PAGO, PMO and ePMO are often used interchangeably. A PAGO is a periodic occupational health examination (Periodiek Arbeidsgezondheidskundig Onderzoek), a mandatory offer under the Arbowet (the Dutch Working Conditions Act). A PMO is a broader examination that, alongside work-related risks, also covers lifestyle and mental health; it is not separately required by law, but it covers the PAGO obligation when work-related risks are included. An ePMO is a digital variant in which psychosocial workload (PSA) is often a key part. Below you will find what each term means and when to choose which variant.
What is a PAGO?
A PAGO, or Periodic Occupational Health Examination (Periodiek Arbeidsgezondheidskundig Onderzoek), is the legally anchored health examination that you, as an employer, must offer your employees. The basis is Article 18 of the Arbowet: you make the offer, and employees decide for themselves whether to take part. Taking part is therefore entirely voluntary.
A PAGO is the responsibility of a company doctor (bedrijfsarts), usually through a contracted occupational health service (arbodienst). Its content maps onto the risks identified in your RI&E (risk inventory and evaluation): exposure to hazardous substances, noise, screen work, physical strain, and night work. For some years now, psychosocial workload has also come under it. The reporting works two ways: the employee receives personal advice, and you, as the employer, receive an anonymised group report.
What is a PMO?
PMO stands for Preventive Medical Examination (Preventief Medisch Onderzoek). A PMO is the complete preventive health check for working people. It brings three things under one roof: work-related risks, lifestyle and mental health.
A PMO is not separately required by law. Article 18 of the Arbowet only requires that a PAGO be offered. A PMO that integrates the PAGO elements covers that obligation in a single examination, in line with the NVAB Guideline on PMO.
A PMO is carried out by a company doctor or occupational health nurse (arboverpleegkundige) through an occupational health service, or by an external specialist provider (such as OpenUp). The employee receives personal advice; you as HR, see only the anonymised group report.
What is an ePMO?
An ePMO is a digital variant of the PMO, easier and quicker to roll out than a traditional PMO focused on psychosocial workload, in which PSA is often a key module. At OpenUp, we use the term ePMO in the Netherlands to position the Vitality Check as a digital, Arbowet-compliant preventive examination for PSA.
The Vitality Check was set up by OpenUp psychologists and lifestyle coaches in line with the frameworks of the Arbowet and the GDPR. The employee completes the check themselves, receives a personal overview and targeted next steps, and can book a follow-up session with a psychologist or lifestyle coach straight away. As HR, you see only the anonymised group report.
What an ePMO is not. An ePMO does not automatically replace a PAGO. As with a PMO, the same rule applies: it only covers the PAGO obligation if the PAGO elements are part of it. For exposure to hazardous substances, noise, screen work, vibration and night work, a full PAGO through a company doctor remains legally required. The ePMO covers the PSA part; the physical and chemical risks remain the company doctor’s territory.
Side-by-side comparison in one table
On paper, the three terms look very similar. The comparison below shows where they overlap and where they differ, so you can see at a glance which one fits your question.
| Dimension | PAGO | PMO | ePMO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Mandatory health check on work-related risks | Broad health check: work-related risks, lifestyle and mental health. Covers the PAGO obligation only if the PAGO elements are included | Easy-access digital variant of the PMO; often used to keep PSA continuously in view |
| Scope | Work-related risks from the RI&E | Lifestyle and mental health; work-related risks optional, depending on scope and RI&E | Psychosocial workload (PSA) |
| Frequency | No fixed cycle; often every four years | No fixed cycle; often every four years | Continuously available, in cyclical rounds for activation and comparison |
| Delivery | Company doctor through an occupational health service | Company doctor, occupational health nurse or external provider (such as OpenUp); employee completes parts themselves | Employees themselves on a digital platform (such as OpenUp) |
| Output | Personal advice plus anonymised group report | Personal advice plus anonymised group report | Personal overview plus anonymised Vitality Check Insights Report |
| Legal basis | Article 18 of the Arbowet | Not separately required; covers the PAGO obligation if the PAGO elements are included | Fits within the Arbowet and the GDPR |
| When to choose | For the legally required check on physical work-related risks | For the complete prevention picture | For easy-access, ongoing monitoring of vitality (and PSA), alongside your PAGO or PMO |
What comes back in all three is that taking part remains voluntary, and the individual result stays with the employee. You are obliged to offer a PAGO under the Arbowet. A PMO is not separately required by law, but it covers the PAGO obligation when the work-related risks are included. An ePMO is an additional choice.
Which do you choose, and when?
- Use a PAGO if you want to cover the legally required check on work-related risks. The company doctor assesses exposure to noise, screen work, physical strain and night work.
- Use a PMO to test employees, both physically and mentally, on-site, and to offer them concrete lifestyle benefits. In some cases, it also covers the PAGO obligation. It is delivered by a company doctor, an occupational health nurse, or an external specialist provider (such as OpenUp).
- Use an ePMO as an addition to your PAGO or PMO, to keep lifestyle and vitality continuously in view, with PSA as an extra module that deserves attention in line with the changes to the Arbowet. That way, you can measure faster and more often than a four-year cycle allows. An ePMO does not replace the statutory PAGO obligation; it strengthens the PSA part of your prevention policy.
In practice, you often combine the two: a PAGO or PMO for the mandatory baseline, and an ePMO for PSA between the cycles.
Measure, follow up on and safeguard well-being.
Frequently asked questions about the differences between an ePMO, PAGO and PMO
Is an ePMO a PAGO?
No. An ePMO is a digital module, often with PSA as a key part, and it does not replace a full PAGO. The physical and chemical risks that the Arbowet places under a PAGO remain the work of the company doctor.
Do I need a company doctor for an ePMO?
Not for the digital ePMO itself. The Vitality Check was set up by OpenUp psychologists in line with the Arbowet and the GDPR, and the employee completes it themselves. For a full PAGO, a company doctor through an occupational health service remains legally required.
Which must I offer, and which is optional?
You are obliged to offer a PAGO under Article 18 of the Arbowet. A PMO is not separately required by law, but it covers the PAGO obligation if the PAGO elements are included. An ePMO is not a mandatory offering, but it is a widely used addition to keep PSA continuously in view.
If I offer a PMO, do I also still need a separate PAGO?
No, provided your PMO meets the requirements of a PAGO. Article 18 of the Arbowet only requires that a PAGO be offered; a PMO is not separately required by law (unless your collective labour agreement, or cao, requires it). Many employers offer a PMO that integrates the PAGO elements. That way, you cover the statutory PAGO obligation in a single examination.
