highest earnings.—For both men and women, much
smaller proportions at the late than at the early date were paid less
than $5.
Strange to say, much smaller proportions also, in the case of men,
were paid $15 or more. This comparison in the case of women is
very irregular, but at either date the proportions paid as much as
$15 were trifling. In cities of class 5 the records show no woman
to have had such earnings on either pay rolls.
Earnings distribution and hours worked.

In this discussion of earnings and hours worked, only the women
and men who received two or three meals a day were included. In
this way some of the part-time and irregular workers have been
excluded.
In cities of class 2, well over two-fifths of the 113 service women
whose earnings were less than $5 worked 40 hours or more. Twentyseven of the 42 who earned $5 but less than $10 worked this long.
Among the nonservice women none of the 33 who earned less than
$5 worked so long as 40 hours. Somewhat under four-fifths of the
159 nonservice women whose earnings were $5 but less than $10
worked 40 hours or more.
In the cities next smaller in size all but 2 of the 36 service women
whose earnings were less than $5 worked 40 hours or more. Of the
33 women who earned $5 but less than $10, 28 worked this long.
Thirty-eight of the 48 nonservice women whose earnings fell in this
group worked 40 hours or more.



PART III.--- RESTAURANTS

*

*

99

In the cities of class 4, just under five-eighths of the 53 service
women who earned less than $5 worked 40 hours or more. About
seven-eighths of the 75 women whose earnings were $5 but less than
$10 worked this long. Eight of the 36 nonservice women whose
earnings were less than $5 worked 40 hours or more. Contrasted
with this, well over five-sixths of the 119 who earned $5 but less than
$10 wrnrked this long.
Almost three-fifths of the 51 service men in cities of class 2 whose
earnings wrere less than $5 worked 40 hours or more. Three-fourths
of the 121 service men who earned $5 but less than $10 worked this
long. Nine-tenths of the 212 nonservice men who earned $5 but
less than $10 worked as long as 40 hours.
In the cities next smaller in size, close to nine-tenths of the 74
nonservice men who earned $5 but less than $10 worked 40 hours
or longer.
In cities of class 4, 14 of the 26 service men whose earnings wTere
less than $5 worked 40 hours or more. Well over nine-tenths of the
80 service men who earned $5 but less than $10 worked this long.
One-third of the 51 nonservice men whose earnings were less than
$5 worked 40 hours or more. An even larger proportion (well over
nine-tenths) of the 171 nonservice men who earned $5 but less than
$10 worked 40 hours or longer.
In the smallest cities surveyed, all but 3 of the 14 nonservice men
whose earnings were less than $5 worked 40 hours or more. All the
57 nonservice men who earned $5 but less than $10 worked 40 hours
or longer, most of them for 54 hours.
Median earnings.

I

f

Women..—For all women in the South at the late pay-roll date, the
greatest difference in median earnings in the various classes of cities
was 10 cents, those for women in cities of classes 3 and 5 being $6.65
and those in class 4, $6.55, with class 2 falling between.
The range of the median for the service women was from $4.20 in
cities of class 2 to $6.75 in those of class 5. Here again this may be
explained by the fact that employers in the larger cities assumed that
the wages of service women would be augmented by larger tips than
could be expected in the smaller cities. An increase in medians as
size of city decreased may be noted also for the women who received
two or three meals a day in addition to their cash wage.
For nonservice women the median week’s earnings were $8.40 in the
two classes of larger cities but were lower, $7.45, in cities of class 4.
Where comparisons are possible, the median for women on the early
pay rolls was lower than that of women on the late pay rolls in every
case but one. In 6 of the 17 cases the later median was the higher by
from $1 to $2.35.
Men.—The trend in median week’s earnings of men was different
from that of women. The median at the later date for all men ranged
rregularly from $8.90 for those in the largest cities surveyed to $7.45
'or those in the smallest. For service men the highest median was for
ities of class 3, $8.45, and it was lowest, $6.10, for those in class 4.
For the service men who received two or three meals a day in addition
to their cash wage the median in cities of class 2 was somewhat below,
but in cities of class 4 the median was the same as that for the whole
group of service men, $6.10.




100

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

The median for the nonservice men decreased as size of city
decreased from $9.65 to $7.15. In 2 of the 4 classes the median for
men who had two or three meals a day in addition showed no decline,
and in the other cases the resulting medians were only slightly less
than those for the nonservice group as a whole.
The median earnings of the men on the early pay rolls were lower
in every case than those at the later date. In 5 of the 16 cases the
later median was from $1 to $1.75 higher.
Median earnings and hours worked.

