When an employee is off work for several weeks or months, the questions soon begin. Should you wait until they have fully recovered? When is the right time to intervene? And how can you support a sustainable return to work without rushing the process? AG’s experience with more than 12,000 employees referred to reintegration support since 2017 points to one clear conclusion: the first few months are decisive.
12,000 journeys, a wealth of insight
Return to Work by AG is a turnkey solution integrated into income protection cover. As an informal pathway, the programme helps employees who are off work due to mental health conditions to gradually and sustainably resume professional activity.
Since 2017, more than 12,000 employees have been referred to Return to Work support. This gives AG one of the most substantial bodies of experience in the Belgian market when it comes to professional reintegration. And that experience highlights several important lessons.
Act early
When an employee is unfit for work, waiting often feels like the natural response. Yet figures from the Belgian Federal Public Service Employment show that the chances of returning to work with the same employer fall sharply as the absence continues: to 50% after six months, 20% after one year and just 10% after two years. The longer an absence continues without support, the more barriers build up: loss of confidence, isolation and difficulty imagining a gradual return.
Conversely, taking early action significantly increases the chances of a successful and sustainable return. That is why Return to Work by AG can be activated from just 30 days of incapacity for work. The aim is not to push anyone back to work too quickly, but to offer the employee the right care, guidance and support at the right time.
Returning to work is a process, not a single event
Resuming work is rarely a simple overnight return to the same role. Successful reintegration often involves several stages: gradual recovery, tailored guidance, partial resumption of activities and regular reassessment of the situation. The best results are achieved when the employee receives support throughout the entire process.
Every situation calls for a tailored approach
There is no standard solution for reintegration. The reasons behind incapacity for work, the employee’s needs and the professional context all vary from one person to another. That is why an individualised approach remains essential.
Of course, there are proven good practices and reintegration principles. But their effectiveness always depends on the individual situation. Every employee has their own path, their own context and their own specific needs. This is precisely the personalised approach taken by Return to Work by AG.
A single partner for the employer
With the number of providers and return-to-work solutions continuing to grow, it is not always easy for employers to identify the right support. Return to Work by AG gives you a solution integrated into your income protection cover. The service is included in the guarantee, with no unexpected additional cost for the employees concerned.
AG also handles the operational follow-up of the programme and provides feedback that helps employers better understand absenteeism and reintegration issues, in full compliance with GDPR.
And AG’s role goes beyond supporting employees. Employers can also count on a responsive internal service, free online training courses through the EB Academy and monitoring tools to help them manage their reintegration policy effectively.
12,000 journeys later: the key figures
The results achieved by Return to Work by AG show the concrete impact of early, personalised support:
Why Return to Work by AG delivers these results
The programme is built around several pillars:
- a fully personalised pathway;
- a multidisciplinary approach;
- a return adapted to the employee’s real capabilities;
- a choice for the employer of five specialised reintegration partners.
The objective is clear: to make a return to active working life possible as quickly as appropriate, and above all sustainably.
RTW 3.0 and Return to Work: two complementary approaches
Since the introduction of the new Return-to-Work Pathway 3.0 (RTW 3.0), employers have had a more formal and structured framework for assessing the possibilities of returning to work. This is an important step. But experience shows that assessment, however necessary, is not enough on its own to enable a sustainable return.
To maximise the chances of success, it is essential to work in parallel on care, guidance and the practical preparation for returning to work. In this respect, Return to Work by AG is a natural complement to the federal framework. While RTW 3.0 sets out a regulatory framework and evaluation moments within a maximum period of six months, Return to Work focuses on early intervention and personalised support.
Has an employee been absent for a few weeks or months?
Then now is the time to act. With Return to Work by AG, you increase the chances of turning an absence into a sustainable return to work.