pre employment physicalHas anyone had any experience with a company offering a position, then later rescinding it if a candidate didn' t pass a pre-employment physical? When I became a reserve police officer, we had to undergo a rigorous pre-screening physical to make sure we were able to do out jobs. If you had any indication of mental instability or heart problems, you were automatically removed from the hiring list. This is for a reason. Your employer may require you to do heavy lifting or even driving. If you cannot do your job then they are stuck! Also, they have to insure you in case you get injured and most insurance companies will not insure people with past health issues. I have applied and interviewed at only two company that required a pre-employment physical. Both times I was told that a condition for consideration of employment was to pass the physical and was sent to a hospital and doctor' s office where the physicals were to take place. Both times, I passed the physical but neither time was I offered a position. I considered them free (because the company paid for them) yearly physicals, sent the results to my regular physician and followed up with my physician to make sure that he agreed all tests performed were necessary. Usually, there is a requirement of a drug-screening contingent on employment and often the offer is extended before the screening has been conducted. Just a point of discussion. You can not require an applicant to undergo a physical exam PRIOR to making a job offer. The employer must have had already performed every non-medical evaluation (credit checks, reference checks, etc...), made an offer THEN can require a medical exam. Good point and when I re-read my post discovered that I had indeed neglected to add that when the employers asked in the interview if I would consent to a pre-employment physical, they gave me the option of having it before the actual decision or after. In both cases I picked before decision and potential offer because it was employer paid and my co-pay at my doctors office was freakin' ridiculous. And, also, because I thought that if I showed that I was serious about the job, it would better my chances. I'm not sure that there is a law forbidding employers from conducting physicals/drug tests on potential applicants prior to extending a formal written offer (there may be, I just don't know). However, it does not make sense from the financial standpoint for employers to spend money on these tests until all the background checks have been completed and the offer extended and accepted. Pre-employment physicals can cost anywhere from $40 to $200 a pop, depending on the specific exam(s) required and the location of the clinic (generally, the less populated the area, the fewer healthcare facilities around, the more it's going to cost). Drug tests can cost from $15 to as high as $60, once again, depending on the type of test and the availability of in-network collection facilities. To answer the OP's question, yes, pre-employment physicals are 100% legal, as are drug screens, and are even a federal requirement for some types of positions (e.g. DOT regulated personnel). Where it's not a legal requirement, it's still well within the employer's right to request them. | |
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