Human Side of Engineering

By Raymond Dreyfack -- Plant Engineering, 10/1/1998

In the May 1998 issue of Plant Engineering, Human Side of Engineering presented "The Uncommon Side: The slow learner -- Part I." In that case, four maintenance employees had taken the qualifying test to become Electrician Grade I. Three qualified; Joe Chernoff was the only rejectee. He had completed only 3/4 of the hand-on section, and about 2/3 of the written part. Chernoff claimed that he had Attention Deficit Disorder and under the Americans with Disabilities Act, he should have been given extra time to complete the test. Maintenance Foreman Harry Altshuler disagreed and refused to let him finish the test. Chernoff threatened to file a grievance if he was not given special consideration under ADA.

Cases for "The Uncommon Side" are drawn from actual plant experiences. If you have a problem in human relations or labor relations on which you'd like professional opinions and the viewpoints of others, we'd like to hear from you. Names and situations are changed to protect the privacy of the person who presents the problem.

If your problem is chosen for publication, Plant Engineering magazine will send you a check for $100. Write to Human Side of Engineering, Plant Engineering magazine, 1350 E. Touhy Ave., P.O. Box 5080, Des Plaines, IL 60017-5080.