What is a feasibility study in second-track reintegration?

A feasibility study establishes whether it makes sense to start a second-track programme for an employee on long-term sick leave. It maps out whether that person can realistically be placed in suitable work with another employer, and whether that is realistic right now. The outcome is a substantiated recommendation, so employer and employee make an informed choice instead of starting a programme that stands no chance from the outset.

In this article you will read what a feasibility study involves, what is examined, who carries it out, what it costs and how long it takes. You will also read how it differs from a labour expert assessment, what the report contains and what rights you have as an employee.

What does a feasibility study involve?

A feasibility study answers one question: is placement with an employer outside the organisation realistic at this moment? That question comes up as soon as it becomes clear that a return to the original role, or to other work with the current employer, is no longer possible and second-track reintegration comes into view.

The study is explicitly not a medical judgement and not an assessment of fitness. It builds on what the company doctor has already established about a person’s capacity and translates that into the reality of the labour market. The central question is therefore not what is wrong with an employee, but which roles fit within their possibilities and whether those roles actually exist.

That distinction matters. Someone may be medically fit for twenty hours of light administrative work while there are barely any vacancies in the region that match. Or the possibilities are there, but the period of illness has left the person in such a state that applying for jobs would be counterproductive right now. Both situations only come to light if you look for them deliberately.

What is examined?

A feasibility study goes further than a conversation or a quick scan. A carefully conducted study usually consists of these elements:

• An intake with the employee covering their own experience, wishes, obstacles and expectations
• Coordination with the employer and case manager about what has already been tried and what the file shows
• Analysis of medical and labour expert data, including the advice of the company doctor and the list of functional capabilities
• An assessment of motivation, capacity and competencies, because a programme stands or falls on what someone can do and wants to do
• A labour market exploration: which roles are realistic, in which region, and are there enough vacancies for them
• A file check against the Gatekeeper Improvement Act, so it is clear whether all obligations have been met
• A report with a clear recommendation on feasibility and on the next steps

It is precisely the combination of these elements that makes the study useful. A judgement about capacity without a view of the labour market says little, and the other way around just as much.

Who carries out a feasibility study?

A feasibility study is carried out by an independent professional, usually a labour expert or an experienced reintegration adviser from a specialist agency. That independence is not a formality: employer and employee must both be able to trust that the outcome is not decided in advance, and the UWV gives more weight to a report from an independent party.

In practice the assignment comes from the employer or the occupational health service, because they are responsible for the progress of the programme. That does not put the employee on the sidelines, because without their cooperation and input a meaningful study is simply not possible. If you want to know at which moment in the absence process this study belongs, read when a feasibility study should be carried out.

How long does a feasibility study take and what does it cost?

A feasibility study is a short process. Expect two to four weeks between registration and the final report. Most of that time goes into scheduling the conversations and requesting file documents, not into the study itself.

Costs usually range between €500 and €1,500 excluding VAT, depending on the size of the file and the depth of the labour market exploration. That amount is modest next to the cost of a full track 2 programme, which quickly runs into several thousand euros. The study is therefore mainly a way to make a much larger investment deliberately.

For comparison: a full second-track programme takes nine to twelve months on average. Setting aside four weeks to establish whether that programme has a chance of succeeding is a small investment by comparison.

How it differs from a labour expert assessment

These two studies are often confused, but they answer a different question and usually follow one another.

In practice the labour expert assessment comes first. If it shows that work within the organisation is no longer feasible, the feasibility study is the logical next step: it builds on that conclusion and looks outward.

What does the feasibility study report contain?

The final report is what it all comes down to. A usable report contains at least:

• a summary of capacity and limitations as they emerge from the file
• a picture of education, work experience, competencies and motivation
• concrete job directions that fit, with an estimate of the chances on the labour market
• any obstacles and what is needed to address them, for example training or treatment
• an explicit recommendation: start, postpone or forgo, with reasoning

That reasoning is what gives the report its value towards the UWV. In an assessment for the WIA or in an expert opinion it shows that decisions were made deliberately and that reintegration was not simply abandoned.

What happens after the study?

Based on the outcome there are three scenarios:

1. The programme starts. There are sufficient placement opportunities and the report gives direction to the search profile.
2. The programme is postponed. There are obstacles that need attention first, for example ongoing treatment or insufficient recovery.
3. Track 2 is not pursued. The report substantiates that choice towards the UWV, for example ahead of a WIA application.

The judgement of the company doctor and the UWV always remains decisive. A feasibility study does not replace those judgements, but it does strengthen the file considerably. For employers that matters directly, because a file that is not in order can lead to a wage sanction from the UWV and therefore a third year of continued pay.

Your rights as an employee

As an employee you are obliged to cooperate with your reintegration, and cooperating with a feasibility study is in principle part of that. At the same time you have clear rights:

• You should know in advance what the purpose of the study is and who is carrying it out.
• You may put forward your own view, and it should be reflected in the report.
• You have the right to see the report before it is shared.
• If you disagree with the outcome, you can request an expert opinion from the UWV.

If you are unsure whether you must still cooperate with a programme after a particular outcome, read whether you may refuse a second track after a feasibility study.

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.

Advice on a feasibility study?

Care4Careers carries out feasibility studies for employers and occupational health services, and where needed guides the full programme afterwards. With more than thirty years of experience in reintegration we know both the legal frameworks and the reality of the labour market. Employers will find more information on our page about track 2 for employers.

Request a no-obligation advisory conversation and we will look together at whether a feasibility study is the right step in your situation.