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Why Pre-employment Medicals are Important

Pre-employment Medicals Melbourne
Pre-employment Medicals Melbourne

There is a growing trend in recruitment in Australia to request that job applicants undergo a pre-employment medical, to prove their physical ability to perform the tasks associated with the job they have applied for.

Workplace health and safety are big issues in the 21st century and requiring prospective employees to undergo industry-specific health checks is a major step toward ensuring a safe working environment. Corporate health is becoming recognized as a vital issue in the productivity of a company.

Pre employment Medical
Pre-employment Medical

Recruitment costs companies, in both time and money, and so companies need to find ways to limit the cost and minimize the disruption to the business. Using pre-employment medicals as a tool to ensure the right people are hired, is one way to gain some control over these costs.

The employment medical examination tests such things as vision, hearing, lung function, blood pressure, heart rate, and general fitness. Drug and alcohol testing can be included as can various pathology tests. Many companies have the medical examinations designed to be industry-specific or job-specific to test the applicant’s ability to perform the tasks required in the job description. These tailored medicals have a benchmark of minimum performance required by the position, so there is something with which to compare the applicant’s results.

Doctor for Pre-Employment Medicals

Pre-employment medical assessments protect the company against hiring an unsuitable worker but they also protect the potential employee. Allowing someone to start in a new position, without having an understanding of their ability to meet the physical demands of the job, is simply setting them up to fail. At best, the new employee will quit, meaning that the recruitment process will have to start again. At worst, the new employee will be injured at work, disrupting business and leading to possible workers compensation claims.

When people apply for employment within your company and see that pre-employment medicals are required, they understand that the company is serious about workplace health and safety. Research has shown that workers in general, and executives in particular, look favorably on corporations that have a workplace health program and will actively seek out employment with them.

It is important to remember that, while the pre-employment medical is an important tool in the recruitment process, it cannot ever be the only indicator of a candidate’s suitability for the position. Have your policies and procedures on any health in the workplace initiative scrutinized by legal personnel, to make sure they are not discriminatory and comply with current employment regulations.

Candidates need to have an understanding of why certain tests are required and how they are relevant and applicable to the position being applied for. This is where having your pre-employment medicals tailored to the position is helpful. They then become a useful tool for introducing company policies on various issues. For example, if you ask for drug and alcohol tests, the candidate can be informed of the tolerances of these substances within the company.

Research has shown quite conclusively that pre-employment screening of applicants helps to lower the incidence and severity of workplace injuries. To make sure you get this important aspect of recruitment right, consider getting advice from a specialist health company like Era Health Doctor Melbourne CBD. They will tailor the health checks to your workplace and job descriptions to make sure they are effective and comply with regulations. Era Health Doctor Melbourne CBD services are available Australia wide.

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Why do I Need to have a Pre-employment Medical?

 

“I have applied for a job and at the interview I was told that I would have to have a pre-employment medical if I was short-listed. I’ve never needed to do this before and don’t understand why this company is asking for it.”

Pre-employment medicals have become more popular in recent years. This type of health check helps employers to assess applicants against the attributes that are necessary to perform the essential requirements of the job. A pre-employment medical assessment is not simply a general health check; it is conducted to ascertain that you have what it takes to do the job, from a workplace health perspective. Employers are generally taking their obligations under OH&S and duty of care more seriously these days. There is a bigger focus on both workplace health and corporate health, which is where the pre-employment medicals come in. Companies want to make sure that potential employees are capable of working within the physical demands of the job. The aim is to avoid workplace injury and illness. In some industries, there are legal requirements that demand workers meet certain health and fitness standards. Obviously, the best way to determine whether an individual worker meets these standards is through a comprehensive and tailored medical examination. Some of the industries that have this type of legal requirement include rail and tramways, mining, aviation and diving. Not all pre-employment medicals are requested because of legal obligations. Often the prospective employer simply wants to be sure that the candidate has no underlying health issue which could affect their ability to work to the capacity required by the position. Pre-employment medicals are not something to fear, unless you are trying to hide something. Discrimination laws prevent employers from using non-related health issues as a reason not to hire an applicant.

What can I expect at a pre-employment medical?

Firstly, you will probably be required to attend a doctor designated by the employer although some companies are happy with a report from your own doctor. In this case, the company would supply a list of tests they require to be done. If you are seeing a company-designated doctor, a full medical and work history will be taken, including current medications. You need to be honest and include everything that is relevant when completing your medical history. Any omissions could go against you in the future. A complete medical examination will then be conducted and could include any or all of the following – height, weight, pulse, blood pressure, vision, hearing, balance, flexibility, hand strength, ability to lift weights, lung function, urine test, drug and alcohol testing, chest X-rays, pathology and fitness test. After the examination, a full written report will be sent to the employer and usually a copy is also sent to the applicant. Often, employers use the services of a specialist health company to carry out their medicals for potential employees, as well as existing staff. One such highly reputable company is Era Health Work Solutions in Melbourne. Trained and experienced practitioners carry out thorough and inclusive pre-employment medicals which are often specially tailored to the specific workplace and industry. If you need to have a medical as part of the job application process, contact Era Health for an appointment.