As part of the national RehaFutur initiative, Westphalia initiated the
‘Integrationsprojekt RehaFuturReal®' project, a proactive, vocational
rehabilitation system to reintegrate employees on sick leave into the labour
market. Following a three-part assessment involving trained rehabilitation
counsellors, a self-assessment and that of the medical doctor, a rehabilitation
plan is agreed. The motivation of the worker has crucial importance in the
vocational rehabilitation process. The plan may include vocational training,
technical aids or work reorganisation. It is the rehabilitation counsellor who
coordinates with the employer and liaises with the BFW rehabilitation
association and other actors such as the integration office. Standardised
evaluations found that 74 % of participants reintegrated into the labour
market, 56 % with their former employer. Success factors were the
individualised approach and access to expert knowledge from trained
counsellors. Challenges were experienced when other factors (e.g. age) were
affecting individuals' ill-health or when individuals had experienced conflict
at work. The programme is transferable to organisations of any size and sector,
and in any Member State where insurance companies have a stake in reintegration
into the labour market and are willing to work cooperatively with other
stakeholders.

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AplusA-online.de - Source: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work