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Wanted: Industrious young men and intelligent girls…
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 In an industry which regularly sees people retire after
well over FORTY years of service, recruitment is still a serious
business. Martins Bank needs to
replace hundreds of staff each year, those who have reached retirement,
those who are made to leave as a consequence of getting married and, sadly those who die in service.
We have combined two of our
feature pages into one and added some new detail, in order that we can look
at the benefits of working for Martins, and at the efforts the Bank goes to
offer what is described as “a career with BIG opportunities” for “the nicest
people”. By 1963 Martins is flying
high, and with the major celebrations of the Bank’s four-hundredth
anniversary in full swing, “…a career with Martins Bank” is launched – a
twelve page recruitment booklet designed to attract school leavers.
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WHY NOT ALSO VISIT THESE PAGES
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A little further down this page we shall look in detail at this
booklet, and see how it is clearly aimed at men, who at this point in the
Bank’s history are still the “bread-winners” of families, and upon whom all
manner of great training and other opportunities are lavished if the young
man concerned fits the bill. First, we’ll go a little futher forwards in
time to 1968, to look at two brand new leaflets – the last before Martins
and Barclays merge. We still see two
very different people, the first is dynamic, go-getting and ripe for a
fast-track system of promotions to the top of their game by the age of
32. The second is offered a
selection of jobs, from machine operator, to typist, cashier or secretary,
and even the lofty height of computer operator. The first is of course for men, and the
second is for the ladies. The weird
thing is, the only things stopping women from becoming just as successful,
were the men! Equal pay has arrived
at Martins, and at least for the first six or so years of employment, all
genders are paid the same. From then
on, the divergence is astonishing, with a man earning the equivalent today
of £46,500 by the age of 32, and a women earning £16,000! History tells us of the continued
struggles of women to be recognised as equals in the workplace, and even in
the twenty-first century, the subject has not been put to bed. See what YOU make of Peter
Jackson, and “a girl” as we shall call her, as no one has given her a name…
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Peter Jackson joined Martins Bank
straight from school with a couple of good ‘A’ Levels and the sort of
drive that would take him to the top in quite a few different types of
business. Right from the start, he felt at home. The Manager took a keen
interest in Peter’s progress, and arranged study leave for the
all-important Banking Diploma. Very soon Peter became a cashier, handling
large sums of money, known and trusted by his regular customers. Lectures
and formal training sessions supplemented his rapidly increasing
experience of practical banking, and it wasn’t long before he was given
full responsibility for running the branch when the Manager was away. Now
in his early thirties, and earning around £2,400 a year, Peter Jackson is
a Manager in his own right, running a medium-sized branch in a busy town.
His work brings him into contact with all sorts of people-professional
men, bosses of industry, shopkeepers, harassed husbands trying to sort
out the family budget-the list is endless. What’s more, it’s no desk-bound
job. As a Manager, Peter Jackson spends a lot of his time getting out to
see and learn about his customers at first hand. That driving seat of his
is just as important as the chair behind his office desk. He’s got to be
able to size up a construction job, say, as competently as he sizes up
his various customers. Even now, he's very much boss of his own show. But
that's by no means the end of the road. Bright people like Peter Jackson
who come to Martins can, and very often do, go right to the top of the
tree in general management.
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Banking is growing fast; technical
innovations are coming in rapidly and the scope for real management
talent grows all the time. To foster the abilities they need in senior
men, Martins send a number of them every year to various residential
business schools, including Oxford and Harvard. Experience of this type
is invaluable in broadening their knowledge not only of banking but of
business problems of every type. Peter Jackson was a shrewd young man. He
picked a career that would not only give him the scope he wanted, but
would positively help him to develop the qualities to succeed which he
already possessed. He’s got a well-paid, responsible job, plus a great
many valuable fringe benefits - a first-class pension scheme, excellent
sick pay arrangements, special low-cost loans for housing, sports and
social facilities - not to mention four-and-a-half weeks’ holiday a year.
If you’ve got the qualities of Peter Jackson, with either a degree, 2 ‘A’
Levels or a minimum of 4 ‘O’ Levels, you could enjoy the same sort of
exciting, progressive career. The first step is to write with brief
details of your achievements to the nearest address overleaf.
