The Evolution of Working Conditions

Kaitlyn Grubbs
In this paper I seek to explain the evolution of working conditions. Working conditions
were not the same as they are today as there have been many changes. There were many changes
made during the Industrial Revolution, a time of transition to manufacturing processes. This time
would begin in 1760 and ended between 1820 and 1840. Before laws and restrictions were made
prevalent at the time, the workplace was a very dangerous place for all people. The dangerous
workplaces threatened the health of workers and provided little pay to support families. I argue
that the evolution of working conditions has made jobs less dangerous and improved the lives of
workers. I will prove this by explaining how unions formed, discussing child labor laws, and
analyzing laws on wages and hours.
In order to improve working conditions, reformers pressed for better work conditions.
Labor unions were organizations formed by workers which would bargain for better hours,
wages, and conditions in the workplace. Due to the tightness of space in the workplace, diseases
such as cholera spread as rapidly as they did in the tenements of the workers. Machines did not
have safety devices, causing many accidents, and workers destroyed their lungs by breathing in
air filled with lint. If a worker missed a day of work due to illness, they would lose their job. The
main event that could have brought on labor unions would be the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory
fire, where 145 workers were killed as a result of neglected safety features and locked doors
within the factory building, according to History.com. One of the most famous unions is known
as The Knights of Labor and, according to History.com, Powderly dispensed with the earlier
rules of secrecy and committed the organization to seeking the eight-hour day, abolition of child
labor, equal pay for equal work, and political reforms including the graduated income tax. This

particular union fought for eight-hour days, abolition of child labor, equal pay for equal work,
and political reforms. In general, labor unions also gained working class men the right to vote.
The reforms that the labor unions fought for improved conditions in the factory and the lives of
employees.
During the Industrial Revolution, child labor had become a largely known problem.
Factories would hire children to changing spools, climb through mining shafts, and push coal
carts for very low pay. The children had no choice but to do these dangerous tasks since the little
bit of income would prevent their families from starving. At the time, a document called
Declaration of Independence by the Children of America stated, Whereas, we are yet in
bondage in this land of the free; are forced to tell the long day or the long night, with no control
over the conditions of labor, as to health or safety or hours or wages, and with no right to the
rewards of our service, therefore be it. Throughout the work day, children could be greatly
injured at work and lose fingers while performing tasks. According to Dol.gov, For
nonagricultural operations, it restricts the hours that children under age 16 can work and forbids
the employment of children under age 18 in certain jobs deemed too dangerous. For agricultural
operations, it prohibits the employment of children under age 16 during school hours and in
certain jobs deemed too dangerous Employers covered by the Occupational Safety and Health
(OSH) Act must comply with the regulations and the safety and health standards promulgated by
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Employers also have a general duty
under the OSH Act to provide their employees with work and a workplace free from recognized,
serious hazards. OSHA enforces the Act through workplace inspections and investigations.
Compliance assistance and other cooperative programs are also available. Overtime, jobs for

children have gained more restrictions and laws against certain conditions, making the jobs less
dangerous.
Lastly, I will analyze laws on wages and hours. Workers would have to work twelve to
sixteen hour shifts and were also faced with a rigid schedule set by a factory whistle. As the
factory whistle still exists to this day, the hours spent in the factory have decreased tremendously.
Factories would hire women and children because they could do the same tasks as men at a
lower cost. The money made by each individual kept their families from starving, but kept
mothers away from caring for their children at home. Parents would also send their children to
the workforce in order to help pay for food for the family. According Dol.gov, The Department
of Labors Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is responsible for enforcing some of the nations
most comprehensive federal labor laws on topics including the minimum wage, overtime pay,
recordkeeping, child labor, family and medical leave, migrant and seasonal worker protections,
lie detector tests, worker protections in certain temporary guest worker programs, and the
prevailing wages for government-funded service and construction contracts. Collectively, these
laws cover most private, state, and local government employment, and protect over 135 million
workers in more than 7.3 million establishments nationwide. With the United States Department
of Labor, the laws enforced will prevent wages and hours from going back to how they were in
the Industrial Revolution.
All in all, there have been many reforms to change the way from how the workforce used
to be to how it is today. Instead of working shifts of twelve to sixteen hours at a time for little
pay, there are restrictions on how long people can work and how much they are paid for it. Along
with that, there are laws that restrict the ages of workers, allowing them to only join the
workforce at certain ages. Conditions in factories are now improved and are no longer dangerous

to the workers. Workers are no longer at risk to picking up diseases such as cholera since they are
able to miss a day of work without losing their jobs. Also, there is a huge difference in how many
accidents occur while in the workplace due to the workers being able to get enough sleep. Today
the United States government has many different departments which govern all aspects of the
workplace and more. There has been a huge evolution on the working conditions faced by
workers since the time of the Industrial Revolution that can still be seen today.