What is FWC?

‘FWC,’ or ‘functional work capacity’ refers to some form of evaluation to determine whether a person has the actual physical and functional ability or competence for a specific job, function, or occupation.  The results of the series of tests will then be compared with the common work standards and guidelines as set by the Department of Labor and other government agencies involved.  In some cases, the evaluation for functional capacity is different from that of work capacity.  In both ways, though, an individual will be subject to several tests in order to know his/her true physical and functional abilities in relation to his/her job function.

Certain job positions may require people to be evaluated with their FWC or functional work capacity.  It is also common for people with some form of disability to be required to take the FWC tests.  This is to ensure that their insurance claims for disability are true and warranted.  Insurance companies also require claimants for disability to be evaluated with their functional work capacity through accredited doctors and related experts.

For tests that are specific to functional capacity, an individual’s overall physical condition and abilities will be tested and evaluated.  The evaluation is done in a variety of ways including clinical assessments and observation, special tasks and projects, and other standardized sets of procedures.  For work capacity tests, meanwhile, evaluation procedures are aimed at determining whether an individual is indeed fit for a certain job function or if he/she is capable of handling specific activities that his/her job requires.  With work capacity evaluations, real-life work scenarios are simulated and job or function-specific tools and materials are used in order to ensure that the evaluation will yield valid and reliable results.  Results for both functional and work capacity evaluations will then be compared with industry standards and other data relevant to a particular job position.