Collective reintegration policy: preparation is half the work

What is a collective reintegration policy?

A collective reintegration policy is a procedure aimed at preventing work incapacity and helping people return to work. This procedure describes:

• How to prevent work incapacity: ensuring a healthy workplace, good working posture, and providing support in cases of stress or other problems.

• Return after illness: clear agreements on how someone returns to work, possibly with adjusted work or additional support.

• ...

Okay, but what is an active absence policy?
In addition to your collective reintegration policy, you also need a procedure that describes what happens when someone is ill. Such an active absence policy specifies who maintains contact with a colleague who is unfit for work, when this contact takes place, and how often.

A collective reintegration policy therefore combines prevention and absenteeism in a uniform approach to reintegration. Perhaps you do not (yet) have any employees on long-term leave on your payroll. But if someone suddenly takes a long-term leave of absence, you will be well prepared to ensure a smooth return to work.

Why is a collective reintegration policy so important?

• Prevent employees from becoming unfit for work by strongly focusing on prevention

• A faster, smoother return to work: by mapping out the possibilities for adjusted work in advance, individual reintegration can take place more quickly and smoothly

  
  

• Equal treatment: all long-term sick employees are treated according to the same procedure 
  
  

• Clear responsibilities: everyone – employee, manager, HR – knows their role 
  
  

• Stronger employer branding: looking after your employees makes you an attractive employer  
  
  

• Legal compliance: you do what’s right, both for your employee and in the eyes of the law 

Drawing up a collective reintegration policy: getting started

All well and good, but… How do you get started with a collective reintegration policy? What measures will really make a difference in your organisation? And how do you convince senior management?

Everything starts with a good plan. Analyse your organisation’s current situation, gather input and use your findings to draw up a clear policy.

"But where do I start?"
Take inspiration from this checklist (in Dutch)

A project plan is a useful guideline for developing your policy. It functions as a kind of audit in which a Mensura expert maps your current situation, outlines expectations, and designs your action plan towards a sustainable and positive absenteeism and reintegration policy.

What should you include in your collective reintegration policy? 

1. Data you collect yourself as an employer

• Map out the possibilities for adjusted work.
  Tip: use our adjusted work matrix for this purpose.

• Describe measures that prevent work incapacity and increase employability.

• List targeted training courses that help prevent work incapacity (ergonomic training, training related to mental well-being, etc.).

• Gather insights on how to prevent work incapacity.

• Prepare an anonymised report of reintegration plans and motivation reports.

2. Data you can request from Mensura

The quantitative and qualitative report of the occupational physician can be found in the activity report, which is available in our MyMensura customer zone. 

It contains the following information:

• Number of spontaneous consultations;

• Number of return-to-work examinations and visits prior to return to work;

• Number of information letters from the occupational physician to workers who have been unfit for work for more than 30 days;

• Number of reintegration trajectories.

Recommendations and advice regarding workplace adaptations can also be requested through this channel.

Evaluate your collective reintegration policy annually

Evaluate the collective reintegration policy at least once a year and assess whether the risk analyses need to be updated. This can be done during the Committee for Prevention and Protection at Work (CPPW), together with the occupational physician.

Does your organisation not have a CPPW? In that case, the evaluation takes place with the trade union delegation or directly with the employees.

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