Your employee has been sick for 78 weeks. The WIA application is coming up. What should you do, what does your employee do, and when is an application not necessary (yet)?
How does the application proceed? In week 88, your employee will receive notification from the UWV about the application. He must submit documents and will have an interview with the insurance physician. The doctor will assess whether the employee still has work opportunities. If so, an interview with an occupational health expert will follow.
Is the income your employee can (theoretically) earn 65% or less of his former wage? Then he is eligible for WIA benefit. This starts after 104 weeks of illness. In this video the UWV explains how that works.
Your role: provide reintegration file The UWV also assesses whether you have done enough to reintegrate. Together with your employee, you complete the reintegration file. This includes
Problem analysis
Plan of action (+ adjustments).
First-year evaluation
Final evaluation
Current Judgment
You can upload the file through the UWV Employer Portal or the employee can send it by mail. Include relevant emails, reports or letters as well. Helping with the application is smart, especially if your employee struggles with it.
Is application necessary? Sometimes a WIA application is not necessary (immediately), for example if your employee is almost fully recovered, has other suitable work or has new employment in sight.
The WIA application: what does it mean for you?
Your employee is almost 104 weeks sick - an important moment with implications for both of you.
The application itself From week 88, your employee may apply for WIA benefits. For this, the UWV assesses:
the medical record (through the company physician)
the reintegration file (complete together)
Is something not clear or is information missing? Then the UWV will ask for an explanation or additional documents. When you resume work, the UWV checks whether the work is structural and what the wage value is.
Are you self-insured for the WGA?
Then you pay WIA benefits for up to 10 years and are also responsible for reintegration. You must:
Monitor obligations of your (former) employee
provide training
verifying that he is applying and cooperating
Conversely, the employee must also stay active, keep in touch and go to appointments.
After 104 weeks of illness Your wage payment stops
Is your employee still working (partially)? Then you only pay for that work - the contract can be adjusted
Is return is not possible? Then the protection from dismissal expires and you can request dismissal through the UWV (with a statement from the company doctor)
Don't forget the severance pay - or settle it through a settlement agreement
You can get compensation for that fee
In short: a lot changes after two years of illness. Would you like to spar about your situation? Then contact the Absenteeism Director or your WIA Case Manager. We are happy to think along with you.
The WIA decision
Your employee has applied for WIA benefits. There are two types:
WGA: if he can still work now or later (in part)
IVA: when working is (almost) no longer possible and the situation is permanent
Can your employee still earn more than 65% of his former wages? Then he will not receive any WIA benefit.
Advance or reassessment
The UWV will decide no later than week 104, but sometimes it takes longer. Your employee can then apply for an advance payment. Do you disagree with the decision? For example, because your health has deteriorated? Then you can object or request a reassessment.
Are you self-insured?
Then:
you pay benefits for up to 10 years
you remain responsible for reintegration
you must oversee job search, training and cooperation
In turn, the employee must be cooperative, accessible and report changes.
Prevention is better
Not every long-term absence can be prevented. But you can ensure more control over duration and costs with:
sustainable deployment programs
the Absenteeism Under the Thumb course
a good cooperation with your health and safety service
Questions about the WIA decision, excess liability or prevention? Contact the Absenteeism Director or WIA Case Manager. We are happy to think along with you.
Contact our Absenteeism Directors, they are happy to help!
Our experts are happy to schedule a no-obligation consultation.
