[orangepeanut]

My workplace are doing Work Health Checks this week.

Just wondering if anyone here had had one through their workplace and if they got anything out of it. EG found out something about themselves health-wise that they didn't already know?

I am interested to find out my Diabetes risk as I have had GD with my last pregnancy.

What will they be looking for and how long does it take?

TIA

[Holidayromp]

My workplace had one and I declined. It it my personal information and I do not appreciate work knowing my very personal medical details. None of the stuff they wanted done had anything to do with doing the job at hand so they could not force anyone into doing it.

However if it was a job where I needed health checks I would do it through my own gp and only the required information given out.

[casime]

I had one last year. I didn't get anything out of it at all.

[humphreybear]

I heard of someone where it showed high blood pressure (dangerously high). They got something good out of it.

Ours is done by a hird party. Tested blood pressure, blood sugar level (not necessarily fasting), bmi and a quiz around risk factors (alcohol, sleep, depression).

[Escapin]

I work at a large investment bank and health checks are (just about) compulsory for all staff over a certain level. One guy I work closely with was hooked up to all the monitors for the fitness component, they ran the base line info, and then basically told him he was close to having a heart attack on the spot. Needless to say, he got it together, lost lots of weight, started exercising and is now looking about 10 years younger.

Another work colleague was diagnosed with a very rare heart defect and has since undergone major surgery.

So, personally, I think they're great.

[Julie3Girls]

My work tends to do one during work safety week.
Blood pressure
Finger prick blood test for cholestral and blood sugar levels.
Brief chat about lifestyle - eating habits, exercise, stress etc.

If any of the tests show up outside healthy range, they recommend follow up with your GP. And also give you some information on how to improve it.

They allow about 10 minutes each, although this year, the nurse was racing through and pretty much no chat.

Can be useful - a lot of generally healthy people don't go to the doctor very often, so very rarely get their blood pressure checked, and even rarer to get blood tests for things like cholestral. So it's a brief check, on the spot at work, and you can follow up with your dr if it does show anything.

[strawberrycakes]

I had one when I started my job & then a couple of months ago my work set up a weightloss challenge so the company nurse came in & took those who wanted to participate blodd pressures, colesterol & glucose levels.

I didn't learn anything new but I have lost 10kg

[bailee]

My workplace had one and I declined. It it my personal information and I do not appreciate work knowing my very personal medical details. None of the stuff they wanted done had anything to do with doing the job at hand so they could not force anyone into doing it.

However if it was a job where I needed health checks I would do it through my own gp and only the required information given out.

Your personal details are not given to your employer. They are private and confidential. I used to organise them for my workplace and we were never given any information about the employee and that is standard. If it's a medical that your employer requires to assess your fitness for that particular type of work that is different entirely to the work health checks the OP is talking about.

Although my workplaces have been running them, I've never been to one because I see to many Drs already so I know what I have and don't have and what I'm at risk of. Good though if you are not one to visit Drs cause you are always well.

[kiam]

Yes, I also had a free skin health check through work. I was going to do the bone density check but I had to be somewhere else.

No details are given to your employer, I don't know why people think they are, you can consent to them being used by Monash University (at least, mine went to Monash) for research purposes.

It was good, I had a few moles I wanted checked out anyway, so the free skin health check actually got me to get in there and have them looked at. I had never had my cholesterol checked, and it came back normal, but I am glad that I actually did it.

Will do again.

[Joey11]

I've had them in the past, found them interesting but, fortunately, not useful as I didn't need to take any action (i.e no issues raised).

My partner had one recently. Again. there's no risk factors identified but he found it interesting. I think it's a great thing for people, like him, who don't go to the doctor much.