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Working with Martins is much more
than just having a job. For a start, the work is really varied and
interesting. As machines and computers take over much of the routine
book-keeping and clerical work, more and more girls are becoming
cashiers, meeting the customers, getting to know them as individual
people in a way that's difficult in most types of business. Customers
rely on you, too. You handle important, confidential affairs and are
treated very much as a friend and confidante - again, not something that
you find in every job. Other jobs include typing and secretarial work –
and the secretary to a Branch Manager is an important person in the Bank
- as well as specialist jobs for machine operators. Another pleasant
thing about working with Martins is the friendly atmosphere you find
wherever you go. Colleagues treat you as a friend and an equal, and
customers rely on your knowledge and advice. As a Bank we have a
reputation for being friendly and helpful, and girls who join us often
say how much they value this aspect of their job. There’s a wide range of social and
sporting activities open to you as well. Inter-District hockey and tennis
matches and other sporting fixtures are arranged, and there are also
opportunities for taking part in amateur dramatics and other activities.
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Staff dinners and dances, too, are
held regularly in each District of the Bank and are always extremely
popular and well-attended. Welfare problems are looked after by a Lady
Supervisor in each District who is always ready to discuss any personal
problems or worries which you may have. Salaries are good, with increases
above the basic rates for merit, as well as special allowances for girls
working in the London area. Holidays can amount to four-and-a-half weeks
a year, according to age and salary, and there are excellent pension,
insurance and sick pay schemes. If you are looking for a long-term career
there are excellent prospects in Martins, where women are increasingly
taking on greater responsibilities. Whatever your aim in life, you'll
find that working with Martins is more than just a job - it’s a great
deal of fun as well. If you would like to know more, and have an 'O’
Level education or are proficient at typing or shorthand, write with
brief particulars, to the nearest address overleaf.
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Although by this time the
starting salary for both men and women has been made equal, this is about
the only thing that is, in a career with Martins Bank. As we have seen above, men are
destined to be managers, on £2,400 by the age of 32, whereas women can
expect to have reached £870 by the age of 32 for an “above average”
performance. Men are courted with
tempting offers of extra pay for A Levels, and being sent on three month
managerial training courses. Women
are enticed by “those wonderful machines that do the donkey work” and the
scope to earn more if you work hard.
It is not, however, all about equality of the sexes, or indeed a
lack of it. A career with Martins is
an excellent proposition for the long term, and ahead of its time with
features such as a two-thirds final salary pension scheme. So just what IS on offer? Let us take a look inside our shiny,
freshly minted copy of “A career with Martins Martins Bank”…
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 When
you are faced with the difficult problem of choosing your career
there are many factors to take into consideration. The most important of
these are your own special abilities and ambitions and the opportunities
you will be given to
fulfil them; but you will, of course, be concerned with such things as pay, conditions of service,
holidays prospects of advancement and so on.For a well-educated young man
of character, banking offers a most satisfying career with excellent
prospects. It affords the widest possible scope for the exercise and reward
of talent, for remember, banking is in every sense "Big Business"
and requires intelligence, judgment, drive and tact of the highest order. If you decide
to make your career with Martins Bank you will, like everyone else who
joins the Bank, start at the bottom and then work your way up. The
prospects for new entrants have never been brighter. Approximately 50 % of
the men joining the staff can expect to reach branch manager level (many of
them do so in their early thirties) and the most able of these will go on
climbing to reach the senior management positions in the Bank.
 The
banking industry provides an essential service to the community and without
banks business could not function in the modern world. The money with which
wages are paid has to be collected from suburban banks into which it has
been paid by shopkeepers and others, and brought each week to other banks
for issue to the cashiers of firms to be made up into wage packets; silver
and copper received from transport undertakings have to be redistributed
throughout each area; the settlement by cheque of millions of personal and
commercial debts is handled daily by the banks, who also finance and handle
operations arising out of foreign trade.
On the basis of the sums
deposited with them by their customers, banks are in a position to lend
money to business, commerce and industry, and to private individuals,
too. Money can be borrowed from a
bank by anyone who is credit-worthy and can show that he has a proper need
of it. For example, a business man wishing to expand his business may need
to borrow money to buy raw materials: an exporter may require credit while
awaiting payment for goods sold abroad: a professional man may need a loan
until his fees have been paid to him: and a private person may want to
borrow from the bank for a variety of purposes. At the same time, a bank
offers its customers a range of most useful and important services from the
safe-keeping of documents and valuables, the buying of shares through a
stockbroker to its appointment as their executor or trustee.
