Database of labour market practices
This database gathers practices in the field of employment submitted by European countries for the purposes of mutual learning. These practices have proven to be successful in the country concerned, according to its national administration. The European Commission does not have a position on the policies or measures mentioned in the database.
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| Original Title: | fit2work Informations-, Beratungs- und Unterstützungsangebot zu Arbeit und Gesundheit |
| Country: | Austria |
| Responsible body: | Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection (BMASGK) Federal Social Affairs Service (SMS) |
| Name(s) of other organisations involved (partners / sub-contractors): | Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection (BMASGK, steering group chair); Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF); Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW); Public Employment Service (AMS); Social insurance institutions (pension, health and accident insurances: PVA, WGKK and AUVA, and – in advisory function – Main Association of Austrian Social Security Institutions: HVB); Federal Social Affairs Service (SMS, steering group bureau) |
| Start Year of implementation: | 2011 |
| End Year of implementation: | Ongoing |
| EU policy relevance: | This policy measure is relevant for the Europe 2020 employment target (especially in relation to older workers) and the guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States, including, most notably, guidelines 6 (Enhancing labour supply and improving access to employment, skills and competences), 7 (Enhancing the functioning of labour markets and the effectiveness of social dialogue) and 8 (Promoting equal opportunities for all, fostering social inclusion and combatting poverty). |
| National labour market context: | While the Austrian labour market performs well compared to the EU average and is rather dynamic, it is still the case that health-impaired/disabled (and older) jobless persons have significantly longer unemployment spells and lower chances of re-employment. |
| Policy area: | Active labour market policies, Labour market participation, Social inclusion and anti-discrimination, Work-life balance |
| Specific policy or labour market problem being addressed: | The programme was developed in a context of high rates of unemployment and premature retirement due to health reasons, as well as an ageing workforce. The legal basis for fit2work, the Federal Act on Work and Health (Arbeit-und-Gesundheit-Gesetz, AGG) was adopted in 2010, and fit2work services were started in 2011 (nation-wide roll-out completed in 2013). Hence the programme was implemented in time to serve as a preventive and accompanying measure to the reform of the disability pension system in 2014. It reinforces the principle of “prevention, reintegration and rehabilitation before pension”. |
| Aims and objectives of the policy or measure: | Maintaining and improving workers’ employability and ability to work over the long term, preventing premature retirement due to illness. Secondary prevention measures to:
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| Main activities / actions underpinning the policy or measure: | Low-threshold information, advice and support services provided free of charge. Participation is voluntary. The offer consists of
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| Geographical scope of policy or measure: | National |
| Target groups: | Unemployed, Other |
| Outputs and outcomes of the policy or measure: | Approximately 102,000 persons and 1,700 companies relied on fit2work services until the end of November 2018. Annual numbers of individual clients have risen from approx. 13,000 in 2014 to nearly 18,000 in 2017. In 2017, a majority (57%) of the participants were women. The services were used the most by persons in the age group 50-59 (38%) and 40-49 (32%). Approximately six in ten persons (61%) were unemployed at the time they contacted fit2work. Many clients feature several health problems. The most common diagnoses reported are mental (38%) and musculoskeletal disorders (33%). A new counselling service was added to the fit2work portfolio in 2017, when the new Act on Reintegration Part-time (Wiedereingliederungsteilzeit-Gesetz, WIETZ-G) was adopted. fit2work now also offers support with the preparation of a reintegration plan after long sick leaves. There is a broad variety of positive outcomes for fit2work clients: for some, it can be a new medical treatment or professional perspective, for others it means successful reintegration into their previous or a new job, whilst others start an up-skilling or re-training measure. The main indicator used in the impact analysis is the share of persons in employment, resp. days spent in employment. Participants, who have an employment rate 15 percentage points lower than the comparison group right before fit2work, show a more positive employment trend thereafter, overtaking the non-participants’ ER 1.5 years after starting the programme. |
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fit2work Information, advice and support services on work and health