Occupational Health Pre-Employment Assessment(s)

An occupational health pre-employment assessment is any tool or method used to evaluate job candidates with consistency. Global OHS can offer a variety of pre-employment services that can help you improve your process and reduce your costs.

What pre-employment process are you undertaking?

Is yours a targeted, job-specific approach or do you screen everyone for everything?

Since the changes with the Equality Act of 2010, most employers are aware that an occupational health pre-employment assessment now follows the conditional offer of employment, but if your screening process includes everyone, what benefit does this add, is this really necessary and does it incur an additional and superfluous expense?

man taking an occupational heath pre-employment assessment before accepting job offer

So, how can Global Occupational Health Solutions help you improve your process and reduce costs?

First, start by asking; when is an occupational health pre-employment assessment appropriate?

  1. To identify if there are any adjustments for consideration and to determine the applicability of the Equalities Legislation (as it relates to disability).
  2. As a baseline for any health surveillance or to identify any specific health-related issues.
  3. To advise managers of a candidate’s fitness for a specific role.

The approach to pre-employment health screening is changing; there is a move away from the blanket, generic approach requesting candidates to answer a full range of health questions to a more targeted, job-specific approach, in line with best practice. The Information Commissioner’s guidance states that health questionnaires should “only elicit information that is relevant and necessary.”

In fact, health assessments are now geared towards enabling candidates to work with adjustments and consequently fewer people are now denied jobs due to existing health conditions.

If yours is a blanket screening approach in which candidates are screened for a variety of conditions, (some of which may not be relevant to the role) whilst this is still in keeping with the requirements of the Equality Act in which health questions may be asked after a conditional offer has been made it may be unnecessary.

How does an occupational health pre-employment assessment work?

At Global Occupational Health Solutions we support the four questions approach in which HR undertake the first level of screening. It is important to state that no medical information should be provided or requested at this stage and if a candidate responds positively to any of the below questions then they should be referred onto Occupational Health for a confidential assessment.

The 4 questions are;

  1. Do you have any illness/impairment/disability (Physical or psychological) which may affect your work?
  2. Have you ever had any illness/impairment/disability, which may have been caused or made worse by work?
  3. Are you having, or waiting for treatment (including medication) or investigation at present?
  4. Do you think you may need any adjustments or assistance to help you do the job? If yes please give any (non-medical) details.

Need help to make sure your pre-employment assessment complies with national guidelines? Contact the Global OHS experts today.

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“Global OH Solutions provide a fast and comprehensive service that enables us as the employer to support staff with a swift return to work. The quality of the reports enables us to have the precise information you need as an employer in order to support our staff. I would highly recommend GlobalOHS as an OH provider for your organisation.”
Rachel Hawkins
HR Director, Volution Ventilation UK

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