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althoughhenryford'snameiscloselyassociatedwiththeconceptofmassproduction,heshouldreceiveequalcreditforintroducinglaborpracticesasearlyas1913thatwouldbeconsideredadvancedevenbytoday'sstandards.
safetymeasureswereimproved,andtheworkdaywasreducedtoeighthours,comparedwiththeten-ortwelve-hourdaycommonatthetime.inordertoaccommodatetheshorterworkday,theentirefactorywasconvertedfromtwotothreeshifts.
inaddition,sickleavesaswellasimprovedmedicalcareforthoseinjuredonthejobwereinstituted.thefordmotorcompanywasoneofthefirstfactoriestodevelopatechnicalschooltotrainspecializedskilledlaborersandanenglishlanguageschoolforimmigrants.someeffortswereevenmadetohirethehandicappedandprovidejobsforformerconvicts.
themostwidelyacclaimedinnovationwasthefive-dollar-a-dayminimumwagethatwasofferedinordertorecruitandretainthebestmechanicsandtodiscouragethegrowthoflaborunions.fordexplainedthenewwagepolicyintermsofefficiencyandprofitsharing.
healsomentionedthefactthathisemployeeswouldbeabletopurchasetheautomobilesthattheyproduced-ineffectcreatingamarketfortheproduct.inordertoqualifyfortheminimumwage,anemployeehadtoestablishadecenthomeanddemonstrategoodpersonalhabits,includingsobriety,thriftiness,industriousness,anddependability.
althoughsomecriticismwasdirectedatfordforinvolvinghimselftoomuchinthepersonallivesofhisemployees,therecanbenodoubtthat,atatimewhenimmigrantswerebeingtakenadvantageofinfrightfulways,henryfordwashelpingmanypeopletoestablishthemselvesinamerica.