In Belgium, sick workers receive support in the form of a rehabilitation or reorientation path that includes medical support, drawing up a professional plan, and exploring possibilities for (re)training. The worker can keep the compensation and recognition of incapacity to work, receives reimbursements of any costs related to the return to work, and obtains a EUR 5 premium for each hour of training followed, with a EUR 500 premium after successful training completion.
In the Netherlands, employers have an important role in the vocational rehabilitation scheme, where they must do their utmost to reintegrate sick employees. This includes a retraining responsibility of their employees during the entire length of their two-year sick-pay obligation.
Sweden has worked with medical associations to draw up diagnosis-specific sickness absence guidelines, which, among other things, lay down the typical duration for a sick leave for a particular illness. Evaluations indicate that the guidelines have improved decision-making, although certificates still often lack information on remaining work capacity and doctors do not always apply them consistently (Nilsing, Söderberg and Berg, 2012[109]; Svärd and Alexanderson, 2021[110]).
In Denmark, municipalities – which implement all social and labour market policies – have strong economic incentives to promote return to work. The state reimburses municipalities’ expenditure on sickness benefit differently, depending on whether any return-to-work activities are implemented or not. Municipalities also have an incentive to reduce sickness benefit expenditures, since the entitlement to reimbursement only applies to cases lasting less than 52 weeks. Municipalities can initiate different active labour market programmes. Individuals with certified remaining work capacity need to participate. Evaluations show positive effects of subsidised job training on the transition into employment and education on employment duration for sick-listed workers (Holm et al., 2017[111]).
Korea has a long history of return-to-work programmes as part of its workers’ compensation scheme, which provides protection to employees after an industrial accident or occupational injury. In 2020, about 3 100 injured workers participated in a programme called My job, Tomorrow Service (which compares with 11 000 workers approved for medical care benefits for occupational accidents). The programme provides integrated medical care, psychological care and vocational rehabilitation services to workers who find it difficult to return to their previous job. Services are tailored to individual needs and can include rehabilitation aids, workplace accommodation support, vocational training, return-to-work subsidies, and consultations with employers. Employees who cannot return to their original job can receive matching support, such as job information and support for interview processes. Services can also include job introduction support when returning to the original job is not possible. About 70% of the participants of the programme found their way back to work.