61) 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. 62)
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. 63) 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. 64) 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. 65) 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.