The short answer: Vyhláška č. 79/2013 Sb., o pracovnělékařských službách, is amended from 1 January 2026 by Vyhláška č. 449/2025 Sb. The revised § 12 odst. 1 identifies four situations in which an extraordinary examination must be carried out: in addition to a reasonable presumption that medical fitness has been lost or changed, these include assignment to a previously unassessed risk factor, an increase in the level of a risk factor already taken into account and transfer to different work under different conditions. The corresponding provision is removed from § 10 odst. 2 on pre-employment examinations. A request under § 15 odst. 1 písm. c) must now also state the weekly working hours and shift length, while the intervals for periodic examinations under § 11 odst. 2 and 3 remain linked to the work category and the age threshold of 50.
An HR officer sends a welder for a pre-employment examination because “a change of job means a visit to the doctor”. However, the employee has already worked for the company’s warehouse for a year and is merely moving to another position. Since January 2026, this situation has a different name and is governed by a different section—and the distinction is not merely academic: it changes when an examination is required and what must be included in the request.
What the amendment under Vyhláška č. 449/2025 Sb. changed
Vyhláška č. 449/2025 Sb. of 17 October 2025 was promulgated on 7 November 2025 and, according to its čl. II, “nabývá účinnosti dnem 1. ledna 2026”. e-Sbírka lists Vyhláška č. 79/2013 Sb. in its current wording effective from 1 January 2026; Zákon č. 373/2011 Sb., o specifických zdravotních službách, is also shown in the wording effective from that date following its amendment by Zákon č. 290/2025 Sb. The changes by examination type are as follows:
| Examination type | What changes from 1 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| pre-employment | the passage on assignment to a previously unassessed risk factor and transfer to different work under different conditions is removed from § 10 odst. 2 and moved to the grounds for an extraordinary examination |
| periodic | for category 1 and category 2 work, it is carried out only if requested by the employer or employee; under § 11 odst. 2 písm. a) and b), an employee’s request must be made in writing |
| extraordinary | the revised § 12 odst. 1 contains four situations, § 12 odst. 2 includes a new písm. g), and new exceptions apply to interruptions of work lasting more than six months |
| exit | not included among the amendment provisions |
Extraordinary examinations: four situations under the new § 12 odst. 1
The entire paragraph 1 has been rewritten. An extraordinary examination is carried out
- where there is a reasonable presumption that medical fitness has been lost or changed,
- when an employee is assigned to a previously unassessed risk factor,
- when the level of a risk factor already taken into account increases,
- before an employee is transferred to different work under different conditions.
The definition in point 4 is crucial: different conditions mean the addition of at least one risk factor, a change in the risk factors or assignment to hazardous work. This does not mean that every move between positions falls within this ground—the deciding factor is a change in workplace risk factors, not a change in the job title.
A new písm. g) has been added to § 12 odst. 2, listing assignment to a previously unassessed risk factor or the situation before transfer to different work under different conditions among the grounds for an extraordinary examination. The same passage has correspondingly been removed from § 10 odst. 2 on pre-employment examinations. A situation that many companies previously handled by arranging “another pre-employment examination” has therefore been defined as an extraordinary examination since January 2026.
Whether a particular risk factor is considered to have been taken into account depends on the work’s classification into a category under Zákon č. 258/2000 Sb. This is why a change of position in a company with outdated work categorisation is likely to be assessed incorrectly.
Interruptions of work lasting more than six months now have exceptions
From 1 January 2026, § 12 odst. 2 písm. f) bod 3—an interruption of work lasting more than six months—does not apply to
- category 1 work,
- work without an occupational risk,
- interruptions due to maternity or parental leave and unpaid leave immediately following parental leave.
A typical example is an administrative employee in category 1 returning from parental leave, who falls within the exception. By contrast, an employee returning to category 3 work after a year of incapacity for work does not. This presupposes, however, that the company knows which jobs are classified as category 1 and which are recorded as work involving an occupational risk.
What has been added to examination requests
The request is where the amendment will first become apparent, as it is completed by the employer. Under § 15 odst. 1 písm. c), in the wording effective from 1 January 2026, it must now include the following in addition to the existing information:
- weekly working hours,
- shift length,
- other circumstances relevant to assessing medical fitness.
At the same time, § 15 odst. 1 písm. a) bod 1 now also includes a self-employed natural person. Companies should therefore review their established request form and add any missing fields, as many of the criteria in příloha č. 1 depend on the duration of exposure during a shift.
Periodic examination intervals by category
The intervals are laid down in § 11 odst. 2 and 3 of the regulation in the wording effective from 1 January 2026. They depend on the work category and whether the employee has reached the age of 50:
| Work category | Interval under age 50 | Interval from age 50 | When it is carried out |
|---|---|---|---|
| category 1 | once every 6 years | once every 4 years | only if requested in writing by the employer or employee |
| category 2 | once every 4 years | once every 2 years | only upon written request |
| hazardous category 2 and category 3 | once every 2 years | once every 2 years | at the stated interval |
| category 4 | once a year | once a year | at the stated interval |
| work involving an occupational risk (§ 11 odst. 3) | once every 4 years | once every 2 years | at the stated interval unless a shorter interval is specified elsewhere |
The table must be read together with the proviso in § 11 odst. 4: paragraphs 2 and 3 do not apply if another legal regulation or příloha č. 1 provides otherwise. A shorter interval may therefore be imposed by a special regulation or by příloha č. 1 itself—the table is a starting point, not a complete examination schedule.
The final column deserves particular attention. For category 1 and category 2 work, a periodic examination is carried out only if requested by the employer or employee. Under § 11 odst. 2 písm. a) and b), in the wording effective from 1 January 2026, an employee’s request must be made in writing. A company whose employees perform category 1 work therefore does not simply track a deadline in its calendar—it tracks a decision that should be documented.
