Although Henry Ford’s name is closely associated with the concept of
mass production, he should receive equal credit for introducing labor
practices as early as 1913 that would be considered advanced even by
today’s standards. Safety measures were improved, and the work day was
reduced to eight hours, compared with the ten-or twelve-hour day common
at the time. In order to accommodate the shorter work day, the entire
factory was converted from two to three shifts.
In addition, sick leaves as well as improved medical care for those
injured on the job were instituted. The Ford Motor Company was one of
the first factories to develop a technical school to train specialized
skilled laborers and an English language school for immigrants. Some
efforts were even made to hire the handicapped and provide jobs for
former convicts.
The most widely acclaimed innovation was the five-dollar-a-day minimum
wage that was offered in order to recruit and retain the best mechanics
and to discourage the growth of labor unions. Ford explained the new
wage policy in terms of efficiency and profit sharing. He also mentioned
the fact that his employees would be able to purchase the automobiles
that they produced - in effect creating a market for the product. In
order to qualify for the minimum wage, an employee had to establish a
decent home and demonstrate good personal habits, including sobriety,
thriftiness, industriousness, and dependability. Although some criticism
was directed at Ford for involving himself too much in the personal
lives of his employees, there can be no doubt that, at a time when
immigrants were being taken advantage of in frightful ways, Henry Ford
was helping many people to establish themselves in America.
