An occupational health examination is normally initiated around ten months of absence, i.e. before the first-year evaluation. The outcome is often included in the first-year evaluation. In this the manager / HR / employer? lays down what the reintegration will look like in the past and present. It provides direction for the reintegration and is an obligation from the UWV.
Sick out of service
If an employee leaves sick during the first year of absence (within the first 12 months) and you are self-insured (ERD) for the Sickness Benefits Act then you don't have to have an Occupational Health Survey done - or maybe you do? The employee is out sick or will soon be out sick - so out of your sight and responsibility, right?
Opportunities for reintegration
It is not that simple. If the employer is self-insured for the Sickness Benefits Act, the reintegration obligation also remains for track 1 (i.e. return to work). The timely performance of an occupational health examination is important for both the employer and the employee. It is advisable to initiate this often a little earlier than for an employee who is still employed. The reason for this is that the employee more often does not fully return to his own work with his own employer.
Occupational health examination and self-insurance
The labor expert examination can immediately make clear whether reintegration in track 1 is still a possibility, it can also provide clarity to the employee and the conditions for the employer and the employee can be discussed. Our sister organization Puls has a lot of experience with employment expert examinations for employers who are ERD for the sickness law.
Steps for reintegration
If you, as an employer, bear the risk yourself, it may be useful to have a clear picture at an earlier stage of how the reintegration is designed and what steps should be taken in this regard. For that reason, it is important that the person who guides the employee and employer (e.g. The Occupational Health and Safety Service) is aware of this. Of course, other considerations may also play a role.
Learn more
Resolu counsels former employees whose employer is self-insured under the Sickness Benefits Act. Would you like to discuss whether the earlier deployment of an occupational health examination would add value? Contact Puls or Resolu.
