Austria - Fit2Work

Fit2work is an early-intervention programme providing services to help employees to maintain their work ability following physical or mental health issues. The programme can be accessed by individuals or companies. It also supports workers who have left employment or lost their job because of health problems, helping them to reintegrate back into their workplace or the labour market. Fit2work provides assistance to companies and individuals through the use of tools such as the ABI Plus^TM questionnaire, provision of a counselling sessions or vocational rehabilitation services. The main success factors are the early-intervention and the integrated approach. The challenges identified include the lack of standardisation and the limited nature of the follow-ups undertaken to date. Case studies show that, other than working hours, companies report few incurred costs. The programme is largely funded by government institutions and insurance providers, and is believed to be highly transferable to other Member States.