Emerson Plan

Emerson was one of Taylors associates. He guaranteed time wages but wanted to
reward efficiency. For the determination of a workers level of efficiency, it was
necessary to see the time for a job or set a task for a unit of time. On that basis
efficiency could be determined.
If a worker does a job in 10 hours and if the standard time is also 10 hours, his
efficiency is 100%. If he does the same job in 20 hours, his efficiency is 50% and if
he does the job in 8 hours, his efficiency is 125%. Bonus become payable only when
efficiency reaches 66-2/3%. For efficiency below 66- 2/3%, he gets only the time
wage.
The bonus at 66-2/3% is very small but it becomes 20% when efficiency reaches
100%. A worker showing 100% efficiency will get wages at the hourly rate for the
time spent by him plus 20% of the wages. If the worker does a job in less than the
standard time, that is, if his efficiency is greater than 100%, he will get the wages
for the actual time spent by him plus 20% of the wages earned plus one per cent for
every one increase in the efficiency percentage.

The rate of bonus at various levels of efficiency will

be as under:

Calculate total wages of worker under Emerson

Efficiency Bonus Plan from the following
information:
Standard output in 12 hours: 192 units,
Actual output in 12 hours: 168 units,
Time Rate Rs. 0.75 per hour.
As per Emerson bonus percentage table, bonus percentages at 87 % and 88
% efficiency are 7.56 and 8.32 respectively.
What will be the total earnings, if the output of the worker is 240 units?

Calculation of Total Wages

Bedeaux Plan
Under this plan, the minute is the time unit described as the standard minute
and accounted as Bedeaux point B. In determining the Bs, the time of
operation and the time of rest taken into account. Thus, B may be defined as
a fraction of a minute of effort plus a fraction of compensation rest always
aggregating unity. The standard time for each job is fixed after undertaking
time and motion study and expressed in terms of Bs. The standard time for a
job is the number of Bs allowed to complete it. Thus, if the standard time
required for a job is five hours, it will be expressed as 300 Bs.

The workers who are not able to or are just able to complete the work
within standard time are paid at the normal time rate. Those who are able to
complete their work earlier are paid bonus equal to the wages for time saved
as indicated by the excess of B point over the actual time taken.

Generally, the bonus paid to the worker is 75% of the wages for time
saved. The remaining 25% goes to the foreman. The working of the Bedeaux
plan is explained with the help of the following illustration:
Standard time (S)

300 Bs (5 hours)

Actual time (T)

240 Bs (4hours)

Rate of wages (R )

Rs. 6 per hour

60 Bs

1 hour

Value of time saved

(300-240 x 6)/60
=

Total wages (W)

Rs.6.00

S x R + 75% of value of time saved

=
=

5 x 6 + 75% x 6
Rs. 34.50

Taylors Differential Piece Rate System

Tailors plan is based on piece rate method and does not guarantee a
minimum time wage. Under this plan, standard output per hour or per day of
worker is fixed. There are two piece rates ; one for those who do not attain
the standards fixed and the other for those who attain or exceed the
standard. In the second case, the piece rate is higher. This system provides
an incentive to the efficient worker and at the same time penalises the
inefficient ones.
Let us suppose that the standard output per worker has been fixed at 8 units
per day and the rate per unit for this standard output or above is Rs.6 per
unit. The worker producing 7 units will get Rs.37.50 and the one producing 8
units will get Rs.48. Thus, the first worker is penalised at the rate of Rs.0.50
per unit if he does not achieve the target output.