 So,
as you see, to carry out all these varied functions for our customers we
must have branches widely spread over the whole country. Martins Bank has
over 600 throughout England and Wales, and these vary from quite small
country branches, which may employ less than half a dozen, to large ones in
industrial cities having staffs numbering 150 or more. Branches differ very
much, not only in size but also in the nature of their business, and
members of the staff are transferred from one to another to give them as varied
a knowledge and experience as possible. These moves are always stimulating
and exciting, as you are brought into touch with different types of
customer and learn to handle different kinds of business.
 If
you have the right type of enquiring mind you will find your work of
absorbing interest throughout the whole of your career. You must, of
course, first master the necessary elements of the Bank's book-keeping and
record systems covering the great number of daily transactions on behalf of
customers. As you can imagine, to deal efficiently with an ever-growing
volume of business calls for the highest degree of organisation. We
therefore use the most modern aids to accounting and we were one of the
first banks in the country to
use an electronic computer to do the bookkeeping of a branch bank.
 Later
you will act as a cashier or securities clerk. Most customers of the
smaller branches have met and know the manager but the cashier is the
person they know best, because they see him or her often and become
friendly. A cashier's job is thus very important, because he does so much
in serving the needs of customers, keeping them happy and making it a
pleasure for them to come to the bank.
The control of the branch
rests with the manager who, in larger branches, has an assistant manager or
an accountant, or both, to assist him.
In the course of your work in a bank you will have to deal with
customers drawn from almost every profession, trade and occupation. The
ability to get on well with all kinds of people is one of the
"musts" for a successful career in banking.
The Branch Manager…
…has
a most interesting job. He is, of course, responsible for everything that
goes on within his branch; the organisation of the work, and the training,
welfare and discipline of his staff. A good branch manager stands high in
the regard of the community he serves. He is an important servant of the
public, representing the bank whose duty is to serve the public well. The
manager meets and knows all classes of people and he must therefore be a
good student of human relations. He is bound to acquire a wide knowledge of
affairs relating to business, commerce, industry and agriculture and he has
to maintain a keen interest in the changes and problems which arise. His
customers will come to discuss their problems with him and his experience
and knowledge will be at their disposal. His technical knowledge of banking
is wide and his practical experience can only be acquired over years of
good solid hard work. Friendly, cheery, ever ready to help, the branch
manager has a business life that is never dull, a life which gives all the
opportunities one could desire for advancement.
The
Assistant Manager…
…takes
charge of the branch whenever his manager is away from the office.
Often he is a man ear-marked for promotion to the position of manager and
in the role of assistant he is able to gain the best practical experience
to fit him for his future responsibilities.
The
Accountant…
…is
responsible for the running of the routine work of the branch. It is only in the
larger offices that an accountant is appointed and the choice is made from
those who are masters of every detail of the Bank's book-keeping system.
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The
Securities Clerk…
…is responsible for documents deposited by customers for safe-keeping— share certificates, deeds, policies, etc. He
arranges for the purchase or sale of stocks and shares on behalf of customers
with the branch stockbrokers, and generally attends to the recording and
perfecting of all forms of security for customers' borrowings. His job
requires technical knowledge and is essential experience in training to be
a branch manager. Most of the other members
of the staff are behind the scenes actively engaged in entering the daily
transactions in the books of account and, in short, carrying out the many
varied duties which go to make up a day's work at a branch. Where there is
a large volume of work the ledger clerks are often girls who work with the
aid of accounting machines, but you too will be required to get to know
this work as part of your early training in the Bank. In addition to branch
work there are departments which deal with overseas business, executor and
trustee work, and income tax matters.
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A Syndicate meeting at a
Senior Training Course
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There are also the Head Office departments such as Chief
Accountant's, Share Transfer, Inspection, Premises and Staff, all of which
offer attractive opportunities. Though there is not space to go into detail
about the varied nature of employment in these departments, the work does
differ a great deal, and the many interesting positions are filled from the
rank and file of the Bank.
What
are the qualifications for entry?
For
a career in banking there are certain personal qualities which you must
have. Intelligence, drive and initiative are essential and you will also
need to be of good appearance, courteous and to have a pleasing
personality. You should have had a
good education and you will be required as a minimum to have passed the
G.C.E. at Ordinary Level in English and Mathematics and in two other
subjects. If you stay on at school
to Advanced Level you may earn exemption in certain subjects in the
examinations of the Institute of Bankers.
