Companies are required to provide workers with regular check-ups and also take follow-up actions.
1. When a reexamination is required
Even if check-up results show that employees should take further medical examinations, companies are not legally required to ensure such workers follow the advice. Workers do not have to receive reexaminations either. However, companies are obligated to make efforts to protect their employees from health risks. It is not desirable to disregard remarks in check-up results.
“The guideline on the measures required based on health examination results” explains that companies should advise employees to take re-examinations as needed and show the check-up results to physicians, dentists, or other medical professionals (hereinafter, “doctors”). If check-up results show the worker needs reexamination, the company should support the worker to receive one.
2. Necessary follow-up actions
(1) Keep records of workers’ check-up results
To understand employees’ health status, companies are required to keep records of check-up results for five years.
(2) Seek doctors’ opinions
If there were remarks about abnormality in employees’ check-up results, the company is required to seek opinions of doctors about necessary measures to maintain health of the workers.
As a rule, the company has to ask a doctor’s opinion within three months from the check-up date and write it down in the worker’s health examination form.
Companies that failed to do so may receive recommendations for correction from the Labor Standards Office.
(3) Take necessary actions according to check-up results
Based on a doctor’s opinion provided in (2), the company has to take necessary actions, such as reducing the employee’s work hours, overtime, late-night work or changing job duties, by considering the worker’s circumstances.
Useful tips
Companies with less than 50 employees are not legally required to appoint an industrial physician. It is helpful for such companies to receive services of regional industrial health centers stipulated by the Industrial Safety and Health Act. The services include consultation on workers’ health (including mental health), providing of doctors’ opinions on check-up results, in-person guidance on employees working long hours or under stressful conditions.
Companies that have not been able to receive doctors’ opinions on employees’ check-up results should consult their regional industrial health centers.
[Reference]
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “Measures after health examinations based on the Industrial Safety and Health Act”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/new-info/kobetu/roudou/gyousei/anzen/100331-1.html
Japan Organization of Occupational Health and Safety
https://www.johas.go.jp/sangyouhoken/tabid/333/default.aspx
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “Allowances for reexaminations under Industrial Accident Insurance
