Pre-Employment Medical

medi_bai

Posting this here in the hope that someone may be able to offer me some insight!

Had an interview last week with a company for a graduate position, thought the whole process went terribly, but low and behold early this week I got the call that they want to progress me to the next level of the process. So I have a medical early next week, and had to provide contact details for my referees.

When I got the call, I was so amazed that I wasn't getting a "thanks, but no thanks" call(really thought that I had bombed terribly), that I didn't really ask what this means, so I suppose I'm asking what do you guys think in your experience, is this a promising sign? I mean I don't even have my final year results yet so I've been thinking its a bit mad they want to put me through this, and there isn't even any certainty I have a degree!

Any help would be great guys, doing my head in thinking about what all this might/might not mean!!

Tar.Aldarion

When a friend had to do a medical it was because they were making an offer. However he refused to do it and is complaining to the equality authority. But yeah it was a sign they wanted the person in this case.

medi_bai

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

When a friend had to do a medical it was because they were making an offer. However he refused to do it and is complaining to the equality authority. But yeah it was a sign they wanted the person in this case.

Excellent, I really hope so! Its exactly the job I want. I really hope its a good omen, but not counting it in anyway as a sure thing unless I have contracts signed.

Out of interest, why did he refuse to take the medical, if I'm not being too nosey.

Tar.Aldarion

I believe he views it as discrimination and has privacy issues with it and wouldn't want to work there because of it. Best of luck!

Del2005

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

I believe he views it as discrimination and has privacy issues with it and wouldn't want to work there because of it. Best of luck!

Going OT what discrimination was he using? There are only 8 and I can't see how a medical for a job fits any. Most companies these days do medicals to have a baseline in case you sue them at some stage for work related illness or injury.

Tar.Aldarion

I don't know the details any more than that. Think it probably was something related to doing a sedentary job and them not needing to know but I don't know.

ChRoMe

medi_bai wrote: »

Excellent, I really hope so! Its exactly the job I want. I really hope its a good omen, but not counting it in anyway as a sure thing unless I have contracts signed.

Out of interest, why did he refuse to take the medical, if I'm not being too nosey.

There is no way a company would pay for a medical unless they want to hire you. I wonder if "medical" is euphemism for a drug test.

Del2005

ChRoMe wrote: »

There is no way a company would pay for a medical unless they want to hire you. I wonder if "medical" is euphemism for a drug test.

Most likely, but it's also used to cover their ass by having a baseline of your health when starting.

Media999

Had to do a medical myself as their was noisy Machinery in a different close by building but owned by the same company.

Maybe its something similar. OP is there anything like that youre not mentioning?

Only after they gave me the job did they get me to do the medical. Pointless giving someone a medical then not hiring. Makes no sense.

Literally a pre-employment medical.

medi_bai

Media999 wrote: »

Had to do a medical myself as their was noisy Machinery in a different close by building but owned by the same company.

Maybe its something similar. OP is there anything like that youre not mentioning?

Only after they gave me the job did they get me to do the medical. Pointless giving someone a medical then not hiring. Makes no sense.

Literally a pre-employment medical.

Nope, nothing like that nearby, company based on a large site all of there own, no noisey machinery or the likes. They do offer health insurance as part of the employment package, so maybe its because of this? I dunno, I'm just wondering and getting frustrated from the not knowing, as it's not been said "you get the job, assuming the medical is ok" or the likes.

It's really doing my head in! Just going to try and treat this as a not too big deal unless it comes to the day I'm given a contract to sign.

Raging_Ninja

Make sure you can get a copy of the notes or findings of the medical. If they are going to pay for it, may as well take advantage of it for your own records.

CreepingDeath

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

When a friend had to do a medical it was because they were making an offer. However he refused to do it and is complaining to the equality authority. But yeah it was a sign they wanted the person in this case.

Then I think your friends refusal has highlighted psychological/personality issues that a simple medical exam would not catch.

