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RMU Home » Programs » Occupational Health Screenings » Fitness for Duty Program

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• Fitness For Duty Program

Fitness for Duty Program

Civil Service Rule 1488, Medical Examination, allows the County to request independent medical examinations of its employees, should the Agency/Department present evidence of their reasons for concern about an employee’s mental or physical fitness to continue performing his/her usual and customary job. The rule states:

"Where there is probable cause to believe that an employee of the County is not physically or mentally able to perform the duties of his employment, the Commission may require that such employee submit to a medical examination to determine whether he/she possesses the required fitness for the duties he/she is performing. If the examination confirms that the employee is physically or mentally unfit for his/her employment, he/she may them be transferred or demoted to other employment in accordance with the provisions of Rule 1732, governing transfers ,or Rule 1736, governing demotions. If the examination shows that the employee is physically or mentally unfit for any County employment, his/her service shall be terminated upon two week’s notice."

Overview of Process

1. The Agency/Department’s Director or its Departmental Personnel Officer (HR) presents a written justification of their concerns regarding the employee’s performance via County Counsel to the Civil Service Commission and requests a Fitness for Duty exam.
2. If approved by the Commission, the request is sent to Risk Management which sets up the appropriate medical examinations with independent, objective medical evaluators and notifies the employee of their scheduled appointment.
3. The Agency/Department orders their employee to attend as a condition of continued employment and places the employee on paid administrative leave until the examination results are received.
4. The medical evaluator submits to the County a brief report of whether the employee is currently fit or not and completes the County’s EFJA reflecting which job functions the employee can and cannot perform. This information is conveyed to the Agency/Department’s HR representative, who follows the appropriate accommodation and personnel procedures.

Please consult the Civil Service Rules for a complete description of the requirements. Forms, procedures, and sample letters approved by Human Resource Services can be found in the Alameda County intranet document center at
Alameda County » HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES » Disability Programs » Fitness for Duty.

Resources

• Civil Service Rules
• EFJA/EF5 (PDF - 473kb)*