Accelerating the Absenteeism Process with the DVV

24 September 2024

In the Netherlands, the Eligibility for Permanent Invalidity Benefit (Restrictions) Act (Wvp) is the legal framework for reducing (long-term) absenteeism and for promoting rehabilitation. This law ensures that the employer and employee, together with an occupational health and safety service provider or a occupational physician, make efforts to quickly rehabilitate the absent employee.

Digital Predictive Questionnaire (DVV)

While the Wvp prescribes conducting a problem analysis during week 6, HumanCapitalCare has adopted a more proactive approach to sick leave follow-up. This is done through the Digital Predictive Questionnaire (DVV). Employees on sick leave are sent a questionnaire as early as day 3 to gain insight into their personal situation.

Faster Contact

Henriëtte Peters is an occupational health & safety nurse at HumanCapitalCare and frequently uses the DVV with clients. She believes that the DVV has the major advantage of offering quick insight into the situation of the absent employee. ‘It gets the absenteeism process started faster and makes it more relevant. There are a lot of opportunities to influence the situation during the first 6 weeks. In terms of actions taken, as well as in terms of the employee’s mindset. If you only get an employee on sick leave to start moving after six weeks, you are six weeks too late.’

Personalisation & appropriate interventions

While it is standard for absent employees to come in for a consultation with a company doctor, timely insight helps ensure that a more personalised solution can be provided. ‘This is because you gain a faster understanding of the reasons and contributing factors behind the absenteeism, and can then initiate suitable actions to support employees on the points that really matter,’ explains Peters.

‘That approach helps you go straight to the right professional,’ she continues. ‘In fact, the questionnaire may indicate that the nature of the problem is non-medical. Sometimes abdominal complaints will seem to be the main issue for an employee, while other underlying causes may become apparent. For example, a work conflict. Then, when delegating the task, I can refer the employee to another professional. Also, in my experience, employees tend to appreciate going to a consultation as a result of a questionnaire they filled in themselves.’

Predictive Character

The completed questionnaires are allowing more and more data to be collected. This will help HumanCapitalCare make even better predictions in terms of expected long-term absenteeism in the future and help employers get a better grip on absenteeism. Yet Peters stresses that there are other variables that are also important for better understanding absenteeism. ‘Contact and the way of working with managers are both very important. And there are also certain kinds of absenteeism that simply cannot always be influenced. Apart from those factors, the DVV is a very useful tool for reducing the risk of long-term absenteeism, because you start working together faster.’