WorkSTEPS® testing: match every hire to the job’s real demands
Injury Care Associates is a WorkSTEPS® provider. Post-offer functional testing that measures a candidate against the actual lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, and positional demands of the position before day one.
Before you come in
What to bring and how to prepare
The candidate should arrive rested and ready to move. Most delays come from a missing authorization or a job description that does not state the physical demands.
Good to know
- Eat normally and drink water before the test.
- Skip a heavy workout the day before.
- Tell the evaluator about any pain or injury before starting; the test can be stopped at any point.
Bring
- Photo ID
- Employer authorization for the position being tested
- The job description or physical-demands summary, if your employer gave you one
- Athletic clothing and closed-toe shoes
- A complete list of medications and doses
The visit
What the WorkSTEPS® test includes
Job demands defined
We document the essential physical functions of the position with you, including loads, frequencies, heights, and postures.
Screen and consent
Vitals, a brief health screen, and consent so the candidate can test safely.
Musculoskeletal baseline
Range of motion and strength measures that serve as the baseline on file.
Functional tasks
Lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, and positional tolerance at the loads the job requires, with technique observed.
Written result
Meets or does not meet each demand, to HR, so the placement decision is yours and documented.
Setting up WorkSTEPS® testing for a job class?
Monday–Friday, 7am to 5pm at Denver, Lakewood, Parker, and Thornton. Hablamos Español.
What it is
A standardized functional test built from the job, not a general physical
A physical exam tells you a candidate is healthy. It does not tell you whether they can lift a 60-pound case to shoulder height forty times a shift. WorkSTEPS® is a standardized, nationally used functional employment testing program. As a WorkSTEPS® provider, ICA measures each candidate against the specific physical demands of the job, using loads and positions taken from your job analysis, so the result is directly about the work.
Done after a conditional offer and applied to every candidate for the same position, the test gives you a consistent, documented placement decision and a baseline on file if a work injury occurs later. It pairs naturally with a pre-placement physical in the same visit.
After the exam
A result HR can place against the job
The employer receives a written result for each essential demand tested, not a medical record. The candidate receives a copy and an explanation of any demand not met.
- Meets demands
- The candidate performed every essential physical function of the position at the required load.
- Demand not met
- The specific task and load not achieved, so HR can evaluate placement or accommodation.
- Baseline on file
- Range of motion and strength measures kept for comparison if a work injury occurs later.
- Consistency
- Every candidate for the position is tested to the same protocol, which supports a defensible decision.
For employers
Match every hire to the job’s real demands
As a WorkSTEPS® provider we build the protocol from your job analysis once, test every candidate to it, direct-bill your account, and return results to HR.
Common questions
WorkSTEPS® testing, answered
Answers from our front desk and examiners. General information, not medical or legal advice.
What is WorkSTEPS?
WorkSTEPS® is a standardized functional employment testing program used by employers nationally. Injury Care Associates is a WorkSTEPS® provider: we run the program’s post-offer and fit-for-duty testing protocols, built from your job analysis, at our Denver-metro clinics.
Is WorkSTEPS a physical exam?
No. It is a functional test of the physical demands of the job. Many employers pair it with a pre-placement physical in the same visit so the candidate is examined and tested once.
Can we test candidates before making an offer?
No. Under the ADA, medical examinations and related testing may only be required after a conditional offer, and must be applied to everyone entering the same job category. General information, not legal advice.
How are the test loads decided?
From your job analysis: the loads, frequencies, heights, and postures the position actually requires. We document the essential functions with you before the first candidate is tested, and the protocol stays fixed for that position.
What if a candidate does not meet a demand?
The result names the specific task and load. Whether to place, accommodate, or withdraw the offer is the employer’s decision; we recommend reviewing it with HR or employment counsel.