Pre-Employment Medical Checklist for Employers
A practical checklist to help you set up a compliant, effective pre-employment screening process for your business.
Before You Start: Setting Up Your Screening Process
A pre-employment medical is only as useful as the process behind it. Before you start sending candidates for assessments, you need to define what you are screening for, why you are screening for it, and how the results will be used. Without this groundwork, you risk running assessments that are either too generic to be useful or too broad to be legally defensible.
The foundation of a good screening process starts with understanding the physical demands of each role. Not every position in your business needs the same level of assessment. An office-based coordinator has different physical requirements to a warehouse operator or a site supervisor. Your screening criteria should reflect those differences.
Start by identifying which roles in your business have significant physical demands, safety-critical responsibilities, or exposure to workplace hazards. For each of those roles, document the specific physical tasks the person will be required to perform. This is where a job task analysis becomes valuable - it gives you a defensible, documented basis for the screening criteria you apply to each role.
Finally, choose a provider who understands occupational health - not just a GP clinic that runs through a standard template. Your provider should be able to tailor assessments to match the actual demands of each role and deliver clear, actionable reports that help you make informed hiring decisions.
The Pre-Employment Medical Checklist
Use this checklist to make sure your screening process covers all the essentials. Each item should be addressed before, during, or after the assessment.
Role Requirements and Documentation
Identify all roles that require pre-employment screening based on physical demands, safety risks, or hazard exposure.
Document the physical demands for each role - lifting weights, postures, repetitive tasks, environmental exposures, and any critical safety requirements.
Ensure a conditional offer of employment has been made before requesting the medical assessment.
Candidate Consent and Communication
Obtain written consent from the candidate before the assessment. The consent form should explain what information will be collected and how it will be used.
Provide the candidate with clear instructions on what to bring and how to prepare - including medication lists, glasses or hearing aids, and comfortable clothing.
Medical History and Health Review
Include a comprehensive medical history questionnaire covering musculoskeletal history, cardiovascular health, respiratory conditions, neurological conditions, and current medications.
Review any previous workplace injuries or workers compensation claims relevant to the role demands.
Physical Assessment
Conduct a musculoskeletal assessment including range of motion, strength testing, and functional movement screening relevant to the role.
Include cardiovascular fitness screening where the role involves sustained physical exertion, heat exposure, or emergency response requirements.
Include vision testing where the role requires driving, operating machinery, or working at heights.
Drug and Alcohol Testing
Include drug and alcohol testing where the role is safety-sensitive or your workplace policy requires it. Ensure the testing method and cut-off levels are documented in your policy.
Functional Testing
Include role-specific functional tasks where the role has defined physical demands - for example, lifting and carrying at the weights specified in the job task analysis, sustained postures, or climbing.
Include audiometry where the role involves noise exposure above 85dB or where hearing is critical to safety.
Include spirometry where the role involves respiratory hazards such as dust, fumes, or the use of respiratory protective equipment.
Results Handling and Record Keeping
Ensure the assessment report provides a clear fitness-for-duty outcome: fit, fit with restrictions, or unfit - with recommendations specific to the role.
Define in advance who receives the report and what level of clinical detail is disclosed. Employers should receive fitness-for-duty outcomes, not detailed medical diagnoses.
Store medical records separately from personnel files in a secure, confidential location with restricted access.
Retain records for the duration of employment plus a minimum of seven years, or as required by applicable legislation and industry regulations.
Compliance and Review
Ensure your screening process is applied consistently across all candidates for the same role. Inconsistent application may create discrimination risks.
Review your screening criteria annually or whenever role demands, legislation, or industry standards change. Document any updates to your screening protocols.
Common Mistakes Employers Make
Even employers with good intentions can set up screening processes that are ineffective or non-compliant. Here are the most common mistakes we see.
Using generic assessments not matched to the role
A one-size-fits-all medical does not tell you whether a candidate can perform the specific demands of the role you are hiring for. If your warehouse pickers are getting the same assessment as your admin staff, the results are not going to be useful. Every assessment should be built around the physical demands of the actual role.
Requesting a medical before making a conditional offer
Screening candidates before a conditional offer of employment has been made can create legal risks under anti-discrimination legislation. The assessment should confirm the candidate's fitness for the specific role after they have been selected, not be used as a filtering tool during the recruitment process.
Inconsistent application across candidates
If you require a pre-employment medical for one candidate in a role, you should require it for all candidates in that role. Inconsistent application - screening some candidates but not others for the same position - can expose your business to claims of discrimination or unfair treatment.
Not having a written screening policy
Without a documented policy, your screening process relies on individual decisions and informal practices. A written policy ensures consistency, provides a defensible basis for your screening requirements, and gives candidates clarity on what to expect.
Storing medical records in personnel files
Medical information is sensitive personal information under the Privacy Act 1988. It should be stored separately from general personnel files in a secure location with restricted access. Only people who need the information to make employment decisions should have access to it.
How to Get Started
Setting up a compliant, effective screening process does not need to be complicated. Here is how we work with employers to get it right from the start.
Contact us with your requirements
Tell us about your business, the roles you are hiring for, and any specific screening requirements from your clients or industry regulations. We will arrange an initial consultation to understand your needs.
We review your roles and physical demands
We review the physical demands of each role and recommend appropriate screening criteria. If you do not have documented physical demands or a job task analysis, we can develop these for you.
We set up a tailored screening process
We build a screening protocol for each role type, set up your booking process, and deliver assessments on-site or at our clinic. You receive clear, actionable reports that help you make confident hiring decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should a pre-employment medical be conducted?
Pre-employment medicals should be conducted after a conditional offer of employment has been made but before the candidate starts work. This ensures the assessment is job-relevant and compliant with anti-discrimination legislation.
Do all roles need a pre-employment medical?
Not all roles require a pre-employment medical. However, any role with significant physical demands, safety-critical responsibilities, or exposure to hazards should include appropriate screening. Your workplace health provider can help you determine which roles need screening.
How often should pre-employment medical requirements be reviewed?
Review your pre-employment medical requirements annually or whenever role demands change. Changes in legislation, industry standards, or job tasks may require updates to your screening criteria.
Key Benefits of a Structured Screening Process
- Reduced workplace injuries from hiring mismatches
- Lower workers compensation premiums over time
- Defensible, documented screening criteria
- Compliance with anti-discrimination requirements
- Confident hiring decisions based on clinical data
- Clear records for insurer and regulatory audits
Want Help Setting Up Your Screening Process?
We work with employers across Sydney to set up compliant, role-specific pre-employment screening programs.
Contact Usor call 0431 092 829
Content reviewed by Jovi Villanueva, AHPRA Registered Physiotherapist (PHY0001876394), SIRA Approved Provider, Principal Physiotherapist at Wellworx Workplace Solutions.
Ready to Set Up a Compliant Screening Process?
Contact us to discuss your screening requirements. We will review your roles and build a tailored pre-employment medical program for your business.