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About pre-employment medical examination

What is a pre-employment medical examination?

A pre-employment medical examination is an examination of the applicant's physical and/or psychological health, as the last part of the application procedure. But note: such an examination is an exception, not a rule.

When is this examination allowed?

For some positions, an employee must meet certain medical requirements. These are jobs that may pose risks to the health or safety of the employee himself/herself or others. Special job requirements have been formulated for these positions, such as for divers, firefighters, pilots or professional soldiers. In these cases, a pre-employment medical examination may be part of an application procedure.

Usually, such an examination is not necessary. For most jobs, no special job requirements apply, in which case pre-employment medical examinations are not only unnecessary but even prohibited. An administrative assistant with a fear of heights can do his job very well, but for a roofer it may be different. Furthermore, the employer and the employee can always check together whether adjustments to the workplace are needed to eliminate any risks.

Rules for pre-employment medical examinations

The company doctor decides whether a pre-employment medical examination is justified for a certain position. After a positive advice, he or she informs the employer about the purpose and content of the examination. The examination is limited to the special job requirements and is not a general and overall inspection. Furthermore, the examination may only take place at the end of the application procedure; the employer must already intend to hire the applicant. The vacancy text must also state that a pre-employment medical examination is part of the procedure. The employer must also inform the applicant in advance and in writing about the purpose and content of the examination and about his or her rights. Does the examination not meet the legal conditions? Then the candidate has the right to refuse it.

The rules for pre-employment medical examinations are set out in the Medical Examinations Act (Wet op de medische keuringen (Wmk), in Dutch). This law aims to prevent people with a possible health problem from being excluded from a job. It is not allowed to use the pre-employment medical examination to estimate the risk of sickness absenteeism or disability in the future.

The company doctor performs the pre-employment medical examination

The company doctor thus performs the examination at the end of a job application procedure, at the employer's request. The examination may consist of questionnaires, an interview and/or additional physical or laboratory tests. The Medical Examinations Act protects the job applicant.

The company doctor is not allowed to ask or examine everything. The company doctor is not allowed to ask questions or examine pregnancy, serious untreatable diseases, HIV and hereditary diseases. Investigations into alcohol, drugs and medicines are only allowed if this is important for the job. Exactly what a company doctor may and may not do during a pre-employment medical examination is described in detail.

Where can you turn if you disagree with the procedure or the results of the examination?

If you disagree with the procedure or the results of the pre-employment medical examination, you can submit a complaint to the Complaints Committee for Pre-employment Medical Examinations (Commissie Klachtenafhandeling Aanstellingskeuringen, CKA). The CKA also provides information and advice on what is and what is not allowed during examinations. Job applicants, employees, employers, HR officers, works councils, company doctors and psychologists can contact the committee.

Contact

Want to know more about pre-employment medical examinations?
Contact the Commissie Klachtenafhandeling Aanstellingskeuringen.
070 349 95 73 or email: info@aanstellingskeuringen.nl