Workplace Guide
What to Expect From an OH Referral
An occupational health assessment can feel daunting if you've never had one. Here's what typically happens, what to expect from the process, and how to prepare.
Published 12 April 2026
Five Steps
The OH Assessment Process
Step 1
Referral
Your employer - usually via your manager or HR - submits a request explaining why an assessment is needed. Some workplaces also allow self-referral. You don't need a diagnosis - the referral describes how your situation affects your work.Step 2
Appointment
You'll meet with an OH practitioner - usually a nurse or doctor - for 30–60 minutes. This can be face-to-face, by phone, or video call.Step 3
Discussion
The practitioner will ask about your health, treatment, and how it affects your work. You control what you share - they cannot force disclosure beyond what's relevant to work.Step 4
Report
A report goes to your employer with recommendations for adjustments. It focuses on what you can do, not your diagnosis. You can usually see the report before it's sent.Step 5
Follow-Up
Your employer decides how to act on the recommendations - OH advice is advisory, not binding, though most employers take it seriously. A review may be scheduled to check how any adjustments are working.
Myths and Facts
Common Myths About OH
You need a diagnosis to access OH
You don't. A referral can be made based on functional impact alone. Note that this depends on your employer having an OH service - not all employers do. If yours doesn't, ask HR or your GP about alternatives.
OH will tell my employer everything
OH practitioners are bound by clinical confidentiality. The report focuses on functional capacity and recommendations - not medical details. You can usually review it before it's shared.
OH is only involved when something is going wrong
OH is involved to help people stay in work effectively. Recommendations are designed to support both the employee and the employer.
Only your employer can refer you
Some organisations offer self-referral - check your employee handbook or HR portal. Your GP can suggest that an OH assessment would help (for example, on a fit note), but the referral itself goes through your employer's OH arrangements.
Your Choices
What to Expect During an OH Assessment
- You can decline to answer any question you feel is irrelevant to your work
- You can request a practitioner of a specific gender (where available)
- You can ask to see the report before it goes to your employer
- You can ask for specific details to be left out of the report - the practitioner will still need to give accurate advice about your work
- You can ask to bring a support person or union representative - many services allow this
- You can request a follow-up assessment if your situation changes
Fertility Treatment
Fertility-Specific Considerations
If your OH assessment relates to fertility treatment, here are some things worth knowing.
You Choose What to Share - But Context Helps
Treatment Often Follows Phases
Emotional Wellbeing Matters
If Your Partner Is the One in Treatment
Prepare Your Request
Prepare a Formal OH Request
OccuFertility includes an OH referral template tool to help you prepare a formal request. No medical jargon needed.
Not a medical device. This platform provides structured information and evidence-based reference material to support conversations between employees, their GPs, and their employers. It does not constitute clinical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Clinical decision-making rests entirely with the treating clinician.
Not a medical device or SaMD. An information resource aligned with the NICE Evidence Standards Framework for digital health. CSO safety framework completed and available on request.