Singer's Long Service Badges

Figure 1
The badge that Singer Sewing Machine Company Employees received for ten or fifteen years of service with the company.

In common with many major employers, the Singer Company recognised the value of a stable and long serving workforce. Years ago there was not the mobility of labour there is now. In 1951, at the time of the Company’s Centenary, badges were introduced so that every employee with ten years of service or more was awarded an enamel badge. Whilst the ten years and fifteen years badges (Figure 1) had a white enamel background, the twenty five, forty and fifty years badges incorporated jewels (Figure 2).

Figure 2
The badge presented to employees who had been with the Singer Sewing Machine Company for 50 years.

The first presentations of the jewel led badges were made in Birmingham on March 20th 1951. According to the Red S Review, the Singer Company magazine, the awards covered a total of 779 years of service by 23 employees : one diamond badge for 50 years, 1 emerald badge for 40 years and 21 ruby badges for 25 years each. (My thanks to Ray Rushton for the photograph of the 50 years badge in his collection).