Medical records are something that many people prefer to keep to themselves. Personal health problems are typically a sore subject in a person’s life. Even though people want to keep that information private, there are certain aspects of these files that employers need to know about. This blog will cover the most relevant reasons you should keep track of employee medical records.
To Make Accommodations
Many potential employees are afraid to share medical records because they feel like companies might use their health or disability as a reason not to hire them. Except for niche scenarios that involve shady businesses, this generally shouldn’t be a concern. The main reason why employers want to know this info before hiring someone is so they can make accommodations for them if needed. A new hire may need to work from home occasionally, or they may need a specialized work environment for maximum efficiency. Those are things you’ll need to know about beforehand.
To Help Keep Others Safe
On rare occasions, an illness or disease may be extreme enough to put the rest of your staff in danger. While this isn’t something you’ll have to worry about often, it’s still possible that someone might try to hide pertinent info like this in order to secure a job. If things were to go south after hiring such a person, part of the responsibility would be on you for not getting those records ahead of time.
For a Frame of Reference
Once you’re past the hiring process, it’s still a good idea to keep track of certain medical conditions and illnesses that may come up later. This will help with the first two points, but it’ll also make it easier to determine if an employee has a history of taking advantage of sick days. Obviously, this is a tricky topic to address since your employee will become quite offended if you’re wrong. However, having a record of absences and the reasons for them will make it easier to determine the facts of the situation.
How Should You Track Them?
Now that you know the main reasons you should keep track of employee medical records, you might be wondering how you should do so. Using your own programs to record this info can get confusing. Plus, they won’t be very secure.
That’s why we’d recommend using our medical records tracking system. The records will be much more straightforward and protected since we’ve spent the time perfecting the system. Take a look to see how this system can benefit you and your company.