Incentive wage

A form of wage payment based on work efficiency and work results. A type of piecework pay. The purpose is to stimulate motivation to work and improve overall efficiency by paying extra to workers who achieve efficiency above the standard. This extra amount is called a bonus. Typical forms of efficiency pay include the "simple piecework system," which multiplies the wage rate per unit of work by the amount of work done; the "differential piecework system," which sets a standard amount of work and applies a higher piecework rate to work that exceeds it and a lower piecework rate to work that falls below it; and the "guaranteed piecework system," which sets a minimum amount and provides a certain level of security for low-efficiency workers. In terms of the types of workers who are eligible, there are "individual efficiency pay," which applies to a single worker, and "collective efficiency pay," which applies to multiple workers in groups, teams, or factories.

The adoption of efficiency-based pay has many benefits for capitalists, such as increasing productivity by improving labor efficiency and allowing accurate estimation and stabilization of labor costs per unit of output. However, it also has many problems for workers, such as unstable wage income, the fact that wage rates are gradually reduced and standard efficiency is easily raised in response to efficiency improvements, so it does not necessarily lead to increased wage income, and the fact that competition hinders unity.

[Toshikazu Yokoyama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

労働能率、作業成果に基づいて支払われる賃金形態。出来高給の一種。標準以上の能率をあげた労働者に対して割増し支給を行うことによって労働意欲を刺激し、全体の能率を向上させることを目的とする。この割増し分をボーナスという。能率給の代表的な形態として、単位出来高当りの賃率に出来高を乗じる「単純出来高制」、標準作業量を設定し、それを上回る出来高には高率の出来高賃金率を適用し、逆に、下回る場合には低率の出来高賃金率を適用する「差別出来高制」、最低額を定め、低能率者にもある程度の生活保障を行う「保障付き出来高制」などがある。また、適用対象者別にみた分類として、労働者1人を単位として適用される「個人能率給」と、班・組・工場などを単位として複数労働者に適用される「集団能率給」とがある。

　能率給の採用は、労働能率の向上によって生産性を高めるとともに、産出高単位当りの労働コストを正確に見積もり、安定化させうるなど、資本家にはメリットが多い反面、労働者にとっては、賃金収入が不安定なうえに、能率向上に対応して賃率が逓減(ていげん)されたり、標準能率が引き上げられやすいために、賃金収入の増大にかならずしも結び付かない、競争によって団結が妨げられる、など問題点も少なくない。

［横山寿一］

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