Where a young man has Passes in two subjects at Advanced Level in
addition, he may be entitled to a higher commencing salary. Such extended education should develop
your personality and powers of leadership.
Possession of such qualifications will accelerate your progress and
favourably influence future remuneration.
If you are accepted for
entry…
…as a new
entrant you will probably begin your career at one of our training centres.
There, working with officers who have a special flair for instruction, you
will gain practical experience of the ordinary day to day routine work of
the bank. You will find this preliminary training, usually lasting for a
few weeks, of great value to you when you come to take up your duties as a
clerk in a branch.
A
Banking Diploma…
…You will appreciate of course that
you cannot get far in a banking career until you have equipped yourself
with the necessary technical knowledge, and to do this we require you to
study for and pass the examinations of the Institute of Bankers. The usual
examination which most boys take is that for the Banking Diploma which is
in two parts. On completing Part i a bonus of £30 will be paid to you, and £60 on completing Part
2. Some boys,
particularly those who start as juniors in the Trustee Departments, prefer
to take the examination for the Trustee Diploma instead of, or before
taking, the Banking Diploma. Part I is common to both the Banking and
Trustee Diploma examinations. An additional £60 is paid for the Trustee Diploma.
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A class of new entrants at one of
our training centres. This preliminary training, usually lasting a few
weeks, is of great value to you when you come to take up your duties as a
clerk in a branch.
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Training Courses
As time goes on, those who are beginning to show fitness for managerial
responsibility will be sent on a special Training Course which lasts for
several months and gives participants the opportunity of seeing something
of the working of all departments of the Bank. There is also a Travelling Training
Scheme, for the younger executives, which provides a valuable means of
enlarging their experience in the various fields in which we as a bank are
interested. Factories, plants and installations of various kinds are
visited and problems of management are explained and studied. We regularly send specially chosen men to
the Administrative Staff College at Henley on Thames. This provides a
three months’ residential course for young executives from every kind of
business and a considerable broadening of the mind results from
participation in these courses of discussion and instruction. Selected men
are also sent each year to the International Banking Summer School at
Oxford or abroad, and to the Oxford University Business Summer School.
Those who are specialising in the overseas side of our business have
opportunities of enlarging their experience by travel and by working in
banks abroad.
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Under our
Training Scheme those who are beginning to show fitness for managerial
responsibility are sent on a special Course which lasts for several months.
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Under our
Travelling Training Scheme young executives visit factories and plants of
various kinds to gain practical experience of the problems of management.
 
Social Activities
As a member of the staff
of Martins
Bank you will be able to join in social activities. Most of these
activities are organised by the staff themselves and, although they have
the active support of the management, you are absolutely free to decide in
which, if any, to join. Inter-District cricket, golf, hockey, soccer and
rugby matches are held from time to time and in some districts swimming,
tennis, bowling, skating, music, dramatics, operatics, art, bridge, chess
and other activities take place. Also staff dinners and dances are held
regularly in each district of the Bank.
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Holidays
You will find that holidays at Martins
compare very favourably with those in other occupations. Two to four weeks'
holiday are given according to length of service.
How
much will you earn?
Salary rates are arranged on a scale
according to your age, and details are given on the salary sheet in the
pocket at the back of this booklet. An increase in scale salary is granted
automatically as each birthday comes round, provided that the reports on
your progress are satisfactory, but special ability can also earn you
additional 'merit' rewards. We are always on the look out for special
talent and when we find it, progress is rapid. You stand a good chance of
being appointed a branch manager in your early thirties. Nearly all
managers earn more than £1,800 a year
and some of them very much more. Later, if you have exceptional qualities
of initiative and leadership you may be promoted to one of the higher
positions on the executive side which can command salaries of several
thousands a year. There is nothing to stop you from becoming Chief General
Manager except another better man!
Your Pension
A generous pension amounting to
two-thirds of the salary reached on retirement at age 60 after not less
than 40 years' service is made possible by the large contributions made by
the Bank. You, yourself, contribute towards it 5 per cent per annum of your
gross salary and this is deducted month by month from your pay.
