Requiring a Medical Examination For Employment

John Faith
July 4, 2014

Many potential applicants get very unnerved over the thought of having to take a physical or medical examination to gain employment. A medical examination is defined as a procedure or a test to determine fitness for duty or an individual’s physical or mental status. An employer cannot ask an applicant to participate in a medical examination prior to a conditional offer of employment. Sometimes identifying whether a procedure is a medical examine or not is not always straight forward. The EEOC outlines the following factors to help applicants determine the validity of medical examinations:

– Is the examination designed to reveal an impairment of your physical or mental health?

– Is the examination given by a health care professional or someone trained by a health care professional?

– Will the results of the examination be read or interpreted by a health care professional or someone trained by a health care professional?

– Is the purpose of the examination to determine the physical or mental health of the applicant?

– Is the examination invasive requiring collection of body fluids such as blood or urine?

– Does the examination measure the applicant’s performance of a task or physical response to performing the task?

– Is the examination given in a medical setting or in a health care professional’s office?

– Is medical equipment used?

All of the factors above don’t necessarily have to be met to determine if a procedure or test is a medical examination. If you don’t feel comfortable or you feel like something just isn’t right ask questions and also understand that you don’t have to allow anything that you don’t feel right about. Certain positions might require a medical examination, but it is your right to ask questions and make sure it is what it purports to be.

P. S. Always Remember to Share What You Know.