Large companies take out health insurance for employee sick leave, should an employee fall ill for a long period of time. So this is likely a requirement of the companies health insurer. This avoids a company directly paying out wages for years should a permanent employee fall seriously ill.

If someone is paranoid enough to refuse, when that's likely the last bureaucratic stage of being accepted for a position, then the job applicant has shot themselves in the foot. I'd expect any cries of discrimination to be thrown out immediately in court if the company simply presents a flowchart of their recruitment process showing that that was the last stage and the applicant refused.

Also, some companies also want/need to perform a security background check on employees if they're working with financial/sensitive data.
So that typically means someone checking their CV, references, criminal record, etc. The employee has to explicitly agree to this too.

medi_bai wrote: »

Excellent, I really hope so! Its exactly the job I want. I really hope its a good omen, but not counting it in anyway as a sure thing unless I have contracts signed.

Yep, I'd consider a health check as "the job is yours".
A company would not pay the doctors fees for nothing if they weren't going to proceed.
Maybe the final step is them giving you a job offer/outline the financial package and you have to decide to accept it.

The_B_Man

I had to do a medical last week.
Just sucked it up and did it.
They paid for it, and it involved touching me toes, and a few stretches, then he listened to my heart, did that squeezy balloon thing on me arm (blood pressure?) and then told me I was fit as a fiddle. I then had to piss in a cup. Presumably thats purely a drugs test coz I dont know what else you can tell from a jar of piss (NB, I'm not a doctor).

In my case I was told I had an offer on the table, pending references and a medical. In fact, the contract said something along the lines of "NOTE: Do not hand in your notice until after you pass the medical". However, afterwards I was told that someone else was being hired and he wasnt doing the medical until next month, at which stage he'll already have started working there, so while their contract is a bit formal, in practice they seem less informal about the process.

TrueDub

The_B_Man wrote: »

Presumably thats purely a drugs test coz I dont know what else you can tell from a jar of piss (NB, I'm not a doctor).

Diabetes, kidney issues, UTIs, STDs, lots and lots of stuff - urine is the transport for waste products produced by bodily processes, not stuff we can't process.

I've had to do a couple of work medicals - nothing at all to worry about, and it's a checkup paid for by someone else.

The_B_Man

TrueDub wrote: »

Diabetes, kidney issues, UTIs, STDs, lots and lots of stuff.

I await the day that someone gets refused a job because they got the clap from some tart the weekend before their interview!! :p

TrueDub

The_B_Man wrote: »

I await the day that someone gets refused a job because they got the clap from some tart the weekend before their interview!! :p

You asked what else could be told from a jar of p*ss, I answered you - I didn't say they were relevant to employment!

fergalr

The_B_Man wrote: »

I await the day that someone gets refused a job because they got the clap from some tart the weekend before their interview!! :p

I found that 'turn of phrase' really jarring in a professional discussion.



You are highlighting what I think is a real issue though, which is making me disagree with something CreepingDeath said:

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Then I think your friends refusal has highlighted psychological/personality issues that a simple medical exam would not catch.

I see where you are coming from: if someone objects to basic procedures, somehow necessary for their job, then maybe they are just habitually awkward, and not great employee material.


But, the reason things don't go totally '1984' is because of people willing to stick their necks out and object to unreasonable practices.
Just because someone is principled enough to question or object to a particular policy, even when they'll lose a job over it, doesn't mean they are crazy.


What would you do if the potential employer asked for, say, your facebook or personal email credentials? I've heard of this. I'd sure as querying that, if an employer brought it up. Similarly, people should totally be allowed ask what the legit reasons for a medical are, and what the results are going to be used for etc.


Maybe you say that flags they have personality issues?
But maybe this means that they'll be the same person to speak up and save your business six months implementing a project everyone knows is doomed to fail.

CreepingDeath

fergalr wrote: »

Just because someone is principled enough to question or object to a particular policy, even when they'll lose a job over it, doesn't mean they are crazy.

For a simple medical screening, they should not complain about discrimination.
An employer has the right to select applicants in good health who are capable of performing the duties they pay them for, for the foreseeable future.

