Outsourcing second-track (spoor 2) reintegration or doing it yourself? As an employer you are, in principle, allowed to handle the reintegration of a long-term sick employee yourself, and sometimes that is a perfectly good choice. Even so, many employers outsource second-track reintegration to a specialised agency. Both routes are permitted and both have advantages and drawbacks. This article helps you choose honestly: when can you do it yourself, when is it worth outsourcing second-track reintegration and what should you check when you make that choice. No scaremongering, just the facts that UWV (the Dutch employee insurance agency) weighs up.
May you carry out second-track reintegration yourself?
Yes, you may. There is no legal obligation to bring in a reintegration agency. The Gatekeeper Improvement Act (Wet verbetering poortwachter) places reintegration with the employer, but does not prescribe who carries out the work. So you may organise the guidance, the search for suitable work with a different employer and the reporting yourself, for example through your HR department or case manager.
Important to know: even when you outsource second-track reintegration, you as the employer remain ultimately responsible. The agency does the work, but UWV holds you to account for the result. At the WIA application, UWV assesses the complete case file via the RIV assessment (of the reintegration report). If the efforts are insufficient, UWV can impose a wage sanction: continuing to pay wages for up to 52 additional weeks. That responsibility does not disappear by outsourcing. If you first want to understand how such a programme works in substance, take a look at what a second-track programme involves.
Doing second-track yourself: benefits and risks
Doing it yourself has real advantages. You save the cost of an external agency, keep the lines short and you know your own organisation, the employee and the context best. In a small, straightforward situation, with a motivated employee, clear capacity for work and enough HR capacity, you can perfectly well run second-track reintegration in-house. Certainly if you already have experience with the gatekeeper steps.
The risks lie in specialist knowledge and time. Building a UWV-proof case file demands precision: substantiating choices, recording evaluations and keeping the search direction labour market oriented. A mistake or a gap costs you points later at the RIV assessment. Occupational-expert knowledge (what is suitable work given these limitations?) and a network to actually place someone are often lacking internally too. Those who do it themselves regularly underestimate the time and the pitfalls. So read up on how to build a UWV-proof reintegration case file and weigh the costs of a second-track programme against the hours you would spend yourself.
Outsourcing second-track reintegration to an agency: when is it worth it?
Outsourcing second-track reintegration is worthwhile above all when the situation is more complex or when internal capacity is lacking. Think of an employee with fluctuating capacity for work, a sensitive case file, or a search direction that lies outside your own sector. A specialised agency brings three things that are hard to organise in-house: occupational-expert knowledge to pin down suitable work, experience with a case file that survives the RIV assessment, and a labour market and employer network to genuinely get placement with a different employer off the ground.
That network is often the decisive difference. Placing an employee with another company yourself is difficult without contacts; an agency does this daily. The burden of proof also becomes easier, because a good agency sets up the reporting so that UWV can follow the efforts. If you want to know exactly what to expect, read what a reintegration agency does in second-track. Outsourcing takes the work off your hands, but not your ultimate responsibility.
What should you check when outsourcing second-track?
If you choose to outsource, the result stands or falls with the right agency. Pay attention to transparency about approach, interim reporting and price, to demonstrable placement results, and to a way of working that aligns with the UWV assessment. Ask how the agency determines the search direction, how it translates capacity for work into suitable roles and how it keeps you informed. An agency that only offers “application training” without labour market oriented placement often falls short.
Run through a number of points in advance, so you are not caught out. Use our checklist for choosing a reintegration agency and read how to choose a good reintegration agency. Keep in mind that you remain ultimately responsible: stay involved, monitor progress and make sure you have access to the case file. A good agency will actively support that.
More information at the UWV
The official rules and current amounts or deadlines are available at UWV about reintegration. These can change, so always check them at the source itself for a concrete situation.
Outsourcing second-track reintegration with Care4Careers
If you are still hesitating between doing it yourself and outsourcing, we are happy to think along honestly, even if doing it yourself is the better choice in your situation. Care4Careers guides second-track programmes transparently and tailored to your needs, with occupational-expert knowledge and a nationwide employer network for concrete placement. We set up the reporting so that your case file survives the RIV assessment and keep you informed throughout the programme, so you can meet your ultimate responsibility without having to do everything yourself.
Want to know whether outsourcing second-track reintegration is worthwhile in your situation? Take a look at our page on second-track reintegration for employers and schedule a no-obligation conversation. We work nationwide, transparently and always tailored to your needs.