Why Pre-employment Physicals?
Most employers screen new applicants with background checks and drug screens. After all, this is a necessity in the modern workplace to enforce high workplace standards. But if employers knew that there was another way to ensure cost savings and quality employees, wouldn’t they do it? In short: further employee screening does exist in the form of pre-employment physicals. Employers who choose to conduct these physical examinations save time, money, and frustration while making the workplace a safer, more productive environment for everyone.
How Do Pre-employment Screenings or Physicals Help Employers?
Physicals are aimed to make the life of those who are taking them better. They are meant to point out areas in which someone is doing physically well as well as point out where they could improve. For employers, this means many holistic improvements to the workplace.
- Liability. Many employers hire their employees because they look good on paper. While this might be fine for certain positions, most labor – including office labor – requires a certain physical ability. For example, determining whether a potential grocery worker can lift a certain weight might prevent them from receiving an unnecessary injury and save the company from unnecessary worker’s comp claims and extended absences.
- Health Benefits. A physical could also be used to determine the health that the person is in. An employee in poor
health can be a big burden for employers in terms of lost productivity due to last minute call outs or sick days. Alternately, it could be a motivator for an employee to make health and lifestyle changes in their personal life. This would ultimately make them a more efficient employee and save employers from overused sick days and insurance claims. - Increased Customer Service. Generally, a healthy employee is a happy one. Their health and mental well-being contribute to the way that they conduct their work, which can be extremely beneficial in a customer-facing setting. By hiring healthy employees, employers are ensuring that employee customer service skills are utilized to their utmost.
One thing that employers should keep in mind, however, is that pre-employment physicals can be a daunting experience for potential employees. If employers set expectations about the exam prior to the employee’s physical, they are telling the employee that they care about their well-being and are doing this for their own good. Additionally, when expectations are set it lessens the anxiety during the physical itself, which allows employees to perform better. With the right mindset from both employer and employee, it is possible for physicals to benefit everyone in the workforce.