The Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) was, eventually, born out of the welfare reform movements of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

Since 1833, King William IV’s Factory Inspectorate had been reporting on working conditions in the industrial sector, and collating information to evidence the procedural and legislative changes that needed to be made, in order to better protect worker welfare.

In 1893, the new Women’s Factory Inspectorate began appointing women inspectors, or “Welfare Workers”, in industries to oversee the wellbeing of women and child workers. At that time, it was not uncommon for employers, usually men of course, to exploit the vulnerable with low wages, and harrowingly long working days in dangerous conditions. Along with whatever else took their fancy.

On the 6^th of June 1913, at a conference of multiple employers including the likes of Boots and Cadbury and chaired by industrialist and reformer Benjamin Seebohm Rowntree, the CIPD started life as the predominantly female led, Welfare Workers Association (WWA). From the minutes of this meeting the WWA was defined as, “an Association of Employers interested in industrial betterment and of welfare workers engaged by them.”

Personnel management was underway. Here it comes!

After the outbreak of World War I in 1914, with women and children entering the workplace in the munitions industry as replacements for men sent overseas, the appointment of welfare workers became mandatory by legislation.

An upswell in union membership had given rise to the role of “Labour Officer.” Concerned with the management of Industrial relations in a heavily unionised environment. This, typically, male dominated role had a more employer-centric approach to worker welfare, with little to no interest in membership in the WWA.

In 1917 the WWA, in order to standardise the approach to welfare and training nationwide, combined with regional welfare associations across the United Kingdom into the Central Association of Welfare Workers (CAWW). With offices in London. By 1918, they had renamed themselves the Central Association of Welfare Workers (Industrial) or CAWWI and, by 1919 they were retitled the Welfare Workers institute (WWI) after merging with a handful of welfare associations for men. Pfft! Men! Yuck!

During a post-war economic downturn, and instigated in response to denationalisation, lower wages and longer hours in the hazardous coalmining industry, the failures of the Black Friday Strike of 1921 and The General Strike of 1926, along with the activities of the pro-government, Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies and the British Gazette propaganda newsletter (edited by Winston Churchill), served to deepen the divide between the two concepts of Labour Management and Worker Welfare.

With unions now seen as militant troublemakers, the idea of worker welfare, took a back-seat to what was “best for the nation.”

In 1924 the Welfare Workers Institute had renamed themselves the Institute of Industrial Welfare Workers (IIWW). Which really clarified things. With Labour Management elements looking to form their own, separate, association, in 1931 the IIWW rallied, and renamed themselves the, Institute of Labour Management (ILM). How about that?

With 800 members, 60% of whom were female (Yay!), the ILM trundled along until post-World War II 1946 when, with a powerful lust for industrial relations and training, they covered up their old ILM tattoos with, Institute of Personnel Management (IPM). Totally worth it.

Now with offices in Wimbledon and Dublin, in 1994 the IPM cosied up to the Institute of Training and Development (ITD) and together they squidged into the Institute of Personnel and Development (IPD). Trumpets. Fanfare.

The IPD then set about pursuing charted status and in 2000, after demonstrating pre-eminence, public interest, stability and permanence they achieved their goal. The chimera that is the Central Association Institute of Training, Development, Welfare and Personnel & Labour Management was alive. Oh, all right then. The CIPD was alive.

Effectively the Sector Skills Council for HR in the UK, “today the CIPD is the voice of a worldwide community of more than 150,000 members committed to championing better work and working lives.” (source: CIPD + History)

So now, everything’s hunky-dory right?

Right?

At this stage we should probably all hail the shareholder.