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Our
“drive-in” branch at Leicester
The
Banking Hall at Head Office
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The
Head Office of the Bank at Liverpool
One of
our Mobile Branches
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Other Benefits
A house purchase
scheme is available
to assist members of the staff in buying their homes.
Life Assurance…
…can be effected with most of the insurance companies through
the Bank's agencies, the premiums being deducted from salary at favourable
rates.
Sickness and accident
insurance cover…
…is available for members of the staff wishing to contribute.
Widows' and Orphans' Fund.
Here again, with the assistance of very generous contributions
from the Bank, members of this fund are able to ensure a pension varying
between £150 and £300 for their widows.
Membership of the fund is compulsory and 2 per cent of your salary up to a
maximum of £25 per annum is deducted each month.
Death
Benefit Fund.
Membership
of the Death Benefit Fund provides cover for dependants if death should
occur before age 60. Maximum tax
advantages accrue and in consequence the rates of contribution are
extremely low. Membership is
voluntary.
Bank
Clerks’ Orphanage
Male members of the staff may contribute to the Bank Clerks'
Orphanage which, in the event of the father's death, cares for and protects
his children during the period of their education.
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The exterior of
our Branch at Nantwich, and a typical modern interior design
at Stratford Upon
Avon – attractive, well designed buildings ensure
pleasant working
conditions.
 In
this little book we have tried
to give you some idea of what a career in Martins Bank has to offer and
also what will be required of you if you are to succeed in this walk of
life.
If a banking career
appeals to you there are probably a number of questions you would like to
ask before you finally make up your mind.
We would like to have the
opportunity of meeting you personally and setting your mind at rest on any
points, not covered in this booklet, about which you would like some
information.
You will find a form for
this purpose inside the back cover. Just fill it in and send it to us and
we will arrange to meet and talk matters over.
September
1965 sees the launch of a more compact careers guide that goes all out to
find “Industrious young men” and “Intelligent girls” who would like to
experience –
A
career with BIG OPPORTUNITIES
  ONE
IN TWO of the men joining our staff can expect to become Branch Managers or
attain a position of equivalent status. The duties of a Branch Manager are
varied, interesting and rewarding, relating as they do to the human and
business problems of a wide cross-section of private individuals or company
customers. To prepare men to meet the tasks of management great emphasis is
placed on training. Internal schemes are supplemented by external
opportunities of attending Extra Mural Courses arranged by Universities and
Business Colleges. Selected men attend International Summer Schools and
specialists in the overseas side have opportunities to travel and work
abroad.
Industrious young men who succeed in the Institute of Bankers'
Examinations and take advantage of the training opportunities afforded by
the Bank can achieve Branch Management at 30 years of age or earlier with a
salary of over £2,200 p.a. In the build up to Management, good performance
can earn merit awards. Progress in Branch Management can lead to salaries
of over £5,500 p.a. Commencing
income for intelligent, personable, ambitious young men with a minimum of:— 4 G.C.E. '0' Level passes at 16 years of age—£370
p.a. 2 G.C.E.'A' Level passes at 18 years of age—£525 p.a. Or a University
Degree at 21 years of age—£800 p.a. For staff working in the London area an
additional London Allowance of up to £150 a year is paid.
 For
an intelligent girl a career in banking offers special attractions, and at
Martins Bank you will find that every encouragement is given to you to
progress. There are opportunities for quick advancement to responsible
positions such as secretary, cashier, machine supervisor or trust officer—all well paid posts. The basic salary for
girls rises from £370 at 16 to £830 at 32 years of age and merit increases
are added as a reward for above average performance.
For staff working in
the London area an additional London Allowance of up to £150 a year is
paid. Then there's the congenial atmosphere. You will enjoy working at
Martins Bank. The people are friendly and helpful. The work is interesting.
The working conditions are excellent. And there are special facilities for
recreation.
For a young man or woman
who has four passes at 'O' level in the G.C.E.—including English Language and
Mathematics—or, alternatively, for a girl who is proficient at shorthand
and typing, a career with Martins Bank offers excellent prospects. Why not
come and talk it over with us? Please write to the address below.
Superintendent
of Branches (Staff)
Martins
Bank Limited,
4,
Water Street, Liverpool 2.
September
1965.
