Fitness for Duty Exam and Disability Separation. Fitness for duty examinations are intended to guard the health and safety of employees and the public and may be ordered when the Employer has reasonable cause an employee may not be able to perform the essential functions of his/her position, i.e., whether the employee is fit for duty. Reasonable cause shall be based on objective observations or information that the employee may not be fit to perform the essential job duties of his/her regular position. Should reasonable cause exist that an employee may not be “fit for duty” the Employer may require the employee to be examined by a examining professional which includes physician, psychologist or psychiatrist selected and paid for by the Employer. The examining professional selected shall have experience in occupational medicine or experience in the relevant specialty considering the employee’s condition. Alternatively, the Employer may select an examining professional suggested by the employee. At any time during the fit for duty evaluation process the Employer may either reassign the employee without a loss in pay or benefits, or place the employee on paid administrative leave. Prior to an examination the examining professional shall review the current written job description for the employee's position, the current Job Function Analysis for the employee's position, and documentation detailing the facts indicating the employee may not be sufficiently fit to perform his/her essential job functions. Copies of the documentation provided by the parties to the examining professional shall be provided to the other party. The employee may request that additional information be submitted and/or the employee may submit additional information to the examining professional. Following the examination, the examining professional shall provide the Employer and the employee a written report detailing the examining professional's determination of whether the employee is fit for duty. At any time during this process, the employee shall have the right to submit a fitness for duty evaluation by an examining professional of the employee’s choice. The examining professional may provide specification of action the employee may take to render the employee fit for duty. The Employer and employee, with a Union representative if he/she requests, shall discuss possible reasonable accommodations. The employee shall be entitled to copies of all examination results and documentation associated with the examination. Should the physici...
