Definition - What does Unfit mean?
Unfit for work means that the individual has a physical disability or sickness which renders him or her unable to have gainful employment. Usually this designation means that the individual will then be eligible for government assistance of some sort, such as Social Security Disability benefits. Job accommodations or retraining are often tried first in an attempt to keep an individual employed in some manner before a determination of completely unfit to work is made.
SureHire explains Unfit
Unfit for work determinations vary based on type of work sought and location of the individual. For example, the United Kingdom does work capability assessment to determine an individual is fit for work, unfit for work but is able to receive the pre-employment training, or is unfit for work or training. The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for conducting the assessment. If it is determined that an individual is unfit for work, he or she may be entitled to other work sickness benefits. However, the process in the US might be quite different and use different criteria. Often, retraining and significant job accommodations are made before an unfit for work determination will be considered.
Certain criteria will determine whether or not an individual has a legitimate claim of unfit (these are called descriptors). Assessment will generally look at occupational health theory, clinical knowledge, and functional assessments to gauge whether or not an individual has a real disability that impacts work competence. The assessors usually involve a variety of specialists from the medical fields as well as those trained in disability regulations and work accommodations and training.
