How collaboration between (occupational) physicians and work actors foster successful reintegration to work after or during health problems.

Abstract

Incapacity to work has a high price tag. The longer someone is incapacitated for work, the more difficult it is to return to work. It is therefore of the utmost importance to give employees the opportunity to return to work at an early stage. Fortunately, in most cases employees with health problems return to work, whether or not through a (in)formal reintegration process. However, sometimes employees need more specialized support or guidance to return to work, either to their own employer in the same or an adjusted function, or to a new employer.
 Two Belgian external services of prevention and protection at work (Idewe and Mensura) collaborated with the Flemish public employment service (VDAB). They aimed to foster and speed up the reintegration of incapacitated employees who could not return to their own employer. The pilot study ran from September 1, 2021 till December 31, 2022. The study included more than 300 incapacitated employees who were definitively unfit for their agreed work according to the assessment of the occupational physician.
 During the pilot study the incapacitated employees were informed individually about the range of services VDAB and its partners have to offer to support the reintegration into the labor market. In addition, the study examined the outcomes of a fast and privacy-proof manner of voluntary registration from the occupational physician to VDAB. Moreover, the study examined the communication between the actors involved in the reintegration process, such as when and which information is needed.
 During the presentation we will be able to present the final conclusion of the pilot study (e.g., which services were provided to support reintegration, how many incapacitated employees returned to work).