A field examiner works for a government agency or a private company, performing inspections at various locations. Examiners write reports about specific places or people and collect data that can be used in investigations. Field examiners’ specific job responsibilities vary greatly depending on their employer, but in many cases, they act as auditors, attempting to verify or corroborate information.
Individuals and various types of property are covered by insurance policies issued by insurance companies. Agents are in charge of gathering information about the contract buyer and the insured property, but before a policy can be issued, the information must be verified by a field examiner. Examiners can conduct health examinations on behalf of life insurance companies. If a field examiner discovers that the customer is suffering from certain illnesses or health issues, an insurance company may refuse to issue a life insurance contract. Furthermore, insurance companies have the right to refuse to insure property, including houses, if a field examiner determines that the property in question does not meet the insurer’s insurance eligibility criteria.
Field examiners are sometimes employed by medical firms to go to the homes of their patients and perform simple medical tests or diagnose problems. During disease outbreaks, multiple examiners from government agencies or private companies are frequently dispatched to affected communities to assess the scope of the problem. Examiners may conduct tests on water supplies and food to determine the source of the outbreak in some cases. Examiners, in general, are individuals who can provide a neutral opinion on topics because they have no financial incentive to support a particular viewpoint. Accounting firms and security firms are among the other types of companies that hire field examiners to prepare reports on issues involving a client’s finances or security.
Field examiners are frequently government employees who work for regulatory agencies. Labor examiners look into the working conditions in factories and other workplaces. These examiners may conduct physical inspections and conduct interviews with employees to determine whether employers are following labor laws. In some countries, employers are required to pay a minimum wage, and a labor department field examiner may be assigned to investigate claims of wage violations.
Aside from working conditions, government agencies that regulate the securities industry, retailers, and businesses in other industries employ field examiners. While the responsibilities of these examiners differ depending on the industry, they typically represent the public interest by investigating safety violations, fraud, and other incidents that could jeopardize the public’s physical or financial well-being. Examiners have the authority to close down dangerous or insolvent businesses in some cases.