Employers urged to withdraw health questionnaires

The two-thirds of employers who routinely use pre-employment health questionnaires have been urged to withdraw them by legal experts before the Equality Act comes into force in October.

A survey of more than 100 HR directors by law firm Pannone revealed that 65 per cent asked candidates pre-employment health questions as a matter of course. Nearly half (48 per cent) of employers also insisted candidates fill in health questionnaires before a formal job offer was made.