Fitness For Duty Evaluation (FFD)

An evaluation of this type is typically requested when one (or two, or all) of three main concerns arise on the part of the employer: is the employee a risk to the safety of others in the organization, is the employee a risk to him or her self, or could there be a psychiatric component to disciplinary or performance issues which have arisen with the employee? In the last cases, if behavior is an issue, we ask for written warnings and investigative reports; and if performance is an issue, it is important that the employer provide data (written or verbally) that helps establish what the performance deficits are. 

Two major advantages of an Independent Evaluation are the objectivity of the evaluator (rather than the treating clinician, who might tend to have a more allegiant relationship with the employee); and, most importantly, the ability of the independent evaluator to have access to collateral data.