Top reasons employers conduct health screenings
In addition to confirming candidates are in proper physical, mental and emotional condition to perform their job, a pre-employment health screening may be used to:
Maintain a safe workplace
Manage health risk factors for employees (including drug testing) to help keep themselves and others safe on the job.
Comply with regulations
Federal and state laws may require healthcare pre-employment health screening for employees, and DOT pre-hire screenings for drivers.
Limit risk and minimize liability
Routine employment physical exams and drug tests may reduce liability in the event of an accident.
Why occupational health screenings are important
Implementing a health screening program helps you evaluate the overall health of your workforce. These screenings are important to:
Promote employee well-being
Supporting a culture of health and wellness improves productivity and leads to overall lower health costs.
Advance health and safety
Identifying potential illnesses early is beneficial for employees and may prevent the spread of disease.
Support a safe return to work
Using an occupational health screening after an injury helps ensure it’s safe for the employee to return to work.
“Checkr’s turnaround time is a competitive advantage”
Checkr’s pre-employment health screening
With Checkr, you can customize packages for health screening and physical exams to align with industry regulations as well as your company’s screening policy. Candidates have access to more than 6,100 clinics across the country, and results are returned to your Checkr dashboard for easy review. Once your account is setup, contact Customer Support to add occupational health screening and drug tests to your background check packages.
Occupational health screening
Determine a candidate’s physical fitness for a job with a specialized medical evaluation, which includes a physical exam as well as options to include blood work and multi-panel drug test options.
Multi-panel drug screenings
Test options are available for any combination of drugs, from 4-, 9- and 10-panel screens. These include blood, urine, hair, and breath tests. Both lab-based and on-site screening is available. Learn more.
Manage health screenings and physicals with Checkr
Checkr’s platform handles the logistics of scheduling candidates and reviewing results so you can manage everything in one central system. With Checkr, you get:
A better candidate experience
Checkr’s mobile-optimized candidate portal filters clinics by type and allows candidates to self-schedule.
A more efficient process
Electronic chain of custody forms (eCCF) and a closed loop solution speeds turnaround times.
A customizable solution
Customize your employment physical exam and drug test packages based on regulations and positions.
Get started with health screenings and physicals today.
- Select a topic to scroll directly to it:
- What is a pre-employment physical?
- What is included in a pre-employment physical exam?
- What does a pre-employment health screening consist of?
- What should you wear for an employment physical exam?
- How pre-employment health screening and physicals exams work
- Run a compliant occupational health screening program with Checkr
frequently asked questions
Learn more about pre-employment health screenings
Occupational health screenings are an important tool to help employers determine if a job candidate can meet the demands of a role. Occupational health screenings may include a pre-employment physical exam and/or drug testing to evaluate a candidate’s fitness and well-being and ensure a safe workplace. For some industries, such as transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing, employment physicals are necessary for employers to meet industry compliance standards.
Join 100,000+ employers running faster background checks with Checkr
Not an employer? Run a background check on yourself here >
What is a pre-employment physical?
A pre-employment physical, also known as a pre-placement test or human performance evaluation (HPE), is a medical exam performed by a physician or healthcare professional to measure a candidate’s general well-being and ability to perform job-related physical tasks, as well as identify any potential issues that might indicate a health problem that could impede their ability to do the job. The type of physical examination that’s conducted will depend on the requirements of the job and responsibilities of the position. For example, if the job requires lifting heavy objects, like in a warehouse, or is highly stressful, such as positions in air traffic control and police and fire departments.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers are prohibited from asking disability-related questions or requiring medical examinations until after a conditional job offer has been made to a candidate.
What is included in a pre-employment physical exam?
A pre-employment physical exam includes measurements of weight, temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and other vital signs. Depending on the employer and the skills required by the position, a pre-employment physical exam may also measure vital signs, test vision and hearing, and assess endurance, strength, stamina, and mental health.
Join 100,000+ employers running faster background checks with Checkr
Not an employer? Run a background check on yourself here >
What does a pre-employment health screening consist of?
A pre-employment health screening may consist of some or all of the following:
- Measurement of vital signs, such as blood pressure
- Hearing and vision tests
- Mental health/stress evaluations
- Musculoskeletal examination
- Drug screening
- Skin examination
- Urinalysis
- Tests for tuberculosis, COVID-19, and other diseases
- Antibody tests and vaccines for MMR, Varicella, TB, and others
- Job-related screenings, such as respirator fit tests
For some positions, certain medical tests are required by federal or state regulations, such as commercial drivers, law enforcement, firefighting, and aviation.
What should you wear for an employment physical exam?
Job candidates should wear clothing that is appropriate for a visit to the doctor. If the screening will test the candidate’s ability to run, stretch, bend, or lift heavy objects, the candidate should wear comfortable, athletic clothing and footwear.
Additionally, a candidate can prepare for the employment physical exam by bringing the appropriate paperwork. This may include personal identification, a list of prescriptions, health history, and any relevant employer information, such as lab orders.
How pre-employment health screening and physical exams work
Here is a general guide to how health screening and drug testing works with Checkr:
- In your Checkr dashboard, issue an invitation to a candidate to participate in an occupational health screen and drug test.
- The candidate receives the invitation then schedules and completes their appointment before the deadline set by the customer.
- Once the screening is completed, results are posted to the Checkr dashboard and to the candidate portal.
Run a compliant occupational health screening program with Checkr
Checkr offers pre-employment health screening options that can be customized to your needs. Checkr offers both occupational health screening and drug testing to streamline your background checks. Our online dashboard enables you to easily add screenings and view results with quick turnaround times. Our online scheduling capability enables candidates to schedule one test for all required screenings and easily find a location nearby with our nationwide partner network of 6,100+ clinics. Get started today.
Join 100,000+ employers running faster background checks with Checkr
Not an employer? Run a background check on yourself here >
Disclaimer
The resources provided here are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. We advise you to consult your own counsel if you have legal questions related to your specific practices and compliance with applicable laws.
Looking for health screenings?
We’ve built the most advanced background check toolset in the industry to make hiring faster, easier, more accurate, and lower risk. Set up an account or talk to one of our sales associates today.