Pre-Employment Medicals

Why Conduct Pre-Employment Medicals?

Pre-employment medicals can be a useful part of the selection and recruitment process where physical activity is part of the job. A pre-employment medical may assist you in a workers compensation claim in assessing what portion of the incapacity os linked to employment in your organisation. However, you do need to ensure that the medical does not breach ant-discrimination legislation.

How Do I Ensure that the Pre-employment Medical does Not Breach Anti-discrimination Legislation?

There are a number of things that can be done to ensure that the pre-employment medical does not breach the anti-discrimination legislation, including:

  • You need to make sure that the medical is directly related to the duties, which have to be performed.
  • You need to ensure that the doctor is familiar with the worksite and has an accurate job description or list of duties for the employee.
  • Only findings relevant to the position should be used to determine whether the employee is physically fit to perform the job.
  • Only the doctor can make the assessment of physical fitness, NOT the employer.
  • The results of the medical should only be considered as one part of the recruitment process and should not be used as the only criteria for selection. In this regard, it is important not to say that to prospective employees that they have the position pending a medical.
  • The medical should not be used as a way to screen out applicants with previous workers compensation claims.
  • All medical records should be kept confidential.

Who Should Develop the Pre-employment Medical?

The pre-employment medical should be developed with your elected doctor. You should not have the same medical for all of your staff. The medical will differ as the duties and requirements of the positions differ.

The doctor should be familiar with the work area and the type of work performed in each of your classifications of employees. They should also be familiar with the essential and desirable criteria of each position.

Who Pays?

The employer should pay for the medical.

FOR EXPERT ADVICE REGARDING PRE-EMPLOYMENT MEDICALS CONTACT THE AUSTRALIAN MEAT INDUSTRY COUNCIL ON 02 9086 2200

Also Refer: Recruitment Fact Sheet.