What are Pre-employment Medicals?
Pre-employment medicals are medical examinations conducted on a soon-to-be-hired employee. They are performed by a medical professional for the hiring company. They ensure a prospective candidate is healthy enough to perform the job effectively and safely.
Why are Pre-employment Medicals Done?
Pre-employment medicals are important for both employers and employees alike. They are done to:
- Assess for existing medical conditions and the well-being of the new employee
- Identify risk factors that limit the new employee’s ability to perform the job
- Confirm that the new employee meets the medical preconditions for the role applied
- Optimizes the company’s productivity
- Assess insurance cost to the company
What do Pre-employment Medicals Include?
Typically, the pre-employment medicals vary from organization to organization. However, they generally begin with answering questions on your medical history and present health status on a medical form. This can be followed by a complete physical examination to assess your capability to perform the job tasks.
Following the physical examination, various health screening tests may be done based on the company’s needs. They include but are not limited to:
- Cardiovascular and nervous system examination
- Respiratory and musculoskeletal examination
- Laboratory investigations
- Blood count test
- Blood sugar level test
- Urine analysis
- Blood group test
- Rh factor
- Kidney function test
- Liver function test
- Chest X-ray
- Lipid profile test
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Vision assessment
- Others (optional)
- HIV
- HBsAg (Hepatitis)
After the medical, the examiner evaluates the outcomes and provides a report to the employer to complete the pre-employment examination process.
What are the Benefits of Pre-employment Medicals?
Pre-employment medicals can help the employer to:
- Establish baseline health-related data
- Assess the future health status of the employee
- Ascertain the employee’s productivity and efficiency
- Maintain safety in the workplace
- Reduce workplace injuries and associated costs
- Minimize downtime and production cost
- Boost organizational performance