Pre-emp. physicals worth the money?

tennlaw

We employe about 1500 employees in a plant/construction setting. We administer post-offer physicals and have taken great steps to make sure the test are consistent with essential job functions. The catch is, we never screen anyone out! We're trying to figure out if the money we are spending on these physicals is worth anything. Can anyone share whether they send all employees through a post-offer physical and, if so, whether you see a correlation between the money spent there and money saved in injury costs??

Don D

The correlation you mention is not the only good reason to continue with your program. If the physician(s) you use knows your job positions thoroughly and tests accordingly AND is bold enough to tell you of candidates whose physical limitations do not comport with job requirements, you WILL have some who do not qualify. There is also a large, hidden contingent of people who are simply searching for an employer plan that will pick them up and fund forevermore an illness they have that the physical would have identified and may have kept you from hiring. Finally, I can recall probably 15 I've hired over the years who learned in the pre-emp physical of a condition that they needed to take care of that was rather routine and that could have saved 15 lives, not to mention the impact it may have kept off our insurance plans. Before the ADA 'experts' jump on my conclusions, let me add that the physicians I've always interracted with are intimately familiar with that law as well.

System

Welcome tennlaw. I see it's your first post.

In five years we've sent approximately 200 employees for a post-offer physical. Three of those physicals revealed that we needed to make a reasonable accommodation, which we did, and acquired three very good employees. Two of them resulted in offers being withdrawn because the employee could not do the job with or without reasonable accommodations. Several other candidates did not show up for the physical as scheduled. (?? Who knows ??)

I say the trade-off is worth the $$, but I wish they could evaluate for "lazy" syndrome.

"Sam"

Don D

They do Sam. The ones who did not show up were the lazy ones. You eliminated them.

tennlaw

Thanks, Don and Sam for your input. Can you tell me what type of physicals you do. Do either of you use a step test or lifting test? Also, how many employees do you have and what is your industry. Thanks!!

System

We are a local government with a Police Department and a Public Works department. Our health care provider (where the physicals are conducted) has copies of all of our job descriptions. They will look at the environmental and physical demands of the job and assess the ability of the applicant to do the job. We do drug testing for employees in Public Works who are covered under D.O.T.

Hope this helps.

Sam

System

I once ran an ad that included "Lazy people need not apply" after the EOE. It was supposed to be a humorous plug from a verse from "Signs" - "long-haired, freaky people need not apply." Take a guess!! ZERO APPLICANTS! Figure that one out.

amyhedlu

We are a dairy industry manufacturing plant and do pre-emp physicals that include a upper extremity screen, a back screen including a lifting test, drug screen, respiratory use and pulmonary fuction test. We send all of our production employees through this screen. The money spent is worth it, we have been able to screen out some people who were not able to do the job.