How Did Henry Ford Treat His Workers?
Henry Ford treated his workers with care, having implemented a $5 daily wage for the workers in 1914. The amount was almost twice the rate other car factories paid their workers. Ford believed that increasing the pay would make the workers happier and encourage them to work faster.
Ford believed that a good pay rate would increase the loyalty of his workers to the Ford Motor Co. A lower turnover rate would mean less downtime and lower expenses for recruiting and training new workers. Ford added a sociological department that evaluated and tried to improve his workers’ lives. However, he opposed unions, as he believed that he understood what his workers needed the most. Over the years, Ford became widely recognized as a caring industrialist who empathized with blue-collar workers.
Ford not only cared for his workers but his customers as well. In 1908, he designed the Model T car for the common people. The model became so immensely popular that the company couldn’t manufacture enough cars to meet the high demand. In 1913, Ford decided to incorporate a motorized assembly line for a faster and less expensive production. The efficient assembly line allowed the company to save on manufacturing costs. Ford cut the price by more than $500 to make the cars more affordable to the masses.
