Welfare Work
Preserved but no longer current.
The organized work under- taken by carefully trained personnel to pro- mote the well-being of factory workers, the employees of large businesses, etc. It is extended to many activities such as hospital almoners, police-court missionaries, and so forth, as well as to many tasks that have hitherto been left to the exertions of charity.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Welfare Work” mean?
The organized work under- taken by carefully trained personnel to pro- mote the well-being of factory workers, the employees of large businesses, etc. It is extended to many activities such as hospital almoners, police-court missionaries, and so forth, as well as to many tasks that have hitherto been left to the exertions of charity.
Is “Welfare Work” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.