Do Stronger Employer Responsibilities Enhance Work Accommodation for Sick-Listed Workers? Evidence From a Dutch...

Area of Science:

• Labor Economics
• Social Policy
• Occupational Health

Background:

• * Employer responsibilities for facilitating work resumption of sick or disabled employees are a key policy area.
• * Experience rating, which shifts insurance costs to firms, is hypothesized to incentivize greater accommodation efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To investigate the impact of a Dutch reform strengthening employer responsibilities via experience rating on workplace accommodation efforts.
• * To examine how this reform influenced firms' choices between public insurance and self-management of sick leave and reintegration.

Main Methods:

• * Utilized unique Dutch survey data on workplace accommodation for long-term sick-listed workers.
• * Employed quasi-experimental methods to analyze the effects of the experience rating reform.

Main Results:

• * The reform imposing stronger employer responsibilities through experience rating showed no significant impact on workplace accommodation efforts.
• * A notable increase was observed in firms self-arranging sick leave benefits and reintegration processes for non-permanent sick workers.

Conclusions:

• * Increased employer responsibilities, even with financial incentives like experience rating, do not automatically lead to improved workplace accommodations.
• * Firms may prefer private management of sick leave and reintegration over public insurance schemes when given the option.