One in four companies still without a plan for reintegrating long-term sick employees
November 2025 - Three years after the introduction of the obligation, one in four Belgian companies still does not have a reintegration plan for long-term sick employees. This is according to a recent survey of almost 400 companies conducted by HR service provider Acerta. And this despite the fact that nine out of ten employers had at least one long-term sick employee in the past year.
What does the law say?
Since the end of 2022, every company – large or small – has been obliged to have a structural policy for the reintegration of employees on long-term sick leave. Such a plan describes how a company deals with long-term absence due to illness: how and when contact is made, who is responsible for follow-up, what adjustments can be made to the workplace or job description, and how cooperation with the occupational physician and other parties involved works. The aim is to guide employees back to work in a feasible and people-oriented manner, whether or not in an adapted position.
The figures
Nevertheless, 25.7% of employers say they do not yet have a policy in place. Another 61.7% admit that their plan is limited or incomplete. Only 1 in 8 companies (12.5%) has a fully developed reintegration policy. And even in that last group, knowledge is often lacking: two-thirds of employers believe that their employees are barely aware of the existing policy.
More than 1 in 3 employers say the legislation is unclear and difficult to apply. After all, reintegration requires clear agreements, a good time to make contact and cooperation with multiple actors. In practice, the approach often remains ad hoc and reactive.
Possible causes and consequences
One of the biggest stumbling blocks appears to be the initial contact with the sick employee. In almost half of the companies (48.2%), this only happens after one to three months. Only 5.5% make weekly contact, even though early and regular follow-up has been shown to promote a return to work.
Employers cite the following as the main obstacles: low motivation among employees, high work pressure, lack of time, limited resources and insufficient knowledge of the correct procedures. The willingness is usually there, but implementation remains complex. The risk? Longer absences, higher costs and a greater loss of human capital.
Entrepreneurs who commit to a structured, empathetic approach therefore win on all fronts: less long-term absenteeism, more engaged employees and a healthier business.
