asking for medical details....can they do this?

[queenrollo]

my sister has recently started a part-time minimum wage job in the cafe of a large department store. They are very strict including things like no toilet break and she is not allowed to have a drink of water during her four hour shift. She's received her contract today and they ask for (quoting my sister) Medically they want to know everything you've had wrong and been treated for and family history , and permission to get a medical report from your doctor.

Can they do this? it seems a little extreme for a job effectively waiting tables.....

[Bonneville]

Seems very extreme and isn't it illegal to prevent a worker using a lavatory?

[TheFallenMadonna]

I had to fill in a similar form for my teaching job.

[queenrollo]

my sister has now said the contract also states if she refuses consent for them to get a medical report they can (and probably will) ask for her to attend a medical exam by a company recommended doctor.

[callmeovercautious]

OK. Cafe means working with food. Therefore lots of health risks.

I work in HR and in a "foody" environment.

TBH we always get a medical Questionnaire filled in and if anything that could be an issue arises we make the person an appointment with our Health advisor. It is important that you are safe to work with food being served to the public.

However the referal to a Dr or Nurse does not mean we know everything you have ever had wrong with you, we just get a report that says "yes - can work for you safely" or "No - can't work for you safely".

On the breaks issue. Yes 4 hours is fine legally. Drinking or eating when serving food is unhygienic and could pass on your germs to others (hand to mouth contact etc). Usually though you can go for a pee or a drink so long as you wash hands and put on clean apron etc in between

[queenrollo]

thankyou for that CMOC........i know my sister is sensitive about this because of a mental health issue a few years ago, she is tired of feeling like it is following her around.

She had a 3 hour induction yesterday and said it is very intensive and almost militant....and they have very strict performance criteria to meet and maintain if they want to keep their jobs. I've told her to stick with it and look for something else.......you know the old thing about it being easier to find a job if you have a job.

[Ivykaty44]

I had a job where the comapny wanted to know everything - I went down the route of seeing the company gp (he is still bound by patient doctor stuff) and the gp said I was "fit" for work and that was it.

So tell your sister to just tell them that she will see the comapny dr and he will either say yes fit or unlikely no not fit and keep her privacy.

As for the not being allowed to go to the loo - it is probably against human rights and it can cause illness, particularly UTI's

[queenrollo]

i have spoken to her a little more about this, it has taken her so long to get a job that she is just going to sign the contract and get on with it.
They do however request medical history for myself, mum and dad
I've told her to write N/A and if they question it she is to give them my contact details. I thoroughly object to my medical history being disclosed to a company when it's not even me working for them.

[callmeovercautious]

That does seem slightly ott although they might be using a medical screening company who just do standard questionnaires. Put n/a if asked why she can say she does not know the answer.