Many companies schedule their employees’ annual checkups in fall. This article explains about follow-up actions after health examinations and commonly overlooked steps on which many companies receive instruction from the labor standards office.
[1] Follow-up in the case employees were diagnosed with problems
Checkup results contain physicians’ observations about the employees’ health status. According to the Industrial Safety and Health Survey for fiscal 2021, among the companies that conducted employees’ health checkups during the period from November 1, 2020, to October 31, 2021, 66.1 percent had employees found to have some health problems. If there are such employees, companies have to hear the physicians’ opinions about the problems and ask them describe appropriate measures in the checkup results as in the chart below. Based on the hearing, the company must implement measures for the employees, such as changing the place or content of work, reducing work hours, limiting the frequency of late-night work. The companies also have to report the physicians’ opinions to the Health Committee.
Labor standards offices’ survey show many companies fail to hear physicians’ opinion about their employees’ health problems after checkups and receive instructions from the health authorities. Please check medical examination results carefully.
Hearing physicians’ opinions on employees’ medical examination results
|
Category |
Contents |
Necessary measures |
|
Normal work |
Normal work is allowed. |
|
|
Limited work |
Work must be limited. |
Ease stress by reducing work hours, limiting business travels, reducing workload, changing work duties, changing place of work, limiting the frequency of late-night work or switching from night shift to day shift, etc. |
|
Leave of absence |
Leave of absence is required. |
Support recovery by giving leave of absence for a certain period. |
[2] Recommended actions based on checkup results
If checkup results indicate that any employees require particular efforts to maintain health, the company may recommend them to receive health guidance from physicians or public health nurses.
Employees diagnosed as showing abnormalities may receive an in-depth examination based on the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act. This examination is not mandatory, but companies should advise them to take it.
Companies with at least 50 regular employees must also submit their employees’ medical examination results to the jurisdictional labor standards office. Please be sure to submit the report without fail.
Reference
Fiscal 2021 Labor Safety and Health Survey, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/r03-46-50b.html
*The information is valid as of the date of this article.
