Working in the automotive industry is generally a unionized business, and Ford Motor Company has one of the most in-depth factory workforces of any automaker and the company has been constantly evolving for over one hundred years. Working for Ford is unlike working for any other company because there has been so much evolution within the company.
There are also strict rules when it comes to working for the Ford Motor Company, especially if you have been a veteran with the company. When it comes to working for any large company there are naturally going to be strict rules that are put into place to protect the company, and with the Ford Motor Company, this is especially true because the company is one of the most historic to ever grace the automotive industry.
With a CEO like Jim Hackett who has an extensive career in the automotive industry, and with a huge workforce, it’s only natural that there are some rules that must be met by employees. We are going to be taking a look into the rules that employees need to follow when it comes to working for the company.
25 Employees Are Not Allowed To Work Outside The Union
When it comes to working for any of the Detroit automakers which include the Ford Motor Company, employees generally work through a unionized structure. If you plan on working for the Ford Motor Company you will not be able to work outside of the Union, which is a drawback for some and a positive for others.
Generally, there are no jobs working for Ford Motor Company outside of the union aside from working at a local car dealership or a distribution center where parts come from.
24 Ford Employees Can’t Drive Other Makes (Myth)
There is a common myth with all automakers including Ford that employees are not allowed to drive other makes and models of cars when they work for a company, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Ford employees are known for driving all types of different makes and models, and the company actually encourages their employees to drive other makes so that they can help to improve the quality of Ford vehicles even more. Ford quality has come a long way.
23 Ford Employees Can’t Leak Future Models
Something that is extremely frowned upon in the automotive industry is leaking information on future models that have not hit the market yet. This can be a detrimental practice that has cost companies millions of dollars in the past, as well as tipped off the competition about future models that were coming out.
This is especially a no-no if you are going to be working at Ford, and the company is very strict when it comes to corporate espionage because the automotive industry is ever evolving with new technology that is coming out with every new year.
22 Ford Employees Aren’t Allowed To Discount Vehicles
You might think that being high up in an automotive company would mean that you get some stellar discounts but this couldn’t be further from the truth. While Ford does offer a pretty extensive employee discount program the discounts are not groundbreaking, and you are not going to be getting that new Saleen Mustang for a fraction of the cost.
Special vehicles such as the Mustang and the Raptor are not allowed to be discounted, and they are sometimes sold above market value.
21 No Cutting Side Deals
One of the quickest ways to get clipped while working at Ford is to conduct side deals, such as brokering unfair discounts on certain car models and even selling information for a profit. This is a strict no-no that will get you in trouble faster than anything.
Employees are to be held to the highest standards of morality when they work at Ford, as you would expect with any major car company that holds the type of clout that Ford does. The company has been around for a long time and looks to build itself on the same trust that it has for its employees.
20 They Are Not Allowed To Mark-Up Prices
Another thing that Ford prohibits its employees from doing is jacking up the prices of the vehicles unfairly, and this includes at the dealership level. There have been many dealerships which have gotten in trouble with the company for unfairly up-selling vehicles.
The prime targets of this are of course vehicles that are in high demand such as the Raptor and various high-level Mustang models where the dealerships know that there is going to be a guaranteed sale. This is a sad aspect of the car sales business that Ford is trying to get away from.
19 No Releasing Trade Secrets
Did you ever think that there was treason in the car business? Well, there is and it’s called selling the trade secrets. This is one of the worst and most detrimental things that you can do to a company and Ford has had its fair share of leakers fired from the organization for just that.
There is nothing worse than giving away the secrets from a company, especially when it comes to exposing brand new vehicles such as the Ford Bronco which is highly anticipated.
18 Releasing Sales Secrets
Ford employs a massive workforce, especially when you include all of the dealerships that are around the country. Of course, nothing moves a company like its sales force, no matter how good the company is, if the salesmen are bad, the company will not last.
Ford takes its internal sales training very serious and as such, no materials are to be leaked out to the general public, and this is just one of the very strict rules when it comes to working at Ford as a salesman.
17 No Access To Archives
Every company has internal archives from advertising to vehicle information, but when it comes to Ford, not every employee gets access to these. Actually, archival footage is very hard to come by and you actually have a better chance of finding something on the internet as opposed to finding it when you work at Ford because of the strict rules that go with certain aspects of the employment.
So don’t expect to be digging up any secret information on the Ford Bronco anytime soon.
16 Are Not Allowed To Haze Other Automotive Workers
In today’s climate of workplace harassment, companies must advance, and quickly to overcome the obstacles of lawsuits and various issues when it comes to workplace issues.
Ford is very strict and has a no tolerance policy on this, which means that they can terminate employees without a reason, especially when it comes to workplace harassment. Nevertheless, this also includes workplace hazing and other activities which would wind up in someone being very upset in the company.
15 Must Work Within Company Guidelines
Ford is a strict company when it comes to following the protocols, and many employees have learned this the hard way. Don’t think that you are going to be able to bend the rules at Ford because it’s not going to happen, and the company has spent a great deal of time creating a workplace culture that has evolved over the last decade to something that was more mainstream and welcoming.
Many employees have learned to love the strict company guidelines that Ford has put in place.
14 Must Not Bad-Talk The Company On Social Media
Social media has changed a lot for big companies, nowadays as many organizations are trolling social media sites to make sure that their employees are not bad-mouthing the company or each other.
There is a good chance that if you are out to make the company look bad on social media it is going to get back to your supervisors. Ford has come a long way and has become quite a tech-savvy company so there aren’t a lot of places that you can hide without someone from corporate finding out.
