Health Screening for Employment: Definitions, Types and Examples

If you’re looking for a job, chances are you’ve been asked to complete some kind of health screening. This can be a time-consuming and stressful process, but it’s also important to go through to ensure that you are fit for the job and able to work safely. 

Before getting into the details of what pre-employment health screening is all about, let’s first define what it means.

What is a health screening for employment?

A regular health screening for employment is used to determine if a person is fit for the job that they have been hired for. The purpose of these screenings is to ensure that all employees are healthy, safe and productive workers.

Employers can perform health screenings before or after someone has been hired. It is important for employers to conduct regular health checks on their workers because it helps protect both parties from any dangers that may exist in the workplace environment or from other external factors such as smoke inhalation from cigarettes or dangerous machinery used during work hours.

Why do managers use pre-employment health screening?

Employers use pre-employment health screenings to determine if the candidate is physically capable of performing the job. The employer is protecting themselves from liability and ensuring that their new hire is able to do everything required of them in their position. 

They are also trying to get the best employee at a fair price, so they don’t need to waste money training someone who isn’t able to work well.

The employee benefits from getting screened because it helps them secure a job and earn more money by being hired for their skills rather than just how healthy they look on paper (or how much weight they’ve been able to lose).

What are the legal guidelines for employment health assessments?

As an employer, you must follow guidelines and laws related to health assessments in order to ensure that your company is doing everything it can to avoid discrimination and protect employee health.

Federal laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), require employers to provide reasonable accommodation for qualified employees. These laws also prohibit discrimination against employees with disabilities or who need medical leave for certain reasons, such as childbirth or caring for a family member with a serious illness.

State-specific agencies may have additional requirements regarding employment medical screenings that could affect how you handle these processes in your workplace, so it’s important that you understand all applicable rules before implementing any type of screening program at your organization.

Types of health screenings for jobs

Health screenings for jobs can be categorized as physical examinations, psychological tests, and other health screenings, and they usually include:

Drug and alcohol tests

You may be required to undergo drug or alcohol testing before or during your employment. This process is regulated by federal law, which prohibits employers from discriminating against their workers based on a positive test result.

Drug tests can be done in-house with a lab kit, at an outside company or by an independent medical professional. They often look for signs of marijuana use, illegal drugs like cocaine and opiates (like heroin), prescription medications like antidepressants, and alcohol consumption. 

It’s important to note that these tests do not detect impairment—they only detect the presence of a substance in your system at some point in time—so this information does not provide information about whether you are currently impaired at work or on the road.

A positive result from one type of drug test does not mean that you have a substance abuse problem; it simply indicates that you have consumed something at some point within the past two weeks to six months before taking the test (depending on what kind of test was used).

Routine physical examination

A routine physical examination is a medical examination to assess a person’s health status. It is usually performed by a physician, who assesses various body parts (such as eyesight, hearing and lungs).

Such examinations are typically conducted as part of the job application process for companies with large numbers of employees. The purpose of this type of test is to ensure that your company remains safe from risks associated with poor health or accident-prone employees. In some cases, employers may even be legally bound to conduct routine physical examinations as part of their hiring process.

Heart health

Heart health screening is a part of the physical examination that can help to identify possible heart problems. It usually includes a blood pressure screening, lifestyle assessment, family history and physical fitness.

Blood Pressure Screening: This test measures the force your heart pumps blood through your arteries with each beat. A high blood pressure reading may indicate underlying heart disease or other problems such as kidney disease, an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), diabetes, cocaine use or stress. 

Lifestyle Assessment: Your doctor will ask you questions about your diet and how physically active you are during your leisure time. 

Family History: Asking about any family members who have had certain diseases like high cholesterol or diabetes can help determine if you have an increased risk for these conditions.

Physical Fitness: A physical exam helps your doctor check for muscle tone and strength as well as a range of motion in joints. 

Physical ability tests

Physical ability tests are used to assess strength and endurance. These tests could include sit-ups, push-ups, weight lifting or other physical activities.

Physicals are conducted on both an individual basis and in groups. They may take place at a doctor’s office or during physical activity at work.

Psychological tests

Psychological tests are used to measure an applicant’s mental health, aptitude and personality. They are also used to measure an applicant’s intelligence. The tests will be different depending on the type of job being applied for.

There are several different types of psychological tests that can be used in employment screening:

Hopefully, this article has been useful. There are many different types of pre-employment health screening tests that can be used for different purposes, ranging from drug testing to routine physicals. 

It is important to remember that these screenings are regulated by state laws and federal agencies such as OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) or EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). If you’re looking for more information about how your business can stay compliant with these regulations or what options may be available to you, reach out today!