Can an Israeli employer require a job applicant or employee to undergo a medical examination?

Israeli law separates mandated occupational medicine from employer curiosity. The Safety at Work Ordinance [New Version] 5730-1970 and the occupational health regulations made under it require periodic medical supervision for workers exposed to specified hazards such as noise, radiation, asbestos, and certain chemicals, and sectoral licensing rules impose their own health checks on heavy vehicle drivers, food handlers, and security guards. Where no rule of that kind applies, the employer needs the worker's informed and specific consent, and the Labor Court scrutinizes consent given as a condition of getting or keeping a job. The examining physician reports fitness for the role, not the underlying diagnosis.

Foreign workers and expatriate hires should know where the boundaries sit. A medical check performed as part of a work permit process belongs to the immigration file and does not entitle the employer to the results. An applicant asked about health history at interview, or rejected after an examination, can bring a claim in the Regional Labor Court, and once a prima facie case of discrimination is shown the burden shifts to the employer to justify the requirement. Damages can be awarded without proof of financial loss. The same analysis applies to other pre-employment screening, where relevance to the role is the controlling test.

From the full guide: Employee Background Checks in Israel: What Employers Can and Cannot Do

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