The offer letter arrives, and attached to it is one more step before your start date: a pre-employment physical. If you have never had one, it is natural to wonder what exactly they are checking, who sees the results, and whether something in your medical history can cost you the job. Here is how these exams work, for new hires and for the employers who send them.
What the exam usually includes
A pre-employment physical checks whether you can safely do the essential parts of the job you have been offered. A typical exam includes:
- Vital signs: blood pressure, pulse, temperature, height, and weight
- Vision screening, and hearing screening for many roles
- A general physical examination: heart, lungs, abdomen, joints, and reflexes
- Range of motion and mobility checks matched to the job, such as lifting, bending, pushing, or standing for long periods
- A review of your medical history and current medications
Depending on the job and the employer, the visit can also include lab work such as a TB test, which is common in healthcare, childcare, and food handling roles, and vaccinations or immunity checks for healthcare positions. Pre-employment physicals are one of the services we provide at C&C Express Urgent Care in Riverdale, for individual new hires and for local employers onboarding several people at once.
It varies with the job
There is no single standard exam, because the point is fitness for a specific role. A warehouse job that involves lifting will test strength and movement. A desk job may involve little beyond vitals and vision. A driving or safety sensitive role carries its own regulated requirements. The employer’s paperwork defines the exam, which is why bringing that paperwork with you, exactly as issued, matters more than anything else on the day.
When in the hiring process, and why
These exams normally happen after a conditional offer of employment, not during the early interview rounds. That timing is deliberate: under US disability law, medical examinations are generally a post offer step, and the exam must be related to the job the person will actually do. Employers use the results to confirm fitness for the role’s essential functions and to identify any accommodations that would help the new hire do the job safely.
Who sees your results
This is the part that worries people most, and the answer is reassuring. Your detailed medical information stays confidential. What the employer receives is a fitness determination: fit for the role, fit with specific restrictions, or not fit, along with any work restrictions the provider recommends. Your diagnoses, your history, and your lab values are not handed to your new manager. The clinic’s role is to report the determination accurately, not to share your medical record.
For employers: arranging exams for your team
If you hire regularly, a standing arrangement beats sending every new hire out with a paper form and a hope. A clinic that handles your onboarding exams can keep your required forms on file, apply the same checks consistently across hires, and return determinations quickly so start dates do not slip. If you are a Riverdale area employer setting up pre-employment screening for new hires, talk to us through our contact page or call 770-217-5479 and we will set up the process around your roles and forms.
What to bring
- The employer’s forms and instructions, exactly as issued to you
- A photo ID
- A list of your current medications
- Glasses or contacts if you wear them, and hearing aids if you use them
- Any medical records directly relevant to the job’s physical demands, such as recent surgery clearances
Frequently asked questions
What if I “fail”?
A pre-employment exam is not a pass or fail test of your whole health. If something comes up, the usual outcomes are a determination of fit with restrictions, a request for more information from your own doctor, or occasionally a finding that a specific essential function cannot be done safely. Many findings simply become accommodations. Being honest about your history gives the provider the full picture and almost always leads to a fairer determination than surprises do.
What should I wear?
Comfortable clothes you can move in, since mobility and range of motion are part of many exams, and shoes you can walk and stand in. If the job involves physical tasks, expect to demonstrate versions of them.
How long are the results valid?
There is no universal validity period. Employers set their own windows, commonly tied to your start date, so an exam taken months before you begin may need to be repeated. Your employer’s instructions will say, and if they do not, ask them before you book.
Does it include a drug test?
Only if the employer requests one. Drug screening is a separate service from the physical exam itself, and many employers order both for the same visit. Your offer paperwork will say whether a drug screen is part of your appointment, and if it is unclear, ask the employer before you come in so everything is completed in one trip.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. It does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a qualified healthcare provider. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For non-emergency care, call C&C Express Urgent Care at 770-217-5479 or book a visit online.