Where can I find my rights and obligations during illness and reintegration?

You will find your rights and obligations during illness and reintegration in the so-called Improvement Gatekeeper Act. Both you (as a sick employee) and your employer are both responsible for your reintegration. The reintegration process consists of a number of steps and is included in this 'Gatekeeper Improvement Act'.

An overview of the steps can be found below:

For the first year

• Cases of illness must be reported to the company doctor or health and safety service within 1 week after the first day of illness;
• When an employee is ill for 6 weeks, a problem analysis must be made by the health and safety service or company doctor;
• Within 8 weeks of reporting sick, or no later than two weeks after the problem analysis, the employer will draw up an action plan in consultation with the employee;
• In the event of long-term absenteeism, the employer must keep a reintegration file, which includes the course of the illness and all reintegration activities;
• Every 6 weeks, the employer must discuss progress with the employee;
• The employee chooses a case manager together with the employer. This person provides guidance and monitors the implementation of the action plan;
• In the 42nd week, the employer must report the employee sick to the UWV. 

After a year

• If the employee unexpectedly remains ill for a long time, a first-year evaluation will follow between weeks 46 and 52. In this, the employer and employee evaluate the past year and determine what reintegration result they want to achieve in the second year of illness (and how they will do this);
• If the employee is not fully at work after 20 months, the employer will draw up a reintegration report in consultation with the employee, containing agreements and concrete results;
• If the employee is not yet fully at work, the employee will receive a WIA application form from the UWV in the 87th week. This form must be returned within 3 weeks. After this, the UWV assesses the reintegration report and carries out a WIA inspection; 
• If necessary, the employer must adapt the employee's work, work equipment and workplace.