It might be a grey area if a women is knowingly pregnant and applies for a new job, knowing they're not going to fulfill their work duties for up to 6 months.

fergalr wrote: »

What would you do if the potential employer asked for, say, your facebook or personal email credentials? I've heard of this. I'd sure as querying that, if an employer brought it up.

Mine did, sort of.
Some people refused a vague "security screening" process, others like myself accepted. That probably meant some 3rd party doing a google search/social network search of any public data available, criminal record search etc.
Since I work in the financial sector, it's important not to have any fraud convictions.

Facebook and personal e-mails are a clear separation of personal and working life though. Your current medical status has a very clear impact on how you can perform your daily duties and should not be subject to any cries of discrimination.

fergalr

CreepingDeath wrote: »

For a simple medical screening, they should not complain about discrimination.
An employer has the right to select applicants in good health who are capable of performing the duties they pay them for, for the foreseeable future.

I wasn't talking about 'discrimination' in the legal sense of statutory unfair discrimination.

I'm just objecting to your comment about possible 'psychological/personality issues' for objecting to particular types of screening.

I'm not talking about what's legal for an employer to do - I'm talking about whats reasonable for an employee to query or object to. Its reasonable for employees to object to things beyond certain bounds. Employees who do this shouldn't always be considered as having personality issues; they should often be lauded for sticking their necks out.

CreepingDeath wrote: »

It might be a grey area if a women is knowingly pregnant and applies for a new job, knowing they're not going to fulfill their work duties for up to 6 months.

On this tangent, which you introduced: I don't think that's a grey area; my impression is that is clearcut illegal if an employer treats a woman differently on account of the fact that she is pregnant.

Also: 'knowingly pregnant'? 'not going to fulfill their work duties for up to 6 months'?
Uh, lets just say that sort of language would not be appropriate in a professional hiring context.

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Mine did, sort of.
Some people refused a vague "security screening" process, others like myself accepted. That probably meant some 3rd party doing a google search/social network search of any public data available, criminal record search etc.

Sounds like you don't actually have any idea what you agreed to. I'm not criticising you - that probably made sense for you at the time. But I also wouldn't criticise someone who wanted to know exactly what they were agreeing to.

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Since I work in the financial sector, it's important not to have any fraud convictions.

Facebook and personal e-mails are a clear separation of personal and working life though. Your current medical status has a very clear impact on how you can perform your daily duties and should not be subject to any cries of discrimination.

Facebook and personal emails are clearly separated, to you. Now, I agree with you. But some employers don't, and ask for logins to Facebook (have heard of this in US context).

Someone else would think about certain aspects of their medical status as personal and private - the way you think about your Facebook.

We shouldn't think it unreasonable of them to query why such medical information is being requested by their potential employer, and/or ask for safeguards. We certainly shouldn't say they have psychological or personality issues for doing so, without a lot of context. That's my point.

medi_bai

Just thought I would update and tell you guys that I did infact get the job, handed in the exam results and got the offer next working day!

awec

Do you get health insurance as a benefit in this job?

I had to do a medical when I started in my place for health insurance reasons. If that was the case then the company you are working for now wouldn't even see the results.

~Trixiebelle~

awec wrote: »

Do you get health insurance as a benefit in this job?

I had to do a medical when I started in my place for health insurance reasons. If that was the case then the company you are working for now wouldn't even see the results.

Sorry to hop on this tread but I really need some advice please!

I literally just arrived back from Holland on Wednesday and I got a job offer the next day, pending a medical which I'm due to have this Tuesday.

I think if they test I'm going to fail because I consumed cannabis in every possible way in my 4 days there. I'm not a user by any means but 'When in Rome' and all that!

I'm kicking myself but it was my 1st time visiting Amsterdam and probably before the trip I hadn't smoked in 12 years! Murphy's law but Id hate to miss out on this job opportunity! The medical is with Medmark, is there any hope that it doesn't include one???

Raging_Ninja

~Trixiebelle~ wrote: »

Sorry to hop on this tread but I really need some advice please!

