The beginning of the British Labour reforms regarding workers compensation. This act stated that an employer could be held liable for injuries that occur in the workplace if proven that they wer inflicted by faulty machinery, negligence, or directly from another employee. While discussing her work conditions and coworkers, Nelly wishes that she could punish a coworker for physically disciplining that coworker's children; however, Nelly stops because the "law prevented" (66). Nelly has a soft heart that breaks when she hears children beaten by their drunk or otherwise parents. She recollects earlier in the chapter that intervening, even if legal, would not help the situation and could make the situation worse. This act was later repealed in 1897 by the Workman's compensation act that made employers liable for all workplace accidents without required proof of who inflicted the injury but rather proof that the injury occurred in the place of employment during working hours.

Harkness, Margaret, and Margaret Harkness. “Chapter IV. An East-End Theatre.” A City Girl: A Realistic Story, edited by Tabitha Sparks, Broadview Press, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 2017, pp. 65–71.

Wikipedia contributors. "Employers' liability act of 1880." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 12 Oct. 2021. Web. 1 Dec. 2021.