Merricks Multiple Piece Rate Plan

M. Dwight V. Merrick realized that it is unreasonable and unrealistic
to classify all workers into two categories only, viz., workers of high efficiency
and those who lower efficiency because there are various degrees of
efficiency and there are many workers who actually work in their effort to
produce more and for their own progress. These persons deserve to be
encouraged.
Merrick, therefore, introduced three piece rates and made the lowest piece
rate equal to the ordinary piece rate which became the Basic Piece Rate.
The rates introduced by Merrick are usually as follow:

To the workers who are potentially high producer, Merrick plan is good
incentive system. It seems reasonable to pay production bonus at 110% of
the basic piece rate to the workers when they reach 83% task because many
workers should be able to reach 83 % task with a little extra effort. When
they do so, they will be encouraged to reach the 100% task
By introducing the basic piece rate for low output, Merrick
removed the punitive wage rate originated by Taylor. In fact, Merricks plan is

only a modified form of Taylors plan. Like Taylors plan, Merricks plan also
does not guarantee minimum wages for the workers. Another drawback of
the system is the existence of a wide gap in slabs. As is obvious from the
plan, all workers producing 1% to 82% of the standard output are considered
as sub-standard workers and are paid the same piece rate.

Gantts Task and Bonus Wage PlanIt was developed by Henry L. Gantt, a close associate of F.W. Taylor. Under it, standard time
for every task is fixed through time and motion study. Minimum time wage is guaranteed to all
workers. A worker who fails to complete the task within the standard time receives wages for
actual time spent at the specified rate. Workers who achieve or exceed the standard get
extra bonus varying between 20% to 50% of the hourly rate for the time allowed for the task.
Suppose, the standard time fixed for the job 8 hours and the time rate is Rs 10 per hour and
the rate of bonus is 25 per cent. A worker who completes the task in 10 hours he will be paid
Rs. 80( 8 * Rs. 10) only. On the other hand, the worker who completes the task in 6 hours will
receive Rs. 100 (Rs. 80 + 25 % of Rs. 80). Therefore, the actual rate comes out to be Rs.100 /
6 =Rs. 16.67 per hour.

Under this method, minimum wage is assured to all workers, wages increases progressively
with increase in efficiency, and at the same time inefficient workers are not penalized
severally.

Merits:

Minimum wages to every worker.

Incentive for the efficient workers.

Motivates the employees to increase their efficiency.

Group Incentive Plans

Under these plans, bonus is calculated for a group of workers and the total amount is
distributed among the group members on one of the following bases:

If the group members possess similar skills and abilities, group bonus may be
distributed among them on an equal basis; or

If the group members have different basic rates of wages, the bonus may be
distributed in proportion to the basic rates as under priestmans output bonus plan; or

Group members may be paid bonus on a specified percentage basis.

Such percentage may be determined on the basis of skill, experience and basis rate of pay of
each individual worker.

These methods are suitable in the following situations:

Where it is not possible to measure the performance of each individual employee:

Where the workers constituting a group possess similar skills, abilities, experience:
and

Where the finished product is the result of collective efforts of group members.

Priestmans Plan
Under this plan productivity of the group as a whole is the starting point. Standard output is
laid down for the group. However, a minimum wage is assured to each group member. The
group members become entitled to the bonus if their output exceeds the standard. The bonus
is paid in proportion to the excess of actual output over the standard output. For example, if
the actual production is 20 per cent higher than the standard output, the wages of each group
member will rise by 20 per cent. The additional wage of each member is his bonus.
The main benefit of Priestmans Plan is that it brings about a team spirit among the group
members. This scheme can be successful only if the number of workers in the group is small.
However, as no distinction is made between efficient and inefficient workers, no regard is
paid to efficiency of the individual.

Gain Sharing Plan

Towne devised this plan. Under this plan, half of the savings in labor cost as a result of output
in excess of the standard is distributed among workers and foreman and bonus is paid half
yearly. The percentage of the foreman is fixed in advance.
Goal Sharing Plan or Work Teams Results

It rewards employees for meeting specific goals in terms of quality, service and job
performance e.g., an employee may be paid Rs. 20 extra for each one per cent improvement
over baseline (minimum performance). Suppose the baseline is 90% and the group achieves
93% performance, this would mean each group member would receive Rs. 60 bonus based on
group performance.