Readers object to "politically correct" response
I read Human Side of Engineering every month and often learn a lot. However, I believe you made a major mistake in "Are gay couples entitled to the same benefits as straight couples?" (PE, February 1999, p 14).
I read Human Side of Engineering every month and often learn a lot. However, I believe you made a major mistake in "Are gay couples entitled to the same benefits as straight couples?" ( PE , February 1999, p 14).
This question is a very complex issue with many ramifications and should not be decided by a plant engineer. While his intent was commendable, he just created a precedent that management will have to live with. That decision means that a gay person can ask for all the other benefits for his/her partner, including medical benefits or shared retirement benefits, and the company won't easily be able to refuse. The cost of added medical benefits alone could be immense. Where do you draw the line?
Part of the message that you need to get across is that there are some times that the plant engineer needs to defer to management. Given the impact on a company (potentially millions of dollars), this is one of those times. -- Joe Ragosta, Graver Technologies, Glasgow, DE
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Annual Salary Survey
Before the calendar turned, 2016 already had the makings of a pivotal year for manufacturing, and for the world.
There were the big events for the year, including the United States as Partner Country at Hannover Messe in April and the 2016 International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago in September. There's also the matter of the U.S. presidential elections in November, which promise to shape policy in manufacturing for years to come.
But the year started with global economic turmoil, as a slowdown in Chinese manufacturing triggered a worldwide stock hiccup that sent values plummeting. The continued plunge in world oil prices has resulted in a slowdown in exploration and, by extension, the manufacture of exploration equipment.
Read more: 2015 Salary Survey
