The
greatest fear of most hiring managers is making an employment mistake that will
result in financial loss. Finding an employee that has the physical strength to
do the job is key to limiting this risk. Hiring an individual that does not
have the physical strength to do the job may potentially lead to an injury. Not
only does hiring someone who is not physically able to perform the job mean
that an employer may have to absorb the costs of attrition, but it could risk paying
out a sizable workers’ compensation claim plus the indirect costs of lost wages.
All told, the cost of a single new employee who is unfit for duty could result
in a $100,000 hiring mistake.
Employers
are at a greater risk of a $100,000 hiring mistake if they extend an offer of
employment to an individual who has suffered a previous injury. While the law
prohibits employers from asking job candidates about previous injuries during
the interview process, employers may receive medical information, including
previous injuries, from a post offer physical strength test if this information
was gathered to ensure that they are physically able to undergo such testing.
If
a new hire’s physical condition is objectively measured and documented,
employers can better protect themselves from pre-existing injuries and more
importantly, those related impairments, making the post offer test a critical,
cost-saving step in the hiring process.
The Risk of Reinjury
When
new hires bring previous injuries into the workplace, they put themselves, and
their new employer at risk. Over time, a previous injury could become
aggravated by lifting, bending, pulling, or twisting. Or, a single workplace
incident such as a slip and fall, could be the catalyst for reinjuring a
shoulder, back, hand or wrist.
Having
objective data on existing impairments can help protect an employer against
paying claims against pre-existing conditions. Many state statutes protect
employers from pre-existing injuries but they must be documented.
Job simulation vs. the Physical Capacity
Profile® Test
Employers
may legally make a new hire offer contingent upon the applicant's completion of
a physical evaluation. To determine whether or not a job candidate is
physically able to perform his or her job duties, some employers have relied on
pre-placement physical exams that attempt to determine whether a person has the
ability to do the essential functions of the job. Many such tests often attempt
to simulate the physical tasks of specific jobs. While those simulations are capable
of identifying overt job incompatibility issues, they lack the ability to objectively
measure previous injuries and impairments—leaving employers vulnerable if an
undocumented injury becomes aggravated on the job.
The Physical Capacity Profile® (PCP) Test has
the ability to identify whether a person has the physical strength to do the
job, assess existing impairments and determine baseline information for
potential rehabilitation of injuries. All three of these factors help limit and
decrease the risk in making a $100,000 hiring mistake.
The PCP Test: Objective Data and Reliable
Results
The
PCP test requires the applicant to complete a collection of multiple strength
tests that are captured electronically and helps human resource professionals
place an applicant in the proper job level as determined by the U.S. Department
of Labor’s levels of work. The PCP Test
also objectively measures related impairments based on the American Medical
Association (AMA) guidelines.
Most
state workers' compensation statutes require an employer to pay for workers'
compensation claims to the degree that the injury or aggravation occurred at
the workplace. Employers are better protected from paying the cost of an injury
that occurred outside of their employment.
Establishing
a reliable baseline through the PCP Test can help an employer ensure that the
employee and employer are equally protected should an injury occur. Having objective baseline information
available to share with a treating physician aids in effectively establishing maximum
medical improvement (MMI). Without the
baseline scores, employers may end up paying for additional rehabilitation
treatments and lost time spent trying to meet unidentified and/or unreachable
targets. The employee is protected because he or she knows what his or her
pre-injury capabilities were and know that they will be fairly compensated
should they not meet them.
A
physical evaluation conducted using the PCP Test arms an employer with the
objective data necessary to mitigate the financial impact of hiring an employee
that does not meet the physical demands of the job, ensuring that if a hiring
mistake occurs, the associated costs are fixed.
For
more information on how the PCP Test can mitigate the financial risks of hiring
physically unfit job candidates, contactOccupational Performance Corporation, or
click here to locatea PCP Testing
location near you.