13 Are Not Allowed To Test Drive With A DUI
Similar rules are in place with a lot of other automotive organizations as well, but if you have a DUI there is a good chance that you won’t be wearing a Ford uniform any time soon.
The company takes the safety and well being of its employees very seriously, and when it comes to testing driving potential customers around, a DUI conviction is out of the question. This is how Ford has managed to turn its reputation around in spades, doing a total 360 transformation from where the company once way.
12 That Ford GT Is Off Limits
Don’t think that you are going to get a job at Ford just to drive the Ford GT super-car either, because there are some strict rules that surround that vehicle. For starters, a deposit has to be made before the car can even leave the factory, and that is just the first and very pricey step.
The Ford GT is such a fast super-car, there are very few of the new models around, and almost all of them have been delivered to their new owners, one of whom just happens to be Jay Leno.
11 Must Read A Script At The Call Center
Call center work at Ford is also just as strict of a process, where employees must follow the protocol of a call script just how the company wants. There is nothing worse than working for a place where you can’t be yourself, and the call center job is going to be just that because you have to follow a script exclusively.
This is true for all call center jobs though, so the Ford call center is nothing unique but most new employees will get a surprise out of just how in-depth it is to follow a script over the phone.
10 Must Not Deviate From Company Standards
Ford over the years has become a stickler for quality, and this is half of the reason why their vehicle lineup has continued to improve so vastly over time. Nevertheless, there are always going to be employees who try to take a short cut and this is a definite no-no when it comes to working at Ford.
The companies want the guidelines to be followed to the tee, and if they are not this is an easy way to get terminated from the company without notice. Ford is a stickler about staying true to the company standards that were set in place by the late Henry Ford.
9 Technicians Much Are Ford Trained
Working on a Ford is different when you work for the company, and being a Ford technician is very much similar to being a GM Goodwrench technician. For most of their dealership network Ford exclusively trains their technicians, and if you are not going to go through the Ford training you will not have a very long or fruitful career at the company.
This is how the company has managed to grow its service network by such a large amount, while still managing to retain its employees who wanted to learn.
8 Must Not Use The Ford Logo Without Permission
Don’t go around using the blue oval logo or representing the company without permission, because Ford will enforce action against that. The company is very protective of that blue oval logo and where it is used, and thus the company does a great job of enforcing its media department to keep things in order.
The company trolls social media accounts more than you might think and Ford has become quite the tech-savvy automotive icon in recent years which has propelled the company to new heights.
7 Are Not Allowed To Get Free Parts
Don’t think just because you work for the blue oval that your car is going to get fixed for free, because nothing is further from the truth. Ford employees have to pay for their parts just like the rest of us, and although there might be a little bit of a discount it is not what you think.
Especially in the current trend of technologically advanced vehicles which use advanced new technology to help the vehicles move and function in today’s world. Auto parts are going to become more expensive than ever, with vehicles increasingly difficult to repair.
6 Are Not Allowed Free Oil Changes
Ford employees also don’t get another perk that you might think, and that is free oil changes. Working at Ford will not entitle your car to any free oil changes, although many dealerships are starting to offer this as an incentive to sell new vehicles.
Still, the company does not allow free oil changes just for working there and although this would be a pretty cool perk, it is probably not going to be happening anytime soon, especially as more cars begin to require more expensive and advanced motor oil.
5 Ford Employees Must Own Stock (Myth)
One common myth that keeps coming around is that Ford employees must own company stock once they work there, and this is a complete myth. While the company does encourage its employees to invest in the stock, there is no set requirement that you must be a Ford stockholder to own stock.
In fact, many of the unionized automotive workers have stock from both of the major Detroit automakers in their portfolio which is why so many people were hit so hard when the economic crash happened.
4 Ford Employees Can’t Take Leftover Parts
Ford factory employees must maintain a clean working environment and area when it comes to building the cars that we all know and love, and if you thought that they could take an emblem or two home, you’d be wrong.
Ford is a stickler about employees taking stuff home, especially stuff that comes from one of their many factories. So next time you see that old Ford bumper laying on the ground it probably wasn’t left over from the factory. This is just another myth that some employees can take parts home.
3 Ford Employees Must Follow Training Protocol
When it comes to working in the Ford factory following the proper training protocol is important, probably more important than anything else. Ford is very strict about their training program and they want employees to follow it down to the tee.
Don’t think that you are going to get out of this if you work at the dealership level either, because the Ford dealerships are just as strict when it comes to following the company protocol that has built the organization for the last one hundred years.
2 Ford Employees Are Not Allowed To Release Internal Memos
Even when an internal memo is flying around the office about a new development in the Ford product line, these are not supposed to leave the internals of the building. The same goes for any internal memo that an employee might get from a supervisor or even from a higher up, these are not to leave the office at all.
Even taking one of these homes could get an employee terminated, and this is just how Ford has gone to great stakes to protect the company in every way possible from corporate espionage.
1 Ford Employees Must Not Leak Test Car Images
The same goes for leaking internal pictures of that next generation Mustang, it must not happen. The company takes great pride in protecting its product portfolio, which is why you will hardly see a test car actually get leaked out to the public.
Ford is very strict about this and they have managed to keep their company in good order by protecting the products that we all love. Take the new Ford Ranger, for instance, a truck that was top secret up until its debut to the media which made for a huge splash.
Sources: Hotcars, Indeed, Motor Trend, Motor Week.