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The nicest
people work at Martins Bank…
Let’s face it, the early to mid 1960s is a
DIFFERENT time. The pace of life is
altogether slower, children are allowed to be children for much longer than
today, (in fact “the teenager” is still a relatively new phenomenon), and
male and female roles are much more clearly – and stereotypically - defined.
Martins’ reputation for friendly and helpful staff comes from its
careful choice of employee, and firm regulation of the staff of the
Bank.
In return for loyalty and integrity, staff
are well looked after in practically every way APART from good pay (many
staff struggle on very low earnings), and although it is possible for women
to get on, there is a clear bias towards the care and nurture of the male
staff. Whilst our “the nicest
people…” sub-headings below are NOT produced by the Bank, they are a fair
summary of some of the rules imposed at the time…
It is only fair to remember that these are
the times when ALL employers can discriminate between the sexes, and that
Martins conditions are otherwise excellent, with a real spirit of care
being shown from above for everyone.
Former staff still speak of a family atmosphere, and managers who
were “father figures”. This
newspaper ad campaign in the 1960s on the theme of “the nicest
people work at Martins Bank”, features smiling young ladies looking happy
relaxed, and lucky to be with the bank.
In the early 1960s, the bank explores the
use of computers almost as a “replacement” for the hard-working young women
clerks many of whom work for only a few years before they have to leave to
get married. Whilst it seems today
to be a stark choice – stay at work and get on, or leave to get married and
have children, this is the choice across a wide section of British
industry. At Martins, many women do
stay on and find progression within the bank, even if they are still
several steps behind their male counterparts.
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Image © Barclays (Re-mastered)
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Abiding by the rules…
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By the time
governments and employers begin to take equal pay and conditions more
seriously, Martins has all but been absorbed into Barclays, and the early
1970s will bring the necessary legislation…What better way to be welcomed
into the bosom of the Bank that goes to extremes to be helpful, than with
your own personalised induction handbook, signed by Mr Connacher (Chief
General Manager of the Bank) himself!
The booklet reminds you of the history and tradition of the bank
you are about to work for, and in case you are in any doubt of the
calibre expected of you, it continues -
“WHEN you first came for your interview, you may have felt
somewhat overpowered at the thought of working for a bank, and so the
first thing we want to say to you is that you are a very important person
in our scheme of things”}…{ Banks have come to mean strength, solidity
and uprightness in an unstable world.
They owe this reputation to the men who have guided them and
worked for them.”
- before going on
to appraise you of the salary scales, holidays and other benefits you can
expect in return for your hard work. Women in Martins face a vastly
different career path their male counterparts. Even into the mid-1960s,
women are expected to leave the bank upon marriage, and salary scales are
different according to gender.
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In today’s world, where it is normal to stay in a job for a short
time before moving on to the next one, we love the idea that Martins Bank
thought their new entrants might feel “overpowered at the thought of
working for a bank”! All new entrants, whether male or female, are required
to sign a SERVICE AGREEMENT on entering the service of the Bank. More than an ordinary job contract,
it actually requires the new employee to think hard about the position they
are being given, and how important it is to follow and abide by the rules
in return. We have reproduced the text of Martins’ Service agreement below. It certainly leaves everyone knowing
where they stand, and, of course, what will happen if rules are bent or
broken….
MARTINS BANK LIMITED – SERVICE
AGREEMENT
{"In consideration of your taking
me into your service, I, (NAME)
of (ADDRESS) hereby undertake to serve you faithfully
during my engagement and to conform to the Staff regulations and all
general or specific directions as may from time to time be given to me by
you or on your behalf by the Chief General Manager or any other duly authorised
officer of your Bank.
My engagement is to be subject to your
right at any time forthwith to determine it on the grounds of misconduct,
or, in any other case, upon your giving me one calendar month's previous
notice in writing, or in lieu of such notice, paying to me one months
salary, and subject to my right to determine the said engagement at any
time upon giving you one calendar months previous notice in writing.
In the event of my leaving your
service, I will not, without your written consent, during a period of five
years from the time of my so leaving, accept or undertake any engagement or
service which shall involve or result in my being employed by any other
bank, banking company or banking firm, within a radius of ten miles from
any branch or office of your bank in which I shall have been employed at
any time during the last five years of my service with you, but it is
understood that my engagement or employment by any bank, banking company
or banking firm carrying on business beyond the radius aforesaid, and
having branches within the radius, shall not be deemed to be a breach of
this undertaking, provided that such engagement or employment shall not
involve my residing, or carrying on business, or exercising my employment
within such radius.
