Fitness-for-Duty Psychological Evaluations

Fitness-for-Duty Psychological Evaluations

Do you know how to navigate the risks surrounding fitness-for-duty evaluations? Learn how they can be a valuable tool without bringing risk. Businesses in the public and private sector are often unaware of how to set both the parameters and the stage for fitness-for-duty evaluations. Frequently, Employment Assistant Programs (EAPS) are asked to determine whether or not someone should remain at work. In most cases this is not an appropriate use of an EAP. In addition, sometimes what is needed is a workplace violence evaluation instead of a fitness-for-duty evaluation. The urgency in workplace violence assessments and the determination of whether to call first responders are not issues in fitness-for-duty evaluations. This topic will discuss both the pitfalls and benefits of using fitness-for-duty evaluations. The credentials of individuals who should be conducting these evaluations for an organization will also be discussed. The separations between medical and mental health issues as well as the key figures who should be involved will be explored. Further, sensitivity to ADA accommodations is a timely topic included in discussion. Failing to do a fitness-for-duty evaluation properly has the potential to lead to liability and problems within the workplace. A fitness-for-duty evaluation that clears an individual to return to their position lessens risk to both the employee and the organization. If an employee is a valuable asset that might be returned to their previous level of functioning, the fitness-for-duty evaluation has the capacity to assist in arriving at that determination. An unbiased determination if a problem an employee is suffering from is remedial and transient or something that has become chronic and irreparable is necessary in order to determine if they should return to work. How these conclusions are reached and documented is a central feature of this topic.

Learning Objectives