Medicals and cancer?

guest who?

Hi, have to go anonymous today due to medical details in question.

I'm applying for a job in a large multinational and the selection process will include a medical.

The year before last I had surgery to remove a gland that was useless but acting up (to put it simply). During the surgery, cancer tissue was discovered and removed and once I had recovered from the operation I had a course of radiotherapy to "clean up", as it were. Regular scans since then have all proved clear thank god.

Assuming the co. gets this information from my doctor what is the likely outcome? Is their medical purely to see that I am fit and healthy enough to do the job they are hiring for? I am. Or will they look at my medical history and decide I'm too much of a risk to hire?

People close to me are telling me I won't get the job because of the medical and the implications my history has on company pension. I find this hard to take as a mid 30's fit guy who stays active, plays golf once or twice a week and generally looks after himself.

Anyone any thoughts or experiences?

Thanks!

jhegarty

Most medical for jobs just check you can hear, eye sight and that you won't fall over dead from something next week....

I have never heard of a company requesting doctors records , and I can't imagine it would be legal for them to do so...

hunnymonster

I used to wrok for the EU and the medical was insane. I think they tested for every known disease and abnormality. Apart from that every medical I've done has been pretty basic (eye test, ear test, coordination test, basic bloods etc).

fret_wimp

I cant see them being allowed to discriminate against you just because you had cancer. I could be wrong there, but it sounds unethical. imagine:

"Hi, yes you done an excellent interview and you would have gotten the job but your medical history shows you had cancer. we regret to inform you we wont hire you at this stage". when you see it written out, it looks totally illegal. I wouldnt worry about it, and if it did come to that extreme, nobody could stop me taking legal action against them.

leeroybrown

I think it would depend on the medical evidence. If a cancer specialist were to say there was a reasonably high chance of the cancer striking again then they might have grounds to deny the job based on the raised likelihood of the OP not being able to work. Conversely, if a cancer specialist were to say that the cancer was caught early, in remission and the likelihood of it coming back was low then they'd be in a legally weak position to deny the job.

milltown

Surely, no matter what the truth is, no company in their right mind is going to tell anyone the reason they were not hired is cancer!

I think a "your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion" letter is all you'd get.

As the OP suggests, I think the problem will lie, not with HR but with the pension folk. From their POV, you are hired and join the pension fund. Ten months later cancer strikes again and the worst happens. Pension now has to pay your pension to your widow for 40+ years.

leeroybrown

While I agree that a company would agree that most companies would not like to openly say that they are excluding someone due to cancer I'm not sure if it's as easy as just not saying it. Typically a company will only send someone for a pre-employment medical if they are going to be offered a job so refusal could easily be attributed to it. If a court case were taken then subsequent information might show up.

Does anyone here (authoritatively - not conjecture) know the legal status of pre-employment medical records? Is the subject legally entitled to claim a copy of all records?

Nody

leeroybrown wrote: »

While I agree that a company would agree that most companies would not like to openly say that they are excluding someone due to cancer I'm not sure if it's as easy as just not saying it. Typically a company will only send someone for a pre-employment medical if they are going to be offered a job so refusal could easily be attributed to it. If a court case were taken then subsequent information might show up.

Does anyone here (authoritatively - not conjecture) know the legal status of pre-employment medical records? Is the subject legally entitled to claim a copy of all records?

I'll flip your question and say so what if they refuse to make a job offer? Nothing has been signed and it is not denied due to the big discrimination once (sex, religion, union etc.) hence they can deny the applicant because (s)he showed up in a green shirt to the medical.

loyatemu

jhegarty wrote: »

Most medical for jobs just check you can hear, eye sight and that you won't fall over dead from something next week....

I have never heard of a company requesting doctors records , and I can't imagine it would be legal for them to do so...

they won't request records, but you will have to fill out a questionaire that will undoubtedly ask about any serious illnesses you may have had.