Showing Your Cards: Insisting on Pre-Employment Physicals
Poker has always been a game more reliant on intent and projection than on the actual collection of cards in a given player’s hand. That’s what makes it a gamble.
But if a player would show his or her hand before the betting and calls began, all of the excitement and tension would immediately disappear. The gamble would be over. The outcome would be immediately known. Safe and predictable.To apply this example to the operation of a business, unlike a poker game, no one wants to gamble with outcomes. The idea of a safe, predictable set of facts and conditions sounds perfect. So let’s not hide the cards we hold. Let’s show them all, right up front.One of the best ways any business can pursue this strategy comes in the form of conducting pre-employment physicals, performed by a licensed physician, to determine a candidate’s physical fitness for the job an employer wants to fill.Sounds so obvious and logical, right? But not every employer insists on this simple process – or they bring candidates on before the process has been completed – and in either case, the consequences can be costly, embarrassing, and damaging to short- and long-term profitability.For example, say a company hires and places a group of new employees into its field operations before receiving the results of their physicals. One of the new recruits suffers an injury almost immediately. The physical may have given the employer enough information to keep this person from a job with conditions that he was not capable of safely executing.It’s imperative to remember that you as the employer are responsible for whatever physical conditions are present among your employees. That means in the example that the employer was on the hook for medical costs and recovery programs for the injured employee – all of which might have been easily avoided by not rushing the person into an inappropriate role.A pre-employment physical examination helps to guarantee the employer of a lower rate of absenteeism due to sickness, injuries, or occupational hazard. It also helps avoid workers compensation issues, lost production, and higher operational costs.In short, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Show all your cards right up front and take the gamble out of operating your business by conducting and abiding by pre-employment physicals for all new hires. Contact the professionals at The Reschini Group to learn more.
Copyright 2020 The Reschini GroupThe Reschini Group provides these updates for information only, and does not provide legal advice. To make decisions regarding insurance matters, please consult directly with a licensed insurance professional or firm.