Work and Pre-Employment Physicals: What to Expect

What is a work physical?

It is a fitness-for-duty assessment. Rather than reviewing your health in general, it asks a narrower question: can this person safely perform the physical demands of this particular job?

That means the content varies by role. A warehouse position involving repeated lifting is assessed differently from a desk-based one, and roles with specific hazards may carry their own requirements. OSHA describes medical screening and surveillance obligations that apply to certain occupational exposures.

When can an employer require one?

This is worth understanding, because it protects you.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, an employer generally may not require a medical examination before making a job offer. Once a conditional job offer has been made, an employer may require a medical exam, provided it does so for all entering employees in that job category. The EEOC sets this out in its guidance for job applicants.

For employees already in a role, medical examinations must generally be job-related and consistent with business necessity, a standard the EEOC explains in its enforcement guidance.

Drug testing occupies a different category and is not treated as a medical examination under the ADA in the same way, which is why it can be handled at a different stage.

If any of this feels unclear in your situation, the EEOC pages above are the authoritative source, and this article is general information rather than legal advice.

What happens at the exam?

Most work physicals cover:

• Medical history, including previous injuries, surgeries, and current medications
• Vital signs: blood pressure, pulse, height, and weight
• Vision screening, and hearing where the role requires it
• Heart and lung examination
• Musculoskeletal assessment, particularly the back, shoulders, and joints for roles involving lifting or repetitive movement
• Job-specific components requested by the employer

The result that reaches your employer is usually a clearance decision, along with any work restrictions, rather than your full medical detail.

What about drug screening?

Many employers pair a pre-employment physical with a drug screen, and Serenity handles both. Collection follows chain-of-custody procedure, documentation is completed properly, and results route to the employer’s designated contact. SAMHSA publishes background on workplace drug testing programmes.

If your employer’s programme has a specific panel or protocol, they should tell the clinic in advance. Employers can call (248) 482-8809 to confirm requirements before sending anyone over.

What should I bring?

• Any forms your employer gave you. This is the one that matters most; arriving without the paperwork is the usual reason someone has to return.
• A photo ID. Drug screen collection requires it.
• A list of current medications, including prescriptions, which can be relevant to both the exam and the screen.
• Glasses or contact lenses, if you wear them, since vision is usually tested.
• Details of relevant past injuries, particularly to the back or joints for physically demanding roles.

How long does it take, and do I need an appointment?

Not at Serenity. Work physicals are walk-in visits, 7 days a week, which is generally the fastest route when a start date depends on clearance. The exam and the paperwork are completed in the same visit.

Weekend availability matters for post-incident screening in particular, which cannot reasonably wait until Monday.

What other exams do employers ask for?

Serenity also handles:

• Return-to-work exams, documenting clearance after an illness or injury
• Employment physicals for existing staff where a role requires periodic assessment
• OSHA-related services tied to a compliance programme
• Vaccinations and TB testing required for specific roles, particularly in healthcare and education

Details for employers are on the occupational health page.

What if the exam finds a problem?

Being flagged is not the same as being disqualified. Many findings lead to a follow-up, a work restriction, or a treatable issue being managed rather than to a job being withdrawn. Occasionally an exam turns up something genuinely important that had gone unnoticed, which is a reasonable argument for taking the appointment seriously rather than treating it as a formality.

If you are injured at work rather than being screened for a job, that is a different pathway. See workers’ compensation, and note that Michigan gives employers the right to direct where an injured employee is treated for the first 28 days.