Can High Blood Pressure Cost You a Job Offer? Seeking Advice on a Stressful Situation

Hi,

An acquaintance of mine was working with a Fortune 500 manufacturing company in administration. He received an offer from another Fortune 500 manufacturing company in the same field. The company that made the offer was following up with him to submit his resignation at his current company and join them as soon as possible. He resigned, and after being released from his current position, he underwent a pre-employment medical examination for the new company. During the medical examination, everything was normal except for his high blood pressure.

The hospital informed the new company of this finding over the phone. An executive from the new company informed him that they would wait to receive the full medical reports. It has been a week since the medical examination was completed, but the new company has not provided any response. They have also not replied to any emails.

This situation is definitely not helping my acquaintance. He is currently on medication to regulate his blood pressure, and the stress of leaving his previous job without any assurance from the new company is causing his blood pressure to rise.

My question is, can a company refuse employment based on high blood pressure? Any advice, opinions, or suggestions from esteemed industry colleagues would be highly appreciated.

Regards,
Richa

Medical check-up as a precondition for employment is regulated by the company's bylaws/standing orders and not by any statute in force. Therefore, if an offer states that an employee should be medically fit to work as certified by any competent person, there is nothing wrong in pulling back the offer given to an employee on the grounds that he is medically unfit. On the other hand, if the employer ignores the medical certificate and allows him to join, then after some time, if he says that he cannot do any work of even reasonable strain and that was known to the employer, and there was an implied understanding that he need not do any hard work right at the time of his joining, you will be in trouble. Therefore, treating the 'offer' given as a conditional offer (since there is a condition that you can join after being certified as medically fit), you can disallow him from joining. An employee is not supposed to question it.

However, on humanitarian grounds, it is better if the employer gives him a few days to make him medically fit and then join.

Regards,
Madhu.T.K

Well, in your case, it is being done "ulta pulta." Different companies and different jobs require certain medical fitness standards, such as BP, sugar levels, or even clear skin for air hostesses, and no glasses for pilots, army personnel, etc. I hope you understand the logic behind this.

So, in your case, the procedure that should have been followed is as follows: your friend will attend the interview, clear the interview, then undergo a medical test. The medical report will then be forwarded to the company. The company will review the medical report and satisfy themselves, following which your friend will receive an offer letter. After receiving the offer letter, he can resign.

However, in your friend's case, even if he received the offer letter, there must be a clause stating that it is subject to medical fitness in the medical check. Actually, this practice is not correct. Your friend should not have resigned until he received a green signal for the medical check.

I wanted to provide a more detailed explanation, but I am currently in a hurry. For further clarification, please contact me at ravi.exe@gmail.com. Such a practice by the company is not correct. I hope you understand the idea.