Preventive health assessments: what they are and why they matter

What is a preventive health assessment?

A preventive health assessment (known in the Netherlands as a PMO, or Preventief Medisch Onderzoek) is a comprehensive health check for employees. It may sound formal, but in essence it’s about building a clear picture of how employees are truly doing, both physically and mentally, before any complaints arise. This type of assessment looks beyond whether someone is off sick. It’s about vitality, job satisfaction and long-term employability.

What does it involve?

A preventive health assessment is a structured health check that covers work-related risks as well as lifestyle, stress and mental resilience. It takes a broad view of how someone is doing, independent of their job and any associated risks.

Every assessment is tailored. The precise content is aligned to the needs of the organisation. A preventive health assessment might include:

• Questionnaires on lifestyle, workload and physical or mental health concerns
• Measurements such as blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose levels or a hearing test
• A personal consultation based on the results
• An anonymised group report, enabling employers to identify trends across teams or departments

This makes it clear where the opportunities lie to strengthen health and wellbeing across the organisation.

Preventive health assessment vs statutory health surveillance: what’s the difference?

Statutory health surveillance (known in the Netherlands as a PAGO, or Periodiek Arbeidsgezondheidskundig Onderzoek) focuses specifically on health risks directly related to the work itself. Think of a hearing test in a noisy production environment or lung function tests when working with certain substances. A preventive health assessment goes much further: it looks beyond those work-related risks to include broader factors such as lifestyle, stress, nutrition, exercise and mental resilience. Where statutory health surveillance is primarily driven by the risks identified in a workplace risk assessment, a preventive health assessment is designed to improve the overall picture of someone’s health and employability.

Why does it matter?

For employers, a preventive health assessment is a powerful management tool. Under Dutch occupational health and safety legislation, employers are required to offer employees the opportunity to undergo such an assessment on a regular basis. Participation by the employee is typically voluntary, but the obligation to offer it rests with the employer.

When conducted at group level, the assessment yields valuable insights. Results are anonymised for privacy, yet the overarching findings can reveal issues such as high workload or recurring physical complaints. This allows employers to take targeted preventive action. And let’s be honest: an employer that invests in health and job satisfaction has a clear edge when it comes to attracting and retaining talent.

For employees, the value is just as significant. It provides insight into their health and helps identify areas for improvement long before minor concerns become serious problems. Everything remains confidential; personal medical data is never shared with the employer.

What should you look out for?

Not every preventive health assessment is the same. To get real value from it, there are a few points worth considering:

Make sure it aligns with your workplace

Use your workplace risk assessment as the starting point. Do employees spend most of their time at a desk? Then eye and posture assessments may be useful. Is the work physically demanding? The focus might shift to musculoskeletal strain.

Keep it accessible

A preventive health assessment isn’t an exam. The easier and more approachable you make it, the higher the uptake. Consider on-site locations, clear explanations and friendly invitations. We’re happy to advise on this.

Bear privacy in mind

A preventive health assessment is subject to strict data protection rules. Only the employee receives their personal results; the employer receives an anonymised group report.

Plan your follow-up actions

An assessment without follow-through is a missed opportunity. Translate the results into concrete actions: workshops, ergonomic improvements, wellbeing programmes or individual coaching. We provide careful guidance on this as well.

Involve employees from the outset

Explain clearly what the assessment is, why it’s being carried out and what employees stand to gain. The better people understand its purpose, the higher the attendance and the more valuable the outcomes.

Is it mandatory?

Many employers ask this question. The answer: under Dutch law, you are obliged to offer it, but employees are not obliged to take part. In practice, when the purpose is explained well, many people are keen to seize the opportunity. After all, who would turn down free insight into their own health, complete with personal advice?

Capability and preventive health assessments: Attention & Action

At Capability, we work closely with our sister organisation Adaptics, which carries out our preventive health assessments with great care. Like us, Adaptics sees an assessment as more than a compliance exercise. It’s an opportunity to identify problems early, support employees and prevent sickness absence.

• Our Attention lies in the personal approach: we look beyond the numbers. We take time for conversations, listen to what’s going on and take language and cultural background into account.
• Our Action lies in what comes next: we translate outcomes into concrete interventions, from ergonomic adjustments to mental health coaching or lifestyle programmes.

That’s how a preventive health assessment at Capability becomes more than a standalone exercise. It becomes part of a broader plan for vitality and long-term employability. The result: less sickness absence, greater job satisfaction and a stronger team. Read more about our approach and interventions.