New Incentives in Belgium to Support Return to Work

The government in Belgium has announced the launch of a new reform aimed at supporting the return to work for individuals who have experienced long periods of illness. This will be achieved by expanding access to career support vouchers to include employers as well.

The announcement was made by Belgian Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke, who explained that this step represents an important shift in social policy and aims to enhance the reintegration of individuals who have been unable to work for extended periods into the labor market.

According to the new plan, the career support voucher system was previously limited to workers who were unable to work, allowing them to receive a voucher worth €1,800 to access services such as career counseling, rehabilitation, and guidance toward jobs suited to their health capabilities.

With the new amendments, the scope of eligibility will be expanded to include employers, enabling them to request these vouchers through the Return-to-Work Fund, which is expected to help accelerate the reintegration of employees into their jobs.

As part of the new changes, the required period of work incapacity to qualify for the voucher will be reduced from 12 months to 6 months, starting July 1, in a move aimed at speeding up professional reintegration and improving opportunities to return to the labor market more quickly.

The plan also states that starting January 1, 2027, employers will be able to benefit from professional vouchers with the consent of the concerned employee. These vouchers will be combined with a return-to-work grant of €3,000.

The total financial incentives in this case are expected to reach €4,800, which will further strengthen opportunities for reintegrating workers who have experienced long-term illness.

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