I literally just arrived back from Holland on Wednesday and I got a job offer the next day, pending a medical which I'm due to have this Tuesday.

I think if they test I'm going to fail because I consumed cannabis in every possible way in my 4 days there. I'm not a user by any means but 'When in Rome' and all that!

I'm kicking myself but it was my 1st time visiting Amsterdam and probably before the trip I hadn't smoked in 12 years! Murphy's law but Id hate to miss out on this job opportunity! The medical is with Medmark, is there any hope that it doesn't include one???

Well, you've asked on a public forum. How many people would that company be examining on Tuesday?

You could ring them up and ask what the medical involves?

~Trixiebelle~

Well with 7 branches nationwide I've no idea how many employees they will be examining on Tuesday and I doubt very much HR will be spying on boards.ie of a bank holiday hoping to crop upon my confession of smoking a few doobies and eating brownies whilst on holiday whereby it's perfectly legal to do so, in which case it will never be an issue again.

It only occurred to me on Friday evening that there could be a possibility of a DT and I'd no idea weed stays in your system for so long so I never got to ask what was involved

I'm posting out of desperation now! I don't know whether to cancel altogether or go along and bring my documents from Amsterdam incase I get tested?? It's a mess really, not looking good! :,(

Roquentin

~Trixiebelle~ wrote: »

Well with 7 branches nationwide I've no idea how many employees they will be examining on Tuesday and I doubt very much HR will be spying on boards.ie of a bank holiday hoping to crop upon my confession of smoking a few doobies and eating brownies whilst on holiday whereby it's perfectly legal to do so, in which case it will never be an issue again.

It only occurred to me on Friday evening that there could be a possibility of a DT and I'd no idea weed stays in your system for so long so I never got to ask what was involved

I'm posting out of desperation now! I don't know whether to cancel altogether or go along and bring my documents from Amsterdam incase I get tested?? It's a mess really, not looking good! :,(

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080812173344AAn98Km

~Trixiebelle~

Roquentin wrote: »

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080812173344AAn98Km

Thanks for the link!

Hopefully with the vast amounts of Green tea and water I've been drinking, it will help the process. I really didn't think I'd be lucky enough to get offered the job, it was a long shot. I'd hate to miss out as this would by no means be a regular occurance at all for me. Fingers crossed.... it's going to be a horrible few days of stress!

Roquentin

~Trixiebelle~ wrote: »

Thanks for the link!

Hopefully with the vast amounts of Green tea and water I've been drinking, it will help the process. I really didn't think I'd be lucky enough to get offered the job, it was a long shot. I'd hate to miss out as this would by no means be a regular occurance at all for me. Fingers crossed.... it's going to be a horrible few days of stress!

Id say that if something did show up and they questioned you, id just say was touring europe and went to amsterdam and had a few hash brownies or something. If i was the employer i wouldnt think there was much wrong with that, but then again i am pretty laid back

~Trixiebelle~

Roquentin wrote: »

Id say that if something did show up and they questioned you, id just say was touring europe and went to amsterdam and had a few hash brownies or something. If i was the employer i wouldnt think there was much wrong with that, but then again i am pretty laid back

I'm hopeful it will be cleared out by 6 days, I've lost a lot of weight in recent years so my metabolism is pretty good. I'll just be so embarrassed if it was to show up and it's an American Multi so I don't think they will take it as an excuse... Nightmare! Good few days but not worth it now! Thanks for your help

ChRoMe

even with the metabolism of an Olympic athlete, the body can't flush THC in six days

Tar.Aldarion

It matters or it doesn't nothing you can do about it so just go along and do your test.
Some won't care, some will, extra worry will make you feel bad and do nothing else.

~Trixiebelle~

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

It matters or it doesn't nothing you can do about it so just go along and do your test.
Some won't care, some will, extra worry will make you feel bad and do nothing else.

Your right. I think the way I'm feeling I'll fail the medical with high blood pressure anyway. There's really nothing else I can do but accept that perhaps it's not meant to be.