Why should I test my seasonal workers?
What is a Fit for Duty Assessment?
Fit for Duty (FFD) assessments are known by many other names across the industry such as Post Offer of Employment Tests (POET) or Pre/Post Offer Screens (POS). At Apex, we follow the lead of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety in choosing to assess whether an individual is fit to perform their duties.
In more detail, FFD assessments offer objective measures used to determine whether a prospective employee meets the physical capabilities required to perform the job functions. Each FFD assessment is constructed to reflect the specific demands described for the given job. As a result, our assessments may test for a combination of demands such as: vision, hearing, respirator fitness, lifting/carrying ability or manual dexterity, among others.
Why do I need to have Fit for Duty Assessments completed?
As an employer who prioritizes employee health, FFD assessments offer peace of mind. It’s like going grocery shopping with an ingredient list in hand; you know what you’re shopping for and how you intend to use it. In our case, we know what we’re looking for (job demand) and know how each demand will be used.
In general, FFD assessments are a useful tool to ensure that prospective employees can safely meet the physical demands of their jobs. They can also be utilized in Return-to-Work scenarios, ensuring that employees can safely perform their job functions after undergoing injury.
Why is this important for my seasonal workers in particular?
Let’s talk about one of the realities of employment – money!
As an employer, there are definite positives and negatives to hiring seasonal workers. They are fitting a clear and specific need during their time with your company. You are saving money by not having to pay wages and benefits for the time that they are not with your company.
At the same time, you require them to be just as productive (sometimes more productive!) during their work. According to WSIB statistics, an average of 7.5 days per month were lost due to injury/illness in 2014. In addition, a total of $2.42 Billion was paid out in 2014 for total benefit payments, with high impact claims accounting for 42% of that rather large amount. How frustrating would it be if a seasonal worker became injured? An employer would be required to pay for the benefits of the injured worker and likely have to pay for wages and training for a replacement worker.
This is where FFD assessments can play a supporting role in your health and wellness program. While no assessment is infallible, the individual test protocols used by Apex have been shown by research to be strongly reliable and valid. Also, we probably won’t charge $2.42 Billion for our FFD assessments.
Let’s minimize the risk of seasonal employees getting injured by testing their abilities against the job demands. Contact Apex today!