3 1 8 EMPLOYMENT PSYCHOLOGY the list given are to be laid off. If, as ought to be the case, the activity records of these men are sent into the employment office before the men are laid off, it will be seen that J is the least productive man in the group but that A and C are about the most productive. J’s dis missal would therefore be accepted without question, but there would be a decided reason for investigating the reasons for the dismissal of the other two men. A further inspection of the activity records might show that, al though C was the third most productive man in the group, his attendance was only 80%, which would put him pretty close to the bottom of the list in total production. And it might appear that A, although the most productive man, was marked “d” consistently by his foreman. This would indicate the existence of some strong reason for the discharge of that man, and this reason might be given under “Remarks”. It might be given there as “in subordination ”, or “morally unfit ”. The employment office may consider it worth while investigating this charge, especially if it is made against the most productive man in the group, and may be able to correct what turns out to be a mere temporary difficulty between the foreman and his best man. Or it might be shown, upon investiga tion, that the machine at which this man happened to be working ran out of work, and therefore it became necessary to release the man. The employment manager, upon the strength of the activity records, could easily suggest the most intelligent way of meeting this situation by recom mending that the least productive, rather than one of the most productive, men be released. This account describes situations which occur daily in every company, and which are a source of everlast ing perplexity. It also shows how the standardization