A pre-employment physical is a hiring tool that is used by more and more employers in the United States to help them ensure that a prospective employee is physically and mentally prepared to take on the responsibilities of the job. A pre-employment physical exam may also include drug and alcohol screening as well as psychological testing. Pre-employment physical exams are beneficial not only to the employer but to the prospective employee as well, because, in addition to knowing if they are physically capable to do the job, a pre-employment physical exam may identify a potential illness or chronic condition that was previously unknown. A pre-employment physical can also prove to be important to someone with a chronic condition as it can indicate if the current management program is effective.
What happens in a pre-employment physical?
At a pre-employment physical examination, the doctor conducting the exam may examine many components of a prospective employee’s health, including:
Vital signs
Abdominal health to confirm liver, bowel, and other internal organ functionality
The appearance of the skin to possibly identify an underlying illness
Heart and lung examination
Additional testing may also be included in a pre-employment examination, including a vision test, hearing test, drug and alcohol screening, TB test, or blood lab testing may also be ordered. Pre-employment physicals are not intended to diagnose or treat conditions that may be concerning to the employee, however, the doctor conducting the exam will provide a referral to the employee’s doctor should it be necessary.
What are the medical tests for employment?
Depending on the type of job being applied for, one employer may require different examinations than another. All pre-employment physical examinations however will start with a health assessment questionnaire, followed by a medical professional commonly conducting:
Blood tests
Chest x-ray
Urine drug screen
Alcohol blood test
Audiometry (hearing test)
Spirometry (lung capacity test)
Manual dexterity assessment
Work fitness assessment
MRI and/or ECG.
If an adverse health issue is discovered, the examining physician will make a referral to your primary care doctor.
Why do employers require physicals?
Not all employers require a pre-employment physical exam, however, employees who apply for manual or physically demanding positions may be required to prove they possess the strength, flexibility, or stamina required to perform a specific job. Many employers choose to assess prospective employees’ physical and mental abilities because they want their company to thrive, by hiring those who are capable of performing the duties of the positions available.
Another reason employers are choosing to require pre-employment physicals is to reduce absenteeism. Chronic illness can result in missed days of work, or possibly lead to injuries on the job, and employers can try and mitigate these potential costs by requiring pre-employment physical exams.
Musculoskeletal diseases, like degenerative disc disease, are being diagnosed more frequently, which is a reason more employers are requiring pre-employment physicals, as this condition can lead to substantially increased costs for the employer. Employers are not limited to only one type of exam or limited to the kinds of tests included in the exam. The type of exam and the tests included depend on the nature of the business and the positions they are trying to fill.
