Being asked to take a fitness-for-duty evaluation when filling out an application for a new job that requires you to be in high stress situations sometimes causes stress in itself. If you don’t know exactly what this kind of assessment means, we have some additional information to help you get through the evaluation and feel comfortable.
Question: What is a Fitness-for-Duty Evaluation?
Answer: A Fitness-For-Duty Evaluation (FFDE) is a psychological exam undergone by an applicant as part of their pre-employment/onboarding process. The FFDE might also be performed with a current employee whose fitness to continue working is in question.
Question: When might a company request this?
Answer: When the FFDE is requested as part of a pre-employment screen, the goal is often to determine whether the applicant is mentally, and psychologically healthy enough for the high-stress, dangerous job that they’re seeking. The results are a large part of the final hiring decision. When the FFDE is necessary for current employees, it may be: (1) after the employee’s own criminal or violent incident; or (2) in response to signs of impairment or unusual behavior in the employee.
Question: What happens in a pre-employment Fitness-for-Duty Evaluation with a civil servant?
Answer:
- Measures of Risk to Self & Others
- Personality measure(s)
- Intellectual ability inventories
- Wide-ranging clinical interview covering such topics as developmental history, previous employment, major life events, education, legal history, financial history, driving record, use of substances, emotional well-being, and preparation for work in civil service.
Unfortunately, people question the legality of requiring this assessment as a pre-hire procedure. The process is completely legal, however, there are some restrictions when it comes to disabilities, due to the ADA. To assess someone with a disability, an employer must determine if the disability conflicts with job-related duties and consistent with business necessity. To assess correctly, the employer must determine if:
- the employee’s condition may prevent the employee from performing the job’s essential functions, or
- the employee poses a direct threat to his or her own safety or the safety of others.
The employer should always base the decision to evaluate someone based on facts, rather than stereotypes and assumptions. If done correctly, the evaluations should allow both employees and employers to feel comfortable as well as determine the best fit for employment.