I further undertake and agree that in
the event of any breach by me of the provisions of the last preceding
clause hereof, I will pay to you on demand as and by way of liquidated
damages, the sum of £1,000, which
sum you shall be at liberty and are hereby expressly empowered to receive
against me as liquidated damages, and without prejudicing or in any way
affecting your right to restrain, by injunction or otherwise, any such
breach, or to exercise and enforce any and every other remedy which may be
available to you, either at law or in equity by reason or in respect of any
such breach.
I further agree and declare that I
will observe the strictest secrecy on the subject of all transactions of
your Bank with its customers, or with any other person or persons, or
bodies corporate or politic whatsoever, and that I will not reveal or make
known either directly or indirectly to any person whomsoever, whether a
shareholder or otherwise, the state of any account, or any other matters
or concerns of the Bank, its Customers, Shareholders, Directors and Staff,
unless required by you to do so, or by and under the direction and
authority of a Court of Justice, and I further undertake that I will
consider this declaration to be binding upon me after I shall have ceased
to hold an appointment in your Bank.
Yours faithfully…”}
x
Staff Training…
The training of staff is of extreme
importance to Martins, as it will of course create those “nice people”
whose customer  service skills are
second to none, and whose knowledge will be deep and wide. Cashiers
and Securities Clerks are trained using realistic materials such as those below. Training is seen as personal betterment,
and photographs of successful candidates are published in Martins Bank
Magazine. Whilst courses are provided for both men and women, these are
largely segrgated – the men being groomed as management of the future, and
women, bound by the Bank’s own rule that they must leave upon marriage,
being trained in the execution of day to day procedure, and the operation
of office machinery.
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For
many course Candidates, these training materials are their first contact
with the world of banking
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The male managers of the
future, hard at work at
the North Eastern training
school…
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…whilst those young girls at
Machine school learn how
to make those “wonderful
machines do the donkey work”
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EQUAL opportunities?
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Within the extensive staff records held by
the Archive, reference to successful women in Martins is scarce, and it is
also rare to find a woman’s name that isn’t prefixed with “Miss”. There are even one or two examples where
women have been allowed to stay in the bank following marriage, but they
are using their MARRIED surname prefixed by “Miss”. Otherwise, men
feature as the preferred gender for “getting on” in the bank. In some areas of the country, staff
canteens are segregated in to men’s and girls’. All available images of
training centres feature men becoming the managers of tomorrow.
Whilst holiday entitlement is broadly
equal, the qualifying salary for four weeks’ annual leave is greater for
men than it is for women, but it will take women much longer to achieve
that particular salary which gives some idea of the disparity of pay. The smiling lady in the advert tells us “My pay
is quite good”. At age 16, it is
equivalent to £ 3.94 per week!
It seems that men and women are equal until the
magic age of 23, at which point pay for male clerks starts to rise more
each year than it does for female clerks. In addition, the men are reminded
of how special they are, with the incentive of special “merit” awards of
extra salary increase to reward good work and encourage more of the same. Men do
NOT, however, have things all their own way, (and once again the word
“marriage” comes into it) as we shall see later on…
The list of rules for male clerks is long and
detailed, a sort of list of commandments that include the compulsory study
for Bank Exams, being forbidden from going overdrawn, being forbidden from
gambling in any way shape or form, AND being forbidden from getting married
until your salary has reached a certain level. The Bank’s aim is that those who marry
should not get into financial difficulty as a result. Staff with money troubles are seen as an
embarrassment, and although generous housing loans can sometimes be made
available, not everyone will qualify…
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The extract shown above is from 1937. What makes regulation No 16 even more
astonishing, is that it still exists in 1965! Perhaps male clerks are spending too much
of their hard earned cash on the “Swinging London” experience, and cannot
therefore afford to keep a wife?
The waiver for the regulation – having sufficient income of your own
– is further hampered by regulation No 15, which forbids men from engaging
in any trade, profession or business, either directly or indirectly,
without the permission of the directors of the Bank.
A generous package of benefits…
In 1960 Martins Bank Staff Association and the Bank
jointly issue a booklet entitled “Inside Information”, designed to help
staff understand not only the rules and regulations that go with working
for Martins, but also the various benefits that such employment
carries. This mixture of benefits
and insurance goes some way to making up for low pay. The Staff Association
is the nearest thing to a trade union the staff of Martins will ever have.
