Hi GTaylor!

The insights shared have been mixed but I would also try to attempt to offer assistance before completely dismissing the employee (largely due to potential legal implications). I would like to throw one more possible consideration into the discussion: is the poor handwriting the result of some physical handicap? If so, maybe a look through the Section 508 website might offer some guidance. Section 508.gov

Hello All,
The adult learning has a nervous condition which prevents him from writing for long periods of time. What I noticed on his employment papers when he started to fill them out, his handwriting was neat and one could read but as he continued to write it got worse. I just came from a webinar on EEOC Issues New Guidance on Employment Testing & Selection Criteria and "Special Conditions" was mentioned under American Disability Act (ADA) and making reasonable accommodations. So I must look into this but also must ensure we are FDA compliant as it relates to GMP.

Hi, GTaylor,

Good call looking into the reasons for the bad handwriting. It sounds like having legible records is essential to the work being performed correctly, however, there are things you can do to accomodate, certainly. I have absolutely horrible handwriting. Sometimes even I can't read it! And no, I don't have a slew of yet-to-be-uncovered issues that would warrant my dismissal, IMO. I just type, and sometimes, I even use a recorder. Problem solved. Just call my writing style "Times New Roman".

Not knowing the exact circumstances of this work environment, I will still hazard a guess and say that there is a work-around that'll work for this employee, and probably improve the accuracy of information recording for that team, such as recording on a computer or hand-held device or something.

And at the risk of it being an ignorant, unfairly editorial note, why has the pharmaceutical industry, with all its billions and billions of dollars in profit, not figured out how to mechanize this process? If this is a process that could be digitized and hasn't been, in this day in age, the employee wouldn't be the one I'd be burning at the stake.