It asking if I've ever consulted with a doctor in the past 12 months... do I really need to fill out any minor ailments that might have had me at the doctors, will they check? It seems pointless. It also asks if I've ever had anxiety, depression or any nervous complaint... I'd rather just put 'no'. Will they check with my doctor?
Work medical questionnaire
- Thread starter tar1984
- Start date
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
Have they offered you the job yet?
Yes, I've been working there for a couple of months on an agency contract, and this is a job offer from the company I am working in.
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
Well the law's tightened up a bit on the use of health questionnaires. Specifically pre-offer of employment* but you can fairly much extend the principle (although that's not explicit) to after starting work too.
The bottom line is that the employment tribunals will take a pretty dim view of an employer needlessly coercing irrelevant health information from an employee. However the downside to not disclosing a disability is that it hands the employer a perfect excuse for not making any reasonable adjustments required (for example) on the grounds that they didn't and couldn't be expected to know.
* Shouldn't ask for disclosure unless the employer can objectively justify it, and the threshold for that's quite high.
Thanks!
Well I'm not sure how justifiable it is, it's just a call-centre. It's not even about disability, it's asking stuff about UTIs and headaches. I guess in case I have time off sick in the future, it would help my case to have it on my file. Do you think I should just answer it all honestly?
There is nothing asking for permission to speak to the doctor.
Well I'm not sure how justifiable it is, it's just a call-centre. It's not even about disability, it's asking stuff about UTIs and headaches. I guess in case I have time off sick in the future, it would help my case to have it on my file. Do you think I should just answer it all honestly?
There is nothing asking for permission to speak to the doctor.
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
Does it threaten to sack you anywhere for failing to disclose?
Nah just a bit to sign saying all info is accurate to best of my knowledge. And the info will only be accessed when it is essential in resolve internal processes, which I take to mean back-to-work interviews etc.
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
"resolve internal processes" can also be code for disciplinaries, dismissal or capability/ ill health procedure. But they can't be checking this stuff unless (a) you have a health problem in the future which means they want a medical report from your doctor which you specifically have to give permission for; and (b) in those circumstances they remember to ask your GP if there was a pre existing problem.
So as long as you don't do any massive misleading major lies, I think the risk of having a problem as a result of not declaring every minor ailment is relatively low.
Fab, thanks cesare. I love that I was able to talk to someone well versed in employment law at this time of night.
Dunno I might just fill it in accurately anyway, it's just a bit personal for my liking.
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
It would have to be a disability for it to be potentially unlawful. And going after them for it is a hassle. I'd probably consider carefully whether you'd suffered from anxiety that was relevant to call centre work and if to the best of your knowledge you hadn't - not declare any other kind of anxiety. For example
It would have to be a disability for it to be potentially unlawful. And going after them for it is a hassle. I'd probably consider carefully whether you'd suffered from anxiety that was relevant to call centre work and if to the best of your knowledge you hadn't - not declare any other kind of anxiety. For example
I think I am with you
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
From what I can gather (And I'm not a lawyer and haven't been involved in a union since the 2010 act passed) - I would say the legal onus would be on them (if they withdrew their offer) to prove that they had taken a reasonable decision that you would not be fit to do the job safely.
Guidance document for employers (opens as PDF) here on Equality & Human Rights Commission website.
it probably would be illegal, but it's been illegal for years for companies to decline to employ people because of their gender / race, and there's organisations out there who manage it, they are just a bit discreet about it...
they might find that "their circumstances have changed and they don't have a job to offer you"
some employers are very negative towards anything remotely in the line of 'mental health' - my gut feeling is if they are not checking with your doctor (which as has been said, they would need your specific written permission for) then keep quiet.
but yes, you would lose the limited protection of the equalities act in the event of future problems, although I'm not sure how useful those protections are if you do get ill at work with a long term problem. I don't think it over-rides the right of employers to get shot of people on 'capability' grounds.
Best of luck.
Cheers. I'm gonna give myself a clean bill of health since I don't consider myself to have any health problems that will stop me doing the job, and nothings likely to come up in future.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
This whole thing is bloody stressful mind. I'm onto the work history bit now, how am I meant to remember exact dates I started and finished jobs?
I did one application a while back that wanted all jobs back to when I left school (which is longer ago than I like to admit) and they wanted exact bloody dates. I just put 1st of the month for everything and said somewhere "date approximate and to the best of my memory"
Good idea. Most annoying thing is that when I applied for this agency position, I phoned round old employers for the exact dates, but since then I seem to have discarded the bit of paper I wrote it on
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
It's a PITA eh. I had a bit of advice way back when about this. Do a cv once with all the dates and everything you can think of, then update it every 6 months or so, so you've always got a fairly up to date base document you can refer to/use. Doesn't help for this form right now of course, but maybe for the future.This whole thing is bloody stressful mind. I'm onto the work history bit now, how am I meant to remember exact dates I started and finished jobs?
That's what I should have done. I really wish I'd updated my CV when I found the dates, might have to phone ex-employers again tomorrow
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
I think if I rang some of my former employers (and that's not counting the ones that are no longer in business) they would say "who the heck are you?"
I've managed to get all my dates going back 10 years, one of the upsides of working for companies with big HR departments I guess
stuff_it
Too skool for cool
Presumably you can offer a personal reference as well if they need it? Haven't you been in college/uni during that time? Would a teacher or lecturer vouch for you?
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
There are people on here that have known you for five years, tar
Not for five years though. I did a year of college and I've done two years of uni. There isn't even anyone from uni I could put down, I have never met my academic advisor!
There are people on here that have known you for five years, tar
Do internet people count?
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
They count when employers do that sneaky snoopy thing on employees' social media pages. I don't see why they shouldn't count when it works the other wayDo internet people count?
