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By J. W. Dietz, Superintendent of Industrial Relations, Kearny Works, Western Electric Company

Editor's Note

We present here the gist of a paper delivered by Mr. Dietz at the Tenth Annual Conference of the Personnel Research Federation and later reprinted in the Personnel Journal.

The experiment described is one of most heartening significance to physically handicapped people. It is unfortunate only that the darkness of our general industrial picture must obscure and delay the logical development of a policy that combines social justice with good business practice.

FOR some time industry has been considering the possibility of employing the so-called "Vocationally Handicapped Worker." This consideration was prompted principally from two points of view; namely, social and economic.

From a social point of view, it has been branded as unjust for any industry to enter a community and employ only those who could qualify as being physically perfect. In order to be a good member of a community, socially minded citizens have felt that organized industry, as such, should consider itself responsible for employing a cross-section of the entire population of the community, rather than a highly selected group, as has been its custom.

From an economic point of view, little more could be said than that the vocationally handicapped candidates for employment should, because of their difficulty in securing employment, present a group of more stable employees than the so-called "physically perfect group." The actual proof of the idea that it would be good business to employ this class of people would necessitate an actual experiment.

On August 8, 1929, a new set of medical requirements for employment in the Western Electric Company was put into effect. The principal changes made in the medical requirements are briefly as follows:

1. Vision. The requirements of 20/40 and 20/50 for class "A" applicants remained the same. For suitable work, however, applicants were acceptable whose vision was 20/40 in one eye, regardless of the vision in the other eye.

2. Hernia. Applicants with hernia were acceptable for sedentary jobs if a properly fitting truss were worn. Formerly no trusses were accepted.

3. Varicocele. A large varicocele was formerly not accepted.

4. Hydrocele. A small hydrocele was formerly not accepted.

5. Deformity or loss of member. As such items were classed as vocational defects and merited consideration for suitable work, instead of serving as reasons for outright rejections as was formerly the case.

6. Loss of organ as a result of surgery. Applicants were accepted if one kidney had been removed. Formerly these cases were rejected.

7. Varicose Veins. All cases not having complications became acceptable for sedentary work. Previously, applicants with varicose veins were not accepted.

Applicants who fall in the previously mentioned classifications will be referred to, hereafter, as "A-VD," meaning that the general health is "A" or normal, but with some Vocational Defect -- "VD." Applicants who do not possess Vocational Defects will be referred to as "A."

If, after the employment routine has been completed, the candidate is classified by the Medical Department as "A-VD," he is referred to the rehabilitation assistant who passes upon his fitness to perform the work for which he has been hired. If the rehabilitation assistant is convinced that the handicap on this particular job will be too great, the applicant is then placed more suitably.

As nearly as possible, each "A-VD" applicant is placed on work at which he will he able to produce as much as a class "A" employee and at the same time not be a menace to himself or to those with whom he works.

Employees possessing such defects as hernia, varicocele, or hydrocele were placed on jobs which were sedentary or which required no lifting. Cases of impaired vision were placed on such occupations as did not require major eye strain.

Since it is quite impossible to be absolutely certain whether or not all placements of "A-VD" cases are properly made, a follow-up program was established so as to give an adequate check on the proper placement of these individuals. Routines are also established whereby no individual classified as "A-VD" can be transferred from one type of work to another without the approval of the rehabilitation assistant.

In order to establish a basis of comparison between the "A-VD" and the "A" workers, each "A-VD" as he was hired was matched with an "A" worker. The individuals were matched as nearly as possible in that they were hired on the same day, for the same type of work, in the same department.

During the period from August 8, 1929, to August 8, 1930, 652 "A-VD" cases were employed, 482 of which were male and 170 female. The following is a percentage distribution of the defects:

Vision ............................... 49.7 %
Hernia ............................... 16.1%
Varicocele ........................... 8. 8 %
Hydrocele ............................ 1.8 %
Deformity or loss of member ........... 19.4%
Loss of organ as a result of surgery ..... 3.3%
Varicose Veins ........................ 9 %