Motion Study
A Method for Increasing the Efficiency of the Workman

VARIABLES OF THE WORKER 29 Example. —Lifting ninety pounds of brick on a packet to the wall will fatigue a bricklayer much less than handling the same number of brick one or two at a time. Conse- quently with the same amount of fatigue the workman will handle several times as many brick on packets as he can handle one or two at a time. We have, then, under this variable two tasks to perform: i. To eliminate unnecessary fatigue. This we do by studying and fixing the variables; that is, by standardiz- ing the work. 2. To provide for rest from necessary fatigue, and to utilize rest time. Under old forms of management workmen “should keep busy at something,” even if prevented from doing their regular work. An idle workman was considered a disgrace. The consequence of this was that the workman took his rest while working, or made believe work while resting. The old-fashioned kind of rest is called “ systematic soldiering.” It is the curse of the military type of management. It is a form of cheating that has been made respectable by the conditions forced upon the workers by the employers. Under scientific management the evils of soldiering are eliminated, and the correct definite percentage of rest required is recognized and provided for. When a man is prevented by causes beyond his control from doing his regularly assigned work, he is told to use the opportunity for rest,— not to take such rest as can be obtained by making slow and useless motions, that will give him an