Earnings in correlation with the hours worked are presented here
for only those employees who had two or three meals a day in addition
to their cash wage.
Women.—For service women on the late pay rolls whose hours
worked were reported the median earnings rose with a decrease in
size of city, from $4.10 for the 155 women in cities of class 2 to $5.35
for the 128 in cities of class 4. The median earnings for women who
had worked 48 hours, in the two classes of cities where they were
sufficiently numerous for computation of medians, were $4.50 and
$7.35 for class 2 and class 4, respectively. The situation was much
worse for those in class 2, but the employer probably expected the
service woman to augment her salary more by tips in the larger than
in the smaller cities.
Minimum Median of
set by
earnings
code
received

Population class of city:
Class 2.......................... .................................................... ................. $7. 93
Class 4 7. 74

$4. 50
7. 35

The median earnings of the nonservice women for whom hours
worked were reported were practically the same in cities of classes 2
and 3, $8.70 for 246 women and $8.75 for 65, respectively, and a good
deal less, $7.50, in cities of class 4.
For only two groups of women working 48 hours was it possible to
compute a median. For women in class 2 it was $9.30 and for those
in class 4 it was $8.50. As will be seen from the summary following,
these medians are below the minimums set by the code.
Minimum Median of
set by
earnings

Population class of city:
code
received
Class 2............................................................................. ................... $10. 96 $9. 30
Class 4____ _______________ ____________________________
10. 20
8. 50

Men.—For service men in the South on the late pay rolls no medians
could be computed for specified hour groups.
The median earnings of the nonservice men whose hours worked
were reported on the late pay rolls ranged downward with size of city
from $9.45 for the 398 men in cities of class 2 to $7.05 for the 93 in
cities of class 5. For the nonservice men who had worked 54 hours
the medians showed a greater range, falling from $10.85 for men in
cities of class 2 to $6.90 for those in class 5. These medians are much
below the minimums set for 54 hours’ work, especially in cities of class
5, as will be seen from the summary following.
Population class of city:
Class 2____________
Class 4____________
Class 5____________




Minimum set by
the code for
nonservice men
for 64 hours* work

Median of the
earnings of
nonservice men
working 64 hours

$12. 32
11.47
10. 84

$10. 85
9. 55
6. 90

.

.
.

PART III.--- RESTAURANTS

101

STATEMENTS BY EMPLOYERS
Changes in hours, rates, and basis of pay since the P. R. A.

All but 3 of the 161 restaurants surveyed in the South reported on a
change in basis of payment after the President’s Reemployment
Agreement was adopted. In 91 restaurants no change had taken
place. Sixty of the 67 restaurants in which some change had been
instituted had changed to an hourly basis of pay, in most cases from
a weekly basis.
In only 15 of the 159 restaurants reporting on changes in hours of
work in restaurants had there been no change. In 136 restaurants
the hours had been shortened for all employees, though in 1 of these
the former schedule had been restored, and in the remaining 8 they
were decreased for some of the workers.
In 138 restaurants some change had been made in tbe rates paid
to employees. In 97 of these restaurants rates of pay were increased
for all or some workers, while in 32 the rates were raised for some
employees and for others remained the same or were not reported.
Overtime and part time.

Of the 74 restaurant employers who reported overtime, 2 made no
payment for such work, 43 paid straight time, 25 paid time and a
third, and 2 paid time and a half; the remaining 2 had no regular
rate.
A large part of the 122 restaurant keepers who reported employing
some of their workers on a part-time basis paid these employees straight
pay for such work. About one-tenth of the employers paid more than
the regular rate, but the amount was not reported.
Tips.

All but 5 of the 146 employers reporting on policy in regard to tips
stated that the workers kept their own tips.
Uniforms.

Close to one-half of the 157 restaurant owners reporting (75) fur­
nished uniforms to the workers; in almost three-tenths of the cases
(45) the employees furnished their own. Many arrangements were in
effect in the other restaurants: In 13 the employer furnished kitchen
workers’ uniforms but the dining-room employees provided their own;
in 8 the employer furnished all uniforms but those of waitresses and
cooks; and in the remaining 16, systems too varied to enumerate
were in practice.
Employers and employees paid for the laundering of uniforms in
almost equal numbers of cases, 71 and 74, respectively. The weekly
cost of laundering uniforms ranged from 20 cents to $1.60 per
employee.




