Why do I have to attend preventive medical examinations with the company doctor or company physician?

Occupational health check-ups with the company doctor help your health. They help detect problems early before they become serious. This keeps your work safe and allows you to work healthily for longer.

You should know this:

• If you perform hazardous tasks or work with chemicals, noise, or machinery, you must regularly visit the company doctor.
• The company doctor will only discuss with you what is relevant and important for your work. They may not share anything without your consent.
• If you refuse the examination, your employer may not allow you to perform certain tasks because safety would not be guaranteed. You would then also endanger your own protection.
• Through the preventive examinations, you will find out early whether your health is at risk and receive tips or help to mitigate or avoid problems.
• There are additional preventive examinations that can be voluntary, e.g., for your eyes or driving vehicles. Your employer must inform you which examinations are mandatory or voluntary.
• All costs incurred during the examination are covered by the employer.
• Preventive examinations take place during working hours.

You can find more information here:

The BAuA shows how occupational health check-ups help to detect and prevent health risks at work early.https://www.baua.de/DE/Themen/Praevention/Arbeitsmedizinische-Praevention/Arbeitsmedizinische-Vorsorge.

The DGUV website explains what occupational health check-ups are, why they are important for your health, and when they are performed:https://www.dguv.de/de/praevention/themen-a-z/arb_vorsorge/index.jsp