Assess labour potential
What is labour potential according to the code?
Labour potential is the presumed ability of an unfit employee to perform adapted or other work. This estimate is based on information about the employee’s health and capabilities. The aim is to determine whether the employer can possibly initiate a reintegration process (RIT).
Who requests the estimate of labour potential and when?
The employer must request an estimate of the labour potential for each employee who is unfit for work for at least 8 weeks. This obligation applies to all employers, regardless of the size of the organisation, including employers with fewer than 20 employees.
How is the application made?
IDEWE customers may submit a request for an estimate of labour potential via Electra or Personnel management in your My IDEWE customer area.
In addition to the existing notification of inactivity, there is now a application option for the assessment of labour potential.
How is the labour potential assessed?
The estimate is carried out in accordance with a standardised procedure drawn up by the professional associations of prevention advisors-occupational doctors in consultation with the Federal Public Service Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue.
In the assessment, the prevention advisor – occupational health doctor uses the following elements:
- Medical and other available information
Available information about the employee’s health status, from:- the attending physician
- the consulting physician
- the employer
- the employee
- In addition, the prevention advisor – occupational health doctor also uses other available data from the employee’s health file.
- Standardised Return to Work Self Efficacy Scale (RTW-SE) questionnaire
The Return to Work Self Efficacy Scale (RTW-SE) questionnaire helps to assess the labour potential.
What are the next steps?
- Notification
Both the employer and the employee receive the result of the estimate of the labour potential. - What if there is labour potential?
- The employer may request a visit prior to the resumption of work or request the initiation of a formal reintegration process.
- The employer must request the initiation of a formal reintegration process no later than six months after the onset of incapacity for work. The latter obligation applies to only employers with 20 or more employees.
