Pre-employment or fitness-to-work physical examinations include basic testing of an employee’s vitals, including blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, vision, hearing, weight, and height. 

An employee will also be asked about their family health history, medications they take, drug and alcohol use, and other lifestyle questions. Various laboratory tests may also be ordered, including drug and alcohol screening.

An evaluator may also assess an employee’s ability to handle stress and inquire about other behavioral factors or even conduct a full psychological evaluation.

If the job involves heavy lifting or labor, physical and stamina ability will be tested.

A comprehensive physical for work is often called a medical exam, employee physical, annual physical exam, or executive physical.

The exam includes testing vitals, laboratory tests, lifestyle assessments, psychological evaluations, and more.

The type of physical examination an employer may require depends on the nature of the employee’s work, the employer’s industry, and regulatory requirements.

A physical exam checklist can include one or more of the following:

• Vital signs (heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, height, and weight).
• Hearing and vision
• Drug and alcohol use
• Psychological health
• Physical ability and stamina

During a workplace physical exam, a medical provider will use several techniques to capture an employee’s medical health. These include:

• Inspecting (observing issues, such as bruising or abnormal eye movement)
• Palpating (pressing the employee’s abdomen to monitor the internal organs)
• Percussing (checking the density of certain areas of the body)
• Auscultating (listening to the heart and lungs with a stethoscope)