Why Do Employers Do ’Fitness for Duty’ Assessments

A Fitness for Duty Assessment is a psychological assessment that's designed to ensure your safety, as well as the safety of your colleagues and others. A psychologist conducts this evaluation in order to determine if you have the ability to perform the essential functions of your job. The psychologist will provide you feedback and ask you to take specific tests.

FFDs can be requested by employers to help them manage risks, safety, and productivity. 

For example, if an employee threatens to hurt themselves, their employer should refer them for an FFD assessment. Based on the psychology assessment, the employee's risk of carrying out the threat would be evaluated. It would also be evaluated whether other employees are safe at work.

In an FFD, there are certain components

The individual interview allows the psychologist to ask you questions about your childhood and current struggles. This evaluation tends to focus on a specific incident. The time allows you to discuss the identified incident directly with the assessor from your perspective.

An interview with a collateral provides the psychologist with an opportunity to learn about your history from someone you know. Most people speak to a spouse, parent, supervisor or coworker. Collateral interviews give the psychologist a better idea of who you are and how you function in the world.

Would you like to know whether my employer can make me take an FFD Assessment?

While employers have a right to assess the abilities of their employees, it’s important that they do so in a fair manner.During the hiring process, employers may ask employees questions about their disabilities or medical examinations. However, employees have the right to decline to answer these questions or take the test.

When one or more employees are potentially unsafe because of the state of mind of another employee, employers may request a fitness for duty exam. However, an employer must have a reasonable belief that the affected employee is a danger to either themselves or others.

PTSD situations(Post-traumatic stress disorder) for Employees

• The employer cannot pursue a psychological assessment for an employee with PTSD unless the employee's performance is significantly affected or they pose a threat to other employees.

• It may be helpful for your employer to pursue an assessment from a trained forensic psychologist if you suspect a coworker is depressed, and perhaps suicidal, an assessment from a trained forensic psychologist may be helpful.

Employers may request medical information when they have objective evidence or legitimate reasons to believe you can no longer perform job responsibilities adequately or safely.

In the Legal Information Institute's view, this type of assessment cannot be used to exclude an individual or group of people with disabilities.

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PCP Works offers employment testing to ensure that employees can safely and correctly perform their duties without putting themselves or others at risk. These tests are essential for many industries and help hundreds of companies avoid serious legal consequences in the future by lowering their risk of on-the-job accidents and injuries.???????