The business has just interviewed a strong candidate for the vacant position. The candidate has checked off all their work experience and qualifications required to accomplish the job, but are they fit to perform it? How can you tell if the person can perform their role to specification and without risk of injury to themselves or their work colleagues?
You may have heard of a pre-employment assessment; pre-employment functional capacity evaluation; work fitness assessment; a physical exam or as Work Options calls it a Fit4Work©. All of these program titles are assessing the same function of task fitness.
What is a Fit4Work© Assessment?
It is an assessment conducted by a trained health provider to evaluate the fitness of a person to a role’s task activity. The assessment indicates ways of how the candidate should perform the role’s task activities safely.
Why should the business seek out a fitness assessment before hiring?
- Assessment of a Fit4Work© provides transparency and protection between the employer and employee on the fitness level required for the role
- It provides insight into a prospective candidate’s physical capability to perform the demands of the job
- Identifies existing health conditions of the candidate and what safety measures should be taken for long term care or management if they were successful in the role appointment
- The role is in a high level of risk injury due to the environment or task activity
- If an employee is considered to be transferred into another role are they physically fit to handle the new position?
- Save costs in absenteeism, presenteeism, productivity, and workers compensation costs by assessing all the workers’ fitness is in line with their job requirements
- Musculoskeletal injuries are on the rise along with worker’s compensation claim
What is involved in a Fit4Work© assessment?
An assessment can be conducted on-site or at the assessment provider’s location. The tailored specific-to-the-role evaluation requires physical activity or may include an alcohol and drug test. Work Options recommends having both the physical and drug and alcohol testing take place at the same time for a thorough assessment of the potential new employee.
During the assessment:
- A health questionnaire is filled out and discussed with the assessor
- Physical assessment of a range of movement according to the tasks involved in the employee’s role including:
- Overview of posture
- Bending
- Picking up an object with weight
- Squatting
- Stepping
- Reaching
- Strength for manual handling
- Blood pressure is checked and recorded
- Drug and alcohol testing
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- Urine or saliva samples
- Alcohol breathalyser test
A business can safeguard itself from workplace injuries and costly claims by assessing candidate’s physical strength before appointing them the job. Make this the last step in your recruitment process. Save time in hiring the right person for the job.
Don’t delay the prospective employee’s commencement, schedule a Fit4Work© assessment today.