APPENDIX—SCHEDULE FORMS
Schedule I
[This form was used for interviews with hotel owners or managers]
U. S. Department

of

Labor

WOMEN’S BUREAU

1
Date..
Agent.
City..
1. Name of hotel Address__
Main office___________________________ Address
2. Type (a) Independent Chain
(b) Commercial ResidentialApartment___________ _
Resort Other
3. Number of guest rooms Proportion of transient rooms________________
4. Member of an association (name)
5. Person interviewed------------------------------ Position
Person interviewed Position
6. Pay-roll dates: 19331 week_____ 2 weeks_____ % mo____ 1 mo.
1934------- 1 week_____ 2 weeks_____ % mo......... 1 mo.
7. Numbers employed (excluding office):
Men

Women

Total

Lodging department______________
Restaurant departments_________
Other____________________________
Total_________

__________

Lodging Department.
8. Changes since P. R. A. (note dates and occupations affected):
(а) Method of pay______________________________________
(б) Rates_______________________________________________
(c) Hours_______________________________________________
9. (a) Pay for overtime_________________________________________
(6) Pay for part time________________________________________
10. Employees who receive tips: BellhopsChambermaids.
Others (specify)_________________________________________
102




L

APPENDIX—SCHEDULE FORMS

103

11. Policy with reference to tips: Keep own_____ Pool
Share with captainOther (specify)
Notes:
12. Supplements to wages:
(а) Meals (specify occupations receiving)
Number of meals per week___ Amount allowed for: Breakfast_____
Lunch----- Dinner----------------- Amount deducted per week
Where do employees eat?
Notes:
(б) Lodging: For all? If not, specif}'
Amount deducted per week_____ _______________________
Notes:
(c) Other____________________________ ______ ________________________
13. Uniforms required (specify occupations)
Furnished by employer______ _____ ___ By employee
Cost per uniform to employee____ Number kept on hand by employee______
Arrangement for purchase
Cost to employee for laundry: Per uniform Per week
14. Deductions for insurance Other (specify)
15. What form of collective bargaining is used by employees?
How long in force?_____________ _____________________________________
16. Dressing room provided?Satisfactory?
17. Lockers provided?
18. Toilet convenient?
Shared by men and women?By public?
Clean?

Schedule II
[This form was used for interviews with restaurant owners or managers]
U. S. Department

of

Labor

WOMEN’S BUREAU

‘

Date___________________________
Agent
City-------------------------- -------------

1. Name of restaurant Address
Main office Address
2. Type: (a) Independent.. Chain.. Hotel.. Department store_________
Drug store.. Confectionery store.. Other (specify)_________
(i>) Table service: Restaurant.. Tearoom.. Lunchroom_______
Counter or fountain service____Self-service__________________
Other
3. Member of an association (name)
4. Person interviewed Position
Person interviewedPosition
5. Pay-roll dates: 1933___ 1 week.. 2 weeks.. )4 mo.. 1 mo_____________
1934----- 1 week.. 2 weeks.. K mo.. 1 mo___________




104
6.

EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
Number employed (excluding office):

Men

Women

Total

7.

Business hours: Daily: Open------------ Close-------------- No. of days.
Other: OpenClose------------ No. of days
8. Variation from regular hours (specify extent and reason)--------------9. Changes since P. R. A. (note dates and occupations affected):
(a) Method of pay
(6) Rates
(c) Hours
10. (a) Pay for overtime
(6) Pay for part time------------------------------------------------------------------------------LI. Employees who receive tips: Waiters: Table___ Counter
Doorman___ Hat and coat checkers_____ Others (specify)-------------------12. Policy with reference to tips: Keep own____ Pool------ Share with head
waiter____, with cook____ , with bus boy____ Turn over to manage­
ment____ Other____________________________________________________
Notes
13. Supplements to wage:
.
(a) No. of meals per week___ Amount allowed for: Breakfast------Lunch____Dinner_____ Amount deducted per week--------Where do
employees eat?
Notes
(b) Lodging: For all?If not, specify---------------------------------------Amount deducted per week-----------------------------------------Notes
(c) Other
14. (a) Uniforms required (specify occupations) ------------------------------------------- 1
(b) Furnished by employer---------------- By employee---------------------------------(c) Cost per uniform to employee____Number kept on hand by employee------(<f) Arrangement for purchase
(e) Cost to employee for laundry: Per uniform----- Per week-------15. Deductions: For bus boy----- For broken dishes-------For insurance__ , _ Other (specify)----------------------------------------16. What form of collective bargaining is used by employees?-------------------------How long in force?
17. (o) Dressing room provided?______ (b) Satisfactory?
18. Lockers provided?
19. Toilet convenient?
Shared by men and women?--------- By public?-Clean?---------




APPENDIX—SCHEDULE FORMS

105

Schedule III
[This form was used for recording work time of persons on shifts.]
U. S. Department

of

Labor

WOMEN’S BUREAU
Establishment City
Name---------------------------------- Sex--------- Occupation

>

Number of meals furnished per week

Beginning hours

6
7 8 9 10 11
a. m.

Lodging

Noon 1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Mn 1 2 3 4 5
12
12

Total

Sunday................
Monday........... __
Tuesday.............
Wednesday.........
Thursday.......... .
Friday............ .
Saturday_______

—

Total weekly...

—— —

Date................................. Agent.

o

98163

■36—8




—