Happy and healthy workers with renewed occupational health services
In this project innovative occupational health services and products aimed at improving sustainable employability of workers in installation and technical retail businesses are developed. Innovations include integrated health services and insurances developed specifically for this sector with a focus on health and behaviour instead of sickness and absenteeism. This project is a collaboration between UNETO-VNI Verzekeringen (Insurance intermediary for the installation sector), Richting (Occupational Health Service provider) and TNO (innovation-research institute).
Sickness absence and work disability entail high personal and societal costs. Employees suffer from loss of income and a lower quality of life and the employer suffers loss of productivity and higher costs. The costs for employers to continue to pay wages during work-related sickness absence in the Netherlands is estimated at 4.7 billion euro.
TNO monitors the developments in the project by action research – an evaluation method by which practical application, research, reflection, and change are considered on a cyclical basis. This enables a continuous process of testing, observation, reflection, and adjustment. TNO also planned to carry out an effect evaluation on sickness absence and a Health Technology assessment. The Health Technology Assessment will include:
- Estimates of costs and benefits in euro’s such as costs of sickness absence
- Costs and benefits for different scenario’s with use of the developed innovative products and services
- Costs and benefits for different stakeholders
The results of the calculations are presented in a tool with a user friendly dashboard.
Deliverables include 1) a description of the renewed Occupational Health Services, 2) evaluation report of the project including drivers, barriers, lessons learned and future perspectives, 3) HTA tool and 4) a conference in April, 2017, for dissemination and discussion of the findings and implications.
See website for more information.
