Regulations, Items, and Frequency of Employee Health Examinations / Labor Health Examinations: How Often and Who Pays?
Labor health examinations (employee health checks) are a statutory obligation of employers: According to Article 20 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Labor Health Protection Rules, employers must arrange physical examinations at the time of hiring and regular general health examinations during employment. The costs are borne by the employer and cannot be charged to the worker. Examinations must be conducted by medical institutions accredited by the Ministry of Labor. The frequency of general health examinations depends on age: under 40 years old, every 5 years; 40 to under 65 years old, every 3 years; 65 years and older, once a year. Those engaged in special hazardous operations require additional annual special health examinations. The following summarizes the legal basis, examination items, frequency, and the differences between labor health examinations and self-paid advanced health checks. This is a neutral compilation of public information; individual rights should be based on the competent authorities and regulations.
Is the labor health examination a statutory obligation of the employer? Who pays?
Yes. According to Article 20 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Labor Health Protection Rules, employers must arrange health examinations for workers, with costs borne by the employer and cannot be charged to the worker. Workers also have the obligation to undergo examinations. Examinations must be conducted by medical institutions accredited by the Ministry of Labor:
- Legal basis: Article 20 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Labor Health Protection Rules
- Cost: Borne by the employer, cannot be passed on to the worker
- Institution: Must be a health examination medical institution accredited by the Ministry of Labor
What is the difference between physical examinations and general health examinations?
The timing and purpose differ (according to Articles 27 and 28 of the Enforcement Rules of the Occupational Safety and Health Act):
- Physical examination: Conducted at the time of hiring to assess job suitability and whether there are diseases unsuitable for the work
- General health examination: Conducted regularly during employment based on age
- The items are similar, but the timing and purpose differ
How often should examinations be conducted? (Based on age)
The frequency of general health examinations for employed workers, according to Article 17 of the Labor Health Protection Rules, is divided into three levels by age:
- Under 40 years old: Once every 5 years
- 40 to under 65 years old: Once every 3 years
- 65 years and older: Once a year
- Those engaged in special hazardous operations (e.g., noise, dust, ionizing radiation, specific chemicals) require additional annual special health examinations
What items are included in a general labor health examination?
The items for general health examinations are statutory (Appendix 9 of the Labor Health Protection Rules) and constitute a basic health assessment. Common items include:
- Inquiry about work history, past medical history, and lifestyle habits; height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure
- Vision, color vision, hearing; chest X-ray
- Blood (hemoglobin, white blood cells), blood sugar, blood lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL/LDL), liver function (GOT, GPT), kidney function (creatinine), urine test
- Special health examinations add corresponding items based on hazard factors (e.g., hearing test for noise operations, chest X-ray interpretation and pulmonary function test for dust operations)
What is the difference between labor health examinations and self-paid advanced health checks?
The purpose and content differ, and they can complement each other:
- Labor health examination: Statutory minimum items, employer-paid, focusing on occupational health and basic screening
- Self-paid advanced health check: Optional, self-funded, with broader and deeper items (e.g., MRI, painless endoscopy, tumor markers, cardiovascular imaging)
- For a more comprehensive assessment of personal risk, one can plan self-paid items based on age and family history in addition to labor health examinations (see our article 'How to Choose Health Check Items')
- Note: The 'Preventive Occupational Disease Health Examination' under labor insurance is a separate benefit paid by the Bureau of Labor Insurance (currently under the Occupational Accident Insurance and Protection Act) and should not be confused with the employer-conducted labor health examination
FAQ
Is the company required to provide health examinations for employees? Who pays?
Yes. According to Article 20 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Labor Health Protection Rules, employers must arrange physical examinations at the time of hiring and regular general health examinations during employment. The costs are borne by the employer and cannot be charged to the worker. Examinations must be conducted by medical institutions accredited by the Ministry of Labor.
How often should employee health examinations be conducted?
According to Article 17 of the Labor Health Protection Rules, the frequency of general health examinations for employed workers depends on age: under 40 years old, once every 5 years; 40 to under 65 years old, once every 3 years; 65 years and older, once a year. Those engaged in special hazardous operations require additional annual special health examinations.
Are physical examinations and health examinations the same?
Not exactly the same. Physical examinations are conducted at the time of hiring to assess job suitability and whether there are diseases unsuitable for the work. General health examinations are conducted regularly during employment based on age. The items are similar, but the timing and purpose differ (according to Articles 27 and 28 of the Enforcement Rules of the Occupational Safety and Health Act).
What items are included in a general labor health examination?
These are statutory items (Appendix 9 of the Labor Health Protection Rules). Common items include height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure; vision, color vision, hearing; chest X-ray; and basic tests for blood, blood sugar, blood lipids, liver function (GOT/GPT), kidney function, and urine. Those engaged in special hazardous operations have additional special health examination items based on the hazard factors.
What is the difference between labor health examinations and self-paid advanced health checks?
Labor health examinations are the statutory minimum items, paid by the employer, focusing on occupational health and basic screening. Self-paid advanced health checks are optional, self-funded, with broader and deeper items (e.g., MRI, painless endoscopy, tumor markers). The two can complement each other. For a more comprehensive assessment of personal risk, one can plan self-paid items based on age and family history in addition to labor health examinations.
How long must the company keep records of special health examinations?
According to the Labor Health Protection Rules, records of special physical and health examinations must generally be kept for at least 10 years. For listed high-hazard operations such as ionizing radiation, dust, benzene, vinyl chloride, asbestos, and cadmium, records must be kept for at least 30 years. Records of general health examinations and physical examinations should also be kept as required.
This page is a neutral compilation of information for reference only, not Medical advice, and does not constitute any diagnostic commitment.