Pre Employment OH Assessments
A pre employment occupational health assessment helps you hire safely and fairly, without turning recruitment into a medical obstacle course. In simple terms, it gives you a consistent way to spot where a candidate may need workplace adjustments, where a role carries genuine health risks, and where you should involve Occupational Health for role specific advice.
Importantly, most employers now understand the key point: you only ask health related questions after you make a conditional offer. That approach supports the Equality Act and helps you keep selection decisions focused on skills and capability first. However, many organisations still run blanket screening for everyone, for everything. As a result, they often create extra cost, extra admin, and extra risk, with little added value.
When a pre employment assessment makes sense
A targeted assessment works best when you have a clear reason to ask. For example, you may need to confirm whether a candidate requires reasonable adjustments and whether equality legislation applies in practice. Likewise, you may need a baseline for health surveillance where the role includes exposure risks such as noise, skin sensitisation, vibration, dust, or respiratory hazards. In addition, a manager may need a clear view of fitness for a specific role, especially where safety critical tasks form part of the job.
In other words, the goal is not to “screen people out”. Instead, you use the process to help people succeed in the role safely, with the right controls and adjustments in place.
Why employers are moving away from blanket screening
Best practice has shifted towards job specific screening. That means you ask only what you need for the role, rather than collecting broad medical history by default. The ICO has also made the direction clear: you should only collect health information that you genuinely need and that directly relates to the purpose of the assessment.
Consequently, targeted screening often reduces the number of unnecessary referrals, speeds up onboarding, and lowers costs. At the same time, it supports candidates better, because the process focuses on adjustments and safe working rather than exclusion.
How the Global OHS approach works
At Global Occupational Health Solutions, we recommend a simple four question approach, with HR completing the first stage. At this stage, you keep it non medical. You do not request diagnoses, treatment details, or medical records. Instead, you ask candidates for practical, role related information.
If a candidate answers “yes” to any question, you refer them to Occupational Health for a confidential assessment. From there, we assess work impact, consider the job demands, and provide clear recommendations you can action.
Here are the four questions:
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Do you have any illness, impairment, or disability, physical or psychological, that may affect your work?
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Have you ever had any illness, impairment, or disability that work may have caused or made worse?
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Are you having, or waiting for, treatment, including medication, or investigation at present?
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Do you think you may need any adjustments or assistance to help you do the job? If yes, please share non medical details.
The outcome you actually want
A good pre employment process helps you do three things well. First, you protect the candidate by planning adjustments early. Next, you protect the business by matching role demands to safe working. Finally, you protect the recruitment process by keeping it fair, proportionate, and compliant.
If you want to reduce unnecessary screening, tighten compliance, and speed up hiring without cutting corners, Global OHS can help you build a targeted approach that fits your roles and your risk profile.
Need help making sure your pre employment screening stays compliant and job specific? Contact Global OHS and we will help you set up a lean, practical process that reduces cost and supports safe hiring.
