London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Tottenham 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham]
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46
A preliminary survey of shop premises and occupational health needs
There are 2, 309 shops in the Borough, 1, 251 of which are carried on by the
proprietor and his wife, who usually live on the premises.
The trades which are many and varied have been analysed in schedules at
the end of this report.
Shop assistants
The majority of the 1,058 shops where assistants are employed are of small or medium size, as will be seen from the following table:-
| Shops with 1 to 5 employees | 971 | |
| " " 6 to 10 " | 65 | |
| " " 11 to 20 " | 15 | |
| " 21 to 50 | 2 | |
| " "51 to 100 " | 4 | |
| " " over 100 " | 1 | |
| 1,058 | ||
| The number of assistants employed (excluding office workers) are:- | ||
| Females | 1,999 | |
| Males | 1,145 | |
| Young Persons | Female | 310 |
| Male | 84 | |
| Part time Assistants: Females | 355 | |
| 3,893 | ||
The number of women and girls employed are in the majority, and the proportion
of young persons employed is relatively low. In the case of boys,
employers do not appear to be keen to employ them because of their liability
for military service as soon as they are trained and become useful to them.
During the last war and since, shopkeepers have had great difficulty in
obtaining sufficient staff for their needs. This is attributed to the better
financial prospects and conditions of service in factories and offices. The
introduction of the 5-day week in some factories also attracts many would be
shop employees, who dislike having to work on Saturdays. As an inducement,
many shopkeepers now allow their assistants two half-day's holiday a week
instead of the one required by statute.