At what point are employers asking TMI?

Altra, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2011

This has been going on for a while. By far the most comprehensive pre-employment physical I ever experienced was for a non-healthcare related office job at a large corporation. The most strenuous thing I (or anyone) did all day was walk around in heels. But pre-employment physicals for all new hires included discussing a very comprehensive health history form with the company physician, blood & urine tests, measurement of cardiovascular fitness by jogging in place for a period of time and peak flow measurement. All employees had to have physical exams every 3 years (either documentation from your own physician or performed by the company MD) and those at manager level and above were also required to complete an annual colonoscopy after age 45 and mammography for females after age 40. Yes, really.

There are a couple of different things in play here. One is a corporate/employer focus on the cost of losing employees to health problems: the loss of productivity, expertise, etc. The other is to attempt to make the pool of employees more attractive to group health plan insurers by demonstrating a better level of overall health ... which makes the employees of that company a better risk for insurers and may result in lower insurance premiums.

merlee · Jul 2, 2011

This is very invasive. Not illegal, but very invasive.

kcmylorn · Jul 2, 2011

This has gone way too far. It is none of these bast***Ds business if we smoke,have genital herpes( does the administration play on sexual relations being part of your job description??) a PT test for a civilian job(what is that all about?? are these civilian heathcare systems now deploying people into war-making you combat ready) This extent of the medical hx is a total invasion of privacy.Put on that medical hx you have been "female castrated- Grade IV" and feel they should have the same. The point is DO not work for these lunatics. Or in return demand their spouse and themselves publically publish EVERY sexual encounter(especially if it's out of wedlock), partner, abortion, STD every questionable cough, sneeze or fart they have ever done. and especially fart- if they have done it in public- they need to be put up to public humiliation!!! This is outrageous. This is a total lack/loss of personal privacy. If you don't mind me asking- how old are you?? All I can say is this is gone way too far- it's gone way to far with the nicotine test and bank/ financial disclosures.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The company you are applying to needs to be reported to a GOVERNMENT regulatory commission on personal privacy rights. That is no DREAM job- it's will be a nightmare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If they do hire you- you will not be allowed to leave your home with out first getting their approval. even if it's to church(they may disagree with the church you attend or the store you go to- they may have holdings in another retailer and will look on this as disloyalty/ high treason.) Sounds like these people are "fockered up". The affrontary, the gaul, the nerve. How disgusting.

DizzyLizzyNurse · Jul 2, 2011

How would they even know if you are telling the truth about the herpes??? Do they check??? :confused::confused::confused:

kcmylorn · Jul 2, 2011

From what Altra is saying- and I do believe it to be true, these companies, any company is pushing not to give health insurance to ANY employee, unless that employee has been or continues to live in a bubble with irradiated food.

I would still report this to the government(state or federal) These companies are using healthcare reform to their own twisted profitable end. They are forcing people to buy out of their own pocket, the governments health care plan and it leaves the private companies off the hook for coverage to their employees, there fore increasing their profits. I think these private healthcare systems know the axe is coming to these CEO's for their multimillion dollar salaries with the unemployment rate nationally up to 9.1 % and is not where the Pres. wanted it. The unemployment rate is not coming down and these private healthcare companies/systems are beginning to feel the pressure from Washington. The recession is not ending, the federal deficit is up for vote to raise the debt ceiling because of it- and governement shut down is a forseeable possibility- Law makers are NOT happy- as they shouldn't be. The military budget is to be decided upon by Sept. The cuts to social programs- medicare, social security, unemployment,medicaid and charity care. The stepping up of investigations on medicare fraud. The prosecution of these CEO's in the banking and securities industry. The governemnt is even going after the Pharmaceudical industry. Put the peices together. I think we have one very peed off President!! and rightfully so. All this economic destruction we have faced since 2008 is the result of a few peoples GREED!!! You can't spend money, if your not making it and to make money you need a JOB/ Employment!! These healthcare institutions have LIED to the Bureau of Labor Statistics long enough. The expected job growth in the healthcare industry has not been what the government had expected.

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Jul 2, 2011

Sounds like my current place of employment minus the phsycology testing.

tokmom, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2011

Wow, that would make me very nervous. But like one poster said, how would they know if you were lying or not?

As for the yearly colonoscopy??? Are you kidding?? OMG, no freaking way.

netglow, ASN, RN · Jul 2, 2011

What altra outlines is fact.

MyGranniePanties · Jul 2, 2011

This is outrageous! And I'm sorry to say, but I think that anyone who consents to this is just feeding the fire. I understand people need jobs, but honestly if people don't stand up for what is right then it will just become the norm like every other thing designed to screw over the little guy while Corp execs are riding around in their bentleys.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2011

Wow....very invasive and sadly very legal.

They can't ask on the application. They're not. They are asking under the guise of medical screening exam to see if you are able to perform the job or if you need special accomodations:cool: (yeah....right). So now if you're over a certain age, have certain health issues and in general just not as young as you used to be......you will not work. :uhoh3: If I ever get my health back in control and I try to go back to work.....it makes me very sad that after working for 32 years at the bedside I may never work again.... :crying2:

What are they trying to develop....the perfect employee group???? The healthcare industry's example of "Hitler Youth?". and yes......I meant to use the example of Hitler and his insane fanatical pursuit of the perfect race.

A very slippery slope and very sad indeed.......I just don't get it anymore.... :uhoh3:

On second thought I'd show it to the EEOC

http://www.eeoc.gov/

Altra, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2011

I think it's worth considering that the current system of private insurance does affect both individuals and businesses alike. In the 20th century, with the development of ever-increasingly technologically advanced care -- ever more expensive care -- it became pretty standard for employers to offer to partly or fully cover the cost of insurance as an employee benefit.

The cost of this coverage has increased 8% or more annually for the last two decades. Can you really fault businesses for aggressively trying to manage these costs?

And from this perspective, do you think that it is indeed time to get these costs off of the backs of businesses?