Medical part-time work increases for Belgian employees in incapacity

Data from Belgian health insurance providers indicates a rising trend in workers using medical part-time work to facilitate their return to employment. Between 2019 and May 2026, the proportion of new part-time returns among those with less than one year of incapacity rose from 9% to 15%. For those with long-term incapacity, the rate increased from 18.4% to 26.2%.

Health organizations including Mutualités libres, Mutualité chrétienne, Solidaris, and Inami have observed this positive trend. While companies with more than 20 employees are now required to use standardized questionnaires to assess return potential, experts suggest direct communication is more effective. The prevention service Cohezio reported that while questionnaires identified potential returns in 15% of cases, telephone interviews identified them in 46%. Furthermore, 52% of cases initially deemed negative by questionnaires were found to be positive following a direct interview.