Fitness-for-Duty Psychological Evaluations

Learn how best to use fitness-for-duty evaluations and how HR practices define the best approaches to avoid liability and additional problems.

The workplace challenges brought on by COVID-19 raises the need to be prepared to perform fitness-for-duty evaluations (FDE) in key employment positions. Mental illness, if unaddressed, has the potential to disrupt not only lives but also our workplaces. COVID-19 and social isolation, mourning and losses have increased anxiety and substance abuse creating new challenges for many businesses. As these issues arise now and continue post-pandemic, knowing when it is appropriate to initiate a FDE is crucial. Learn the benefits and pitfalls of these evaluations, the fundamentals of how to use this tool, and how employment law, mental health standards, and HR practices define the best approaches to avoid liability and additional problems. Additionally, we will discuss the elements to be considered during the evaluations such as neurological and mental health impacted by COVID-19, employee's presenting problems, personality, race, gender identity, workplace issues or mental illness. How to address and document these concerns is central to the discussion.

Faculty

Glenn S. Lipson, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.

Alliant International University