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Commitment to Employees
The company has demonstrated commitment to its employees that extends beyond the workplace. It has consistently worked to improve the standard of living of workers and their families.
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| For more than 30 years, John Deere helped its employees become owners of sturdy, well-constructed homes like this one, through a company home-building and financing program. |
In 1912, Deere & Company and the Estate of Charles Deere agreed to finance and build 50 dwellings that would be sold or rented to employees. This was the start of a home-building and financing program that would eventually benefit hundreds of employees throughout the company. According to the John Deere Magazine of the period, houses were built so that "employees might escape the rent evil and enjoy the advantages of living in homes of their own..."
Under the auspices of the Moline Residence Company, Deere & Company financed homes for employees with a minimum 10% down payment and monthly installments at an annual interest rate of 6% — a full percent less than local banks were charging for similar financing.
The homes were sturdy, well-constructed, and contained four, five or six rooms. Employees could select from plans for cozy bungalows, stately two-stories, or 1-1/2 story cottages. If an employee desired something other than the specified plans, he could work with an architect to draw up individual plans for his home. Between 1912 and 1918 Deere & Company financed the building of 316 homes for its employees in East Moline, Moline and Rock Island, Illinois.
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In 1918, the company established a branch of the Y.M.C.A. near its factories in Moline, Illinois, to provide its employees with suitable living accommodations and classrooms for education. (Photo courtesy of the John Deere archives.)
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The company continued the practice of financing homes for employees well into the 1940s. When factories were built or expanded, extensive studies were conducted to ensure that the employees would have adequate facilities in the nearby towns for housing and family needs. The projects were not for the Moline area alone, either, as similar homes were built in Dubuque, Iowa, and other John Deere locations.
The company also has a long-standing commitment to employee development. In 1919, it established the John Deere Branch Y.M.C.A. near its Moline factories. Besides offering comfortable living accommodations for 150 men, the facility featured classrooms for employees who "desire to improve their education," according to an October 1918 issue of the John Deere Magazine.
Industrious employees could study subjects like mechanical drawing and sketching, or industrial arithmetic, under the tutelage of local teachers or other John Deere employees. For the many employees who had recently immigrated to the United States, English and citizenship classes were offered.
The company also demonstrated its commitment to employees through the benefits it offered. In 1887, years before state and national laws made such provisions mandatory, John Deere instituted its first health and accident benefits package. In 1907, the company began providing noncontributory pensions to any employee over the age of 65 with 20 or more years of service.
In 1918, a new factory, death and disability pension plan was created for weekly pay-roll employees in all of the Deere factories. Coverage included death benefits in yearly accumulating increments of $100 until the benefits equaled the employee's annual wage. A result of the recent World War, the plan even went as far as to continue coverage during periods when employees were serving their country.
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