Majority of businesses lack policy on long-term sickness
Most companies in Belgium have no policy for preventing long-term sickness among employees or helping them gradually return to work, a study shows. A plan has been required by law since 2022.
More than 500,000 people are on long-term sick leave, with research showing that the longer someone is absent, the less likely they are to successfully resume work. However, only 7 per cent of companies have implemented a reintegration policy.
According to Mensura, a specialist in well-being at work, most companies lack the right knowledge: one in five says they don’t know how to develop such a policy.
“Employment regulation and a car policy are obvious for most companies, but a collective reintegration policy is clearly not yet,” Mensura said in a press release. “Many companies do their best and take numerous unconnected initiatives. However, these well-intentioned actions lack cohesion, making them ineffective.” The labour inspectorate has sanctioned several companies.
"Many companies do their best and take numerous unconnected initiatives. However, these well-intentioned actions lack cohesion"
Almost two-thirds of company managers and HR managers indicate that adapted work is possible in their company. This is more difficult in the smallest companies than in larger ones.
Less than half of the surveyed employees say their company offers an adapted range of tasks after a long period of absence. In smaller companies, this proves especially difficult to achieve: there, only a quarter of employees say this is possible.
Mensura advises companies to focus not only on reintegration but also on preventive measures. Paying more attention to this also makes a company more attractive to potential employees, it says.
The survey was conducted in May among 571 companies and 1,355 employees. The data was weighted to be representative for Belgium by status, age, gender, language and sector.
© PHOTO JULIANE SONNTAG / PHOTOTEK.DE
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