'
althoughhenryford'snameiscloselyassociatedwiththeconceptofmassproduction,heshouldreceiveequalcreditforintroducinglaborpracticesasearlyas1913thatwouldbeconsideredadvancedevenbytoday'sstandards.
safetymeasureswereimproved,andtheworkdaywasreducedtoeighthours,paredwiththeten-ortwelve-hourdaymonatthetime.inordertoaommodatetheshorterworkday,theentirefactorywasconvertedfromtwotothreeshifts.
inaddition,sickleavesaswellasimprovedmedicalcareforthoseinjuredonthejobwereinstituted.thefordmotorpanywasoneofthefirstfactoriestodevelopatechnicalschooltotrainspecializedskilledlaborersandanenglishlanguageschoolforimmigrants.someeffortswereevenmadetohirethehandicappedandprovidejobsforformerconvicts.
themostwidelyalaimedinnovationwasthefive-dollar-a-dayminimumwagethatwasofferedinordertorecruitandretainthebestmechanicsandtodiscouragethegrowthoflaborunions.fordexplainedthenewwagepolicyintermsofefficiencyandprofitsharing.
healsomentionedthefactthathisemployeeswouldbeabletopurchasetheautomobilesthattheyproduced-ineffectcreatingamarketfortheproduct.inordertoqualifyfortheminimumwage,anemployeehadtoestablishadecenthomeanddemonstrategoodpersonalhabits,includingsobriety,thriftiness,industriousness,anddependability.
althoughsomecriticismwasdirectedatfordforinvolvinghimselftoomuchinthepersonallivesofhisemployees,therecanbenodoubtthat,atatimewhenimmigrantswerebeingtakenadvantageofinfrightfulways,henryfordwashelpingmanypeopletoestablishthemselvesinamerica.