About the ReIntegrate Project

What You Will Find

Long-term absence from work due to ill health is on the increase across Europe. This project was designed to identify effective methods and approaches which could be used by professionals to improve their Return to Work records. Reintegrate aims to support the safe and timely return of people to work, who have become ill or injured. Reintegrate helps employers to develop good practice in organisations where absenteeism has become an issue. Individuals who use this website are provided with the appropriate guidelines and resources necessary to reduce absenteeism and improve the organisations overall approach to Return-to-Work. The website incorporates a number of features which are vital for improving your organisation’s Return to Work performance. Once registered, you may avail of all the resources the website has to offer.

The site provides links to sources of specific and general information about Return to Work. Here you will find useful website links; a bibliography containing a multitude of useful documents, all concerning Return to Work practice; Information and examples of projects carried out on Absenteeism and RTW issues; Key policy documents and the Reintegrate library.

One of the main resources provided by the Reintegrate website is the e-learning environment, which incorporates some invaluable functions. There are three main themes in the e-learning environment:

1. An E-learning Course, which Contains 21 Modules Organised into Five Main Areas

Four of these areas are concerned with building a Return-to-Work system in your organisation. The following section is concerned with what you need to do when an employee goes absent so that they return to work in a safe, efficient and healthy manner. Finally, the National Context section provides you with useful information relevant to your own country, which indicates how Return-to-Work systems operate and the benefits of incorporating these systems in the workplace.

The course does not necessarily have to be completed in one sitting, the individual may return to the course modules when convenient. The areas you have covered previously will be marked for you upon your return.

2. The Individual Training Needs Analysis Questionnaire

This is a self-assessment inventory which is designed to allow you to explore your own knowledge and skills in the area of return to work. The questionnaire is aimed at work based professionals or managers who wish to introduce more proactive and effective strategies into the organisation. The individual is asked twenty questions, each of which is concerned with Return-to-Work. The individual is asked to rate his/her level of knowledge for each of the questions. When you complete this questionnaire, you will obtain a personal profile. This profile indicates to you areas where your knowledge is relatively strong or weak. It also points to areas of the e-learning material which will help you address your weaknesses.

3. The Organisational Practice Questionnaire

The Organisational questionnaire asks you to assess your organisation with regard to the quality of its current Return-to-Work systems and practices. In this questionnaire, detailed questions are incorporated into twelve key areas concerned with Return-to-Work issues. Upon completion of the questionnaire, you obtain an organisational profile. This profile indicates to you areas where policy or practice could be improved. It also points to useful sources of information for improving return to work practices and policies. Additionally, you may save your responses to the questions and use these as a guide for your own personal E-learning programme.

4. The Cost-Benefit Calculator

This useful tool enables you to estimate the costs of absenteeism in your organisation. These particular costs are on the increase and preventative approaches can only be introduced following an investigation of your own organisation’s absence figures and costs. This tool will identify what the costs are, and once a problem is identified, you can avail of all the resources on the website which will help you deal effectively with absenteeism and identify new approaches to Return-to-Work issues.

5. The Quizzes – Test Tour knowledge of RTW

The e-learning section also allows you to test your knowledge of RTW policy and practice following completion of the e-learning material

6. Corporate Profiles

You can register with the Re-integrate site as a corporate user, i.e. you can allow access and track progress of groups of staff in your organisation as they progress through the e-learning material. Corporate profiles are available for the training needs analysis questionnaire, the organisational practice questionnaire and in relation to the quizzes on individual knowledge of RTW.