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STAFF ASSOCIATION PERSONAL ACCIDENT SCHEME
All
staff covered at no cost to themselves are covered for the following:
In
the event of accident causing: -
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Death
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£1000
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Loss of two limbs, two eyes, or one
of each
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£1000
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Loss of one limb or one eye
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£500
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Temporary total disablement up to 13
weeks
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£ 1-5-0 per week (£1.25)
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STAFF ASSOCIATION HOLIDAY SAVINGS FUND
Members
agree to pay a fixed monthly sum by standing order, and at any time in the
year they can withdraw the total of twelve payments in one go to pay for a
holiday.
The
scheme also allows payment of rates and certain other bills.
SATURDAY MORNING LEAVE
Management
are expected to allow all members of staff at least one Saturday off in
every four, and more where this can be accommodated. Time off during the week is an
alternative, but many people will never achieve a five-day working week
whilst working for Martins.
STAFF INTEREST RATES
·
SAVINGS
In return for not being allowed to
bank anywhere else, staff are paid 4% on their current account balances up
to £100), minimum of 2½% up to the next £1000, and standard deposit account
rate on anything above £2000.
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STAFF LOANS
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Ordinary Advances
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3%
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House Purchase loans
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2½%
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Personal Loan
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4%
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LONDON ALLOWANCE
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In addition to basic salary
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£60 pa
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OVERTIME
1/6d%
on each complete £100 of salary.
Minimum
6/- (30p)
Maximum
15/- (75p)
(This
is complex by anyone’s standards today, so here’s how it works:
1/6d
= £0.075. On a salary of £460pa,
£400 will count towards the calculation: 4 x 1/6d = 6/- (30p). £460pa is around 22p per hour, and
overtime will be 30p per hour.
You
cannot not be paid overtime until you have worked more than 8½ hours. Working 8 hours 29 minutes results in NO
overtime. This situation continues until the late 1980s, when Barclays
finally relents and pays overtime after the first 20 minutes! The profit to
the bank of these 29-minute unpaid periods probably ran into tens of
thousands of pounds over the years.
INSTITUTE OF BANKERS EXAM GRATUITUES
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Diploma Exam Part I
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£30
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Banking Diploma Part II
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£60
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Trustee Diploma Part II
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£60
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Text Book Allowance…
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…Banking Exams
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Six Guineas (£6.30)
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…Trustee Exams
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Six Guineas (£6.30)
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Additional Relevant Exams
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80% of total expenses incurred
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STAFF RESTAURANTS
Subsidised
meals at nine locations in England Wales the Channel islands and the Isle
of Man
LUNCHEON ALLOWANCE
for
relief staff away from normal office 3s 6d per day tax free (17 ½p)
RAC MEMBERSHIP SCHEME
Reduced
Rate Membership
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Car
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£1. 11s. 6d. pa (£1.57½p)
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Motor Cycle
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£1.
5s. 6d. pa (£1.27½p)
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Lengths
ahead!
We are indebted to
Martins Staff Member and friend of the Archive, Dave Baldwin, for
preserving the first of the following advertisements from his school
magazine. These ads are part of
Martins’ 1966 recruitment campaign…
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Desperate times call for
desperate measures…
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Before we leave the subject of the
recruitment and retention of staff, we wanted to include two more
advertisments – this time restored from the Martins Bank Archive Collection
– which show how sexist the jobs market still was in the late 1960s. With
almost full employment, it was difficult for companies to recruit or retain
school leavers and those in their twenties who could easily walk from one
job into another.
These ads are both from 1968.
“Ticket to Ride” gives a rather foggy nod to a Beatles hit of the same name
from three years earlier. It offers girls the chance to move to London and
to be “at the heart of things”. Today it seems that the only thing women
needed was the ability to type, and a fondness for partying. The second
advert is almost a plea from Martins Bank at Sevenoaks for young people to
come in and ask for job. Just compare what the bank expects by
way of qualifications in young men with those of women. Equal rights of
employment are still more than five years away from becoming law.
All this is, of
course more than fifty years ago, but in these more “enlightened” times of
the twenty-first century, we find the phrase “there’s no limit for an
ambitious girl at Martins” more than a little creepy…
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 M
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