The traditional hiring process, where resumes and interviews had sole prominence in selecting candidates, is outdated in the present context. The market is so competitive that hiring the right candidate requires more than just an interview and skill screening. Smart companies today are also making sure that the new hire is healthy and fit for the role.
This is where pre-employment medical has gained attention as a standard step before any talent is onboarded and starts their first day. For instance, would you hire a truck driver if you aren’t sure how clearly they can see? Likewise, you can’t let anyone work with heavy machinery if they are not physically strong. A pre-employment medical check-up follows the principle of examining the overall health of the candidate, whether it’s for an office role, manufacturing, construction team, or any high-risk and sensitive positions. You don’t need to do it yourself, because everything requires experts for accurate results. Avail the pre-employment medical services of a reputed health clinic, Knight Health in Perth, to onboard a physically fit hire.
In this article, let’s understand how you can get a pre-employment medical done right with Knight Health and how it can help you ensure safe and compliant hiring.
Why Skipping a Pre-Employment Medical Can Be a Costly Mistake for Australian Businesses
In Australia, over 20 million people have at least one long-term health condition, with 63% of them being in the workforce. You might be impressed by the candidate interview, resume claims, and references, but checking out their health condition is equally important before signing the hiring contract.
The impact of work-related injuries in Australia is huge, with businesses losing an estimated $28.6 billion annually. These hidden losses can outweigh the visible costs substantially, making pre-employment tests a crucial occupational health service. According to Australian workplace legal rules, if you hire someone who is not physically fit for the job, the blame is on you. Pre-employment medical is a smart hiring tactic, facilitating employers to ensure that workers safely perform their job duties with legal compliance.
Not conducting a pre-employment medical can have the following repercussions:
| What Happens | Why it Happens |
| Employer is liable for workplace injury | If you, as an employer, are negligent in determining the fitness of the candidate, you are legally liable if they get hurt in handling the physical demands. |
| Insurance doesn’t cover pre-existing condition | If the health issue of an employee is discovered post-hiring and he/she gets injured, the insurance claim can’t be processed. Pre-employment medical protects this coverage by checking their health status beforehand. |
| Increase in worker’s compensation claim | Hiring an unfit candidate for the role can multiply your chances of injuries and result in unaccounted losses. |
| Risk to the team safety | An unfit or impaired worker can be a potential threat to the safety of your team and can damage equipment with disrupted operations. |
| Tarnished reputation is a problem | Employers face challenges in attracting new talent if the company is labelled as having poor safety records. |
A word of advice: Pre-employment medical can seem like an upfront cost, but it can save you thousands of dollars. It’s not an added hiring step, but it aids in safeguarding your hiring process.
The 5 Safety Questions a Pre-Employment Medical Answers
A pre-employment medical at Knight Health determines the fitness of a candidate based on the following checks:
- Physical fitness
- Mental health stability
- Vision and hearing
- Cardiovascular health
- Musculoskeletal health
There is no ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ result; the outcome of these occupational health services is to recommend whether a person can safely perform the job or needs some adjustments. There’s no checklist as such when it comes to pre-employment tests; instead, it helps answer these 5 safety questions:
1. Can They Physically Handle the Job?
Doctors test the candidate’s body to evaluate whether they can meet the physical demands of the role. This doesn’t mean it should be a perfect 10/10, but it just means matching their physical potential to the role requirements so that they don’t overdo anything that can result in injuries.
2. Can They Clearly Hear and See Safety Warnings?
The vision and audiometry tests aren’t ordinary at Knight Health. We conduct tests that check if the candidate can:
- read warning signs from 5km distance
- hear alarms in a noisy room
- distinguish between colour-coded safety indicators
3. Is Their Heart and Lung Health Strong Enough?
Physical work hurts the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, which is why medical evaluation of blood pressure, heart rhythm, and functioning, and lung health is important. Weak heart or lung health is a sign of high injury risks, and pre-employment medical catches it early on.
4. Could Previous Health History Be a Problem Now?
A medical history record is not only to identify past conditions, but it’s also to predict future challenges. For instance, a previous history of substance usage detected in workplace drug and alcohol testing can result in injuries or accidents. Likewise, for a heavy-lifting role, a previous back injury can mean higher reinjury chances.
5. Does Their Mental State Align with This Work?
A mental health check is also vital to analyse the employee’s ability to handle stress and work pressure. Weak mental health can affect:
- workplace safety
- focus and concentration levels
- decision-making ability
The outcome:
Occupational health services have become the need of the hour, especially in high-risk industries, for the following reasons:
- If an employee is injured while performing a role for which they were not medically suited, the employer can face legal and compliance claims for not verifying their fitness before hiring.
- Hiring an unfit candidate for the job can risk an increase in workers’ compensation and insurance claims.
- Undisclosed health conditions are the biggest red flag leading to workplace injuries and accidents.
- The employee turnover rate also increases if the employee doesn’t have good health.
When Is It the Right Time for a Pre-Employment Medical?
Timing is of the essence in every decision, especially when you are onboarding a new hire. Doing it too early can be of no use, as the candidate’s health might change over time. Doing it too late puts you at the risk of wasting time on someone who is not fit for the job.
So, is there any cheat code for when to do pre-employment medical tests?
The answer is not a definite yes, but there is a best suggested practice timeline that varies based on your hiring requirements and industry.
- Right before they start work
- Within 2 weeks of hiring
- Before signing the contract
- Right after the interview
Booking pre-employment medicals during these timelines can ensure fresh and accurate results, with employees working safely from day one.
Remove the stress of occupational health services with Knight Health’s:
- 8 flexible locations across the city
- Fast appointment scheduling
- Comprehensive assessments
- Prompt results
- Professional evaluation process.
Schedule a pre-employment medical with Knight Health and hire smart from day one to protect your workplace from injuries, accidents, and legal disputes.