The 2010 Equality act prevents employers from asking health-related questions in order to avoid discrimination, exclusion, and inequality.
Employers have been historically known to ask about health or disability in the early stages of recruitment. As a result, disabled applicants were rejected before an offer was made. The newer 2010 Act aims to ensure that disabled applicants were given the chance to have their ability to do the job assessed properly, thus encouraging the disabled to apply for work without fear of their disability being used to question their work output.
What is the purpose of a Post-Recruitment Medical Questionnaire?
Up to 10% of UK employees will have a medical condition or disability, so having a Post-Recruitment Medical questionnaire allows employers to identify health problems early to protect their employees and ensure that they’ll be safe at work and the workplace will be safe with them in it.
It is your legal obligation under the Disability and Discrimination Act to make reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities or medical conditions throughout every stage of the employment process.
When should you carry out Medical Assessments?
- Where it is a legal requirement to be tested – For example, eye tests for HGV drivers
- Once the job has been offered.
- Where candidates – regardless of whether or not they are disabled – should be tested to decide if they are fit for the work in their role.
- Once you are sure that this information is needed and have implemented policies & procedures in place to hold this information as required by GDPR.
What happens after a Post-recruitment Medical Assessment?
That is entirely dependent on the business, the assessment can vary from self-completed questionnaires to a full clinical examination by Occupational Health Specialists.
Where these examinations vary from business to business based on needs, having the correct assessment is paramount to performing medical checks. This is exactly why we’ve partnered with Flex Occupational Health in order to offer Tailored Post-Recruitment Medical Assessments for businesses that are looking to stay legally compliant. For more information on their post-offer health screening services click here.
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