What else the amendment changes
- § 5 odst. 2 nové písm. e): the employer must provide the occupational health services provider with a copy of its hazardous work records if requested.
- § 5a (nový): alternative procedures during a state of emergency or an extraordinary measure imposed during an epidemic. Pre-employment and periodic examinations are not carried out for category 1 and category 2 work without the conditions specified in příloha č. 1; pre-employment examinations must be completed within 90 days and periodic examinations within 180 days after the relevant state or measure ends.
- Medical assessment templates: the existing annex is designated as příloha č. 1, while přílohy č. 2 and 3 are added with medical assessment templates (§ 16 odst. 2, § 17 odst. 3 and 4).
- Příloha č. 1 část I body 3.10 and 4.1: for both cold exposure and overall physical workload, exercise ECG testing for people over 50 is removed from pre-employment and periodic examinations. By contrast, morbid obesity with a body mass index (BMI) above 40 is added to bod 4.1 písm. B. In bod 2.21, “izokyanáty” is replaced with “diisokyanáty” and applies only where the substance or mixture bears the EUH204 statement.
Příloha č. 1 část II bod 5 also deserves separate mention: persons conducting inspections and tests of designated gas, electrical and pressure equipment, as well as the installation and repair of gas equipment, are expressly added to the types of work involving a risk to health. This also applies to external inspection technicians hired as contractors.
What companies should review
- Establish how the company’s work is actually classified. Without up-to-date categorisation, it is impossible to determine the applicable interval, the exception for interruptions lasting more than six months or whether a periodic examination is performed only upon request.
- Retrieve the list of work involving an occupational risk. This is a separate group alongside the work categories and has its own interval under § 11 odst. 3.
- Update the examination request form to include weekly working hours and shift length.
- Determine who reports workplace changes. Assignment to a new risk factor or an increase in the level of risk will usually be noticed by an operations manager rather than an HR officer—which is precisely why the need for an extraordinary examination is often identified only retrospectively.
Work categorisation, risk assessment and examination intervals are interconnected, so it is worth reviewing them together with the company’s occupational health and safety documentation.
Frequently asked questions
An employee is moving from the warehouse to the welding shop. Do they need a pre-employment or extraordinary examination?
Under the wording effective from 1 January 2026, transfer to different work under different conditions is listed among the grounds for an extraordinary examination (§ 12 odst. 1 and § 12 odst. 2 písm. g). The assessment of a particular case should, however, be made by the occupational health services provider, which is familiar with the work classifications used by your company.
All our employees are in category 1. Do they undergo periodic examinations?
For category 1 work, § 11 odst. 2 of the regulation sets an interval of once every six years, or once every four years for people aged 50 and over. The examination is carried out if requested by the employer or employee, and an employee’s request must be made in writing. Under § 11 odst. 4, however, paragraphs 2 and 3 do not apply if another legal regulation or příloha č. 1 provides otherwise.
An employee is returning from parental leave. Does she need an examination?
From 1 January 2026, the exceptions to the ground under § 12 odst. 2 písm. f) bod 3—an interruption of work lasting more than six months—also include interruptions due to maternity or parental leave and unpaid leave immediately following parental leave. Whether the exception applies depends on the classification of the employee’s specific work.
What does this mean for the inspection technicians we hire?
From 1 January 2026, příloha č. 1 část II bod 5 expressly includes them among persons performing work involving a risk to health. Their employer is responsible for addressing their medical fitness; for the client, this primarily indicates what should be verified with the contractor alongside professional competence.
Sources for this article
- Occupational health and safety for companies – a service provided by SOHE.
- Work categorisation: what companies report to the public health authority – the classification of work into categories on which examination intervals depend.
- Occupational health and safety documentation for companies – where work categorisation, risk assessment and records belong in company documentation.
- Occupational health and safety training for managers – managers are the first to identify changes in workplace conditions.
- Vyhláška č. 79/2013 Sb. – o pracovnělékařských službách, in the wording effective from 1 January 2026; § 5 odst. 2, § 5a, § 10 odst. 2, § 11 odst. 2 až 4, § 12, § 15 odst. 1, § 16 odst. 2, § 17 odst. 3 a 4 and příloha č. 1.
- Vyhláška č. 449/2025 Sb. – amendment to the occupational health services regulation dated 17 October 2025; čl. I amendment provisions and čl. II, effective from 1 January 2026.
- Zákon č. 373/2011 Sb. – o specifických zdravotních službách, in the wording effective from 1 January 2026; the statutory framework for occupational health services.
- Zákon č. 290/2025 Sb. – amendment to Zákon č. 373/2011 Sb., o specifických zdravotních službách, effective from 1 January 2026.
- Zákon č. 258/2000 Sb. – o ochraně veřejného zdraví; work categorisation and hazardous work records.
The legal position was verified against e-Sbírka as of 29 August 2026: Vyhláška č. 79/2013 Sb. and Zákon č. 373/2011 Sb. are both listed in their current wording effective from 1 January 2026, while Vyhláška č. 449/2025 Sb. was promulgated on 7 November 2025.
This text is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. The specific arrangements for occupational medical examinations—including the examination type, interval and content of the request—must be determined according to the actual operations, the manufacturer’s documentation, the environment in which equipment is used and the risk assessment. The substantive assessment of medical fitness is the responsibility of the occupational health services provider.
Not sure which jobs are classified as category 1 and which you record as work involving an occupational risk? Without this information, neither the examination intervals nor the January exceptions can be applied. We will inspect your workplace, update your work categorisation and related occupational health and safety documentation and add the topic to your employee training. Send us a no-obligation enquiry or email info@sohe.cz.