Agreement on economic stimulus package to reduce sick leave and new IA agreement

The Government and the employer/employee organisations have agreed on an extensive economic stimulus package to reduce sick leave and a new and more goal-oriented IA agreement.

"We have agreed to increase our commitment to achieve the goals of preventing sick leave and averting expulsion and absence from working life. I am very pleased we managed to achieve this through a tripartite collaboration. This means we can reduce sick leave and increase inclusion," says Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

The authorities and employer/employee organisations following the signing of the new agreement. From left: Rigmor Aasrud, FAD (Ministry of Government Administration, Reform and Chrch Affairs), Vibeke Madsen, HSH (Federation of Norwegian Commercial and Service Enterprises), Lars Haukaas, Spekter (employer’s association), Sigrun Vågeng, KS (Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities), John G. Bernander, NHO (Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise), Hanne Bjurstrøm, AD (Ministry of Labour), Roar Flåthen, LO (Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions), Tore Eugen Kvalheim, YS (Confederation of Vocational Unions), Knut Aarbakke, Akademikerne Federation of Norwegian Professional Associations) and Anders Folkestad, UNIO.
Photo: AD. Download photo (2 mb) 

 

Economic stimulus package recorded in protocol
The parties have agreed on an economic stimulus package to prevent sick leave, increase the number of employees who can return to work and prevent expulsion and absence from working life. The parties will implement measures vis-à-vis medical doctors, ensure earlier action is taken in relation to employees on sick leave, improve facilitation by the employers and promote employee participation. The measures will be recorded in a separate protocol to be signed at the same time as the new IA agreement.

The Government and the parties will continue to work this year with the proposal from the Expert Group concerning the employers’ co-funding of long-term sick leave. 

The parties agree that the measures and further commitment must yield lasting results. The measures are in part based on the report submitted by the Expert Group on 1 February.

 

New IA agreement
The parties also agree that the IA collaboration is important in order to achieve the paramount goals in the employment, working conditions and inclusion policy, and to ensure that good IA efforts are created in the individual enterprise. The new IA agreement runs until 31 December 2013.

"Some people on sick leave cannot work during illness. For others, working full-time or part-time can be beneficial to their health, while passivity may prolong illness. The parties therefore believe that the goal is for more people to come under the graded (partial) sickness benefit scheme. Absence due to illness can be reduced by strengthening preventive work, facilitation, activity and follow-up so that fewer people become sick, rather than by forcing sick people to go to work,” says the Prime Minister.

”The talks have been constructive and form a good foundation for further cooperation. The goals of the IA agreement remain firm, but new policy instruments have been put in place to strengthen the work on achieving these goals,” says Minister of Labour Hanne Bjurstrøm.

”Now is when the work to reduce sick leave really begins. The agreement is based on what we know works, close follow-up of the person on sick leave by the doctor, NAV (Norwegian Labour and Welfare Service) and the employer, plus facilitating return to work. We will work systematically on this issue,” says the Minister of Labour.

 

Some important measures in the protocol
Person granting sick leave (medical doctors, etc.):

• Professional support/guidance. Initiate cooperation between the authorities involved (Norwegian Board of Health and the Labour and Welfare Service), the Norwegian Medical Association, Norwegian Physiotherapist Association and other relevant professional sectors in order to prepare proposals for professional support/guidance relating to granting sick leave.  
• Regular feedback. Introduce a system for regular feedback to persons granting sick leave regarding his/her sick leave practice compared with others. 
• Mandatory training. Stipulate requirements for mandatory sick leave training of persons who will be granting sick leave.
  

Early follow-up:

• The employer will prepare follow-up plans in cooperation with the employee, no later than after four weeks’ sick leave (now eight weeks).  
• Dialogue meeting 1 organised by the employer to be conducted for all employees on sick leave (also partial) no later than after eight weeks (now 12 weeks). The exemption scheme will be considered. The person granting sick leave will attend dialogue meeting 1 in compliance with Section 25.5 of the National Insurance Act, following notice from the employee and employer. The person granting sick leave shall nevertheless not be summoned if the employee does not want this. The employer shall consult with the employee prior to summoning the person granting sick leave to the meeting. 
• In-company vocational rehabilitation and work-targeted measures to be implemented earlier in the course of the sick leave and shall be a mandatory topic in the dialogue meeting 2.

Facilitation, etc.:

• To substantiate more stringent requirements for return-to-work strategy and activity, particularly through the use of graded (partial) sick leave, emphasis is placed on the employer facilitating work for persons on sick leave and that employees must contribute through participation and follow-up of the activity duty.
• In accordance with the Working Environment Act, the employer’s facilitation duty is currently quite comprehensive. The parties agree that many enterprises have a considerable potential for improved facilitation.  
• The employer/employee organisations agree that both parties should also facilitate associated activities to maintain good contact with employees on long-term sick leave. Work options in other enterprises may be applied when the employer and employee do not find a basis for facilitation in their own enterprise (for example IA jobs). 
• The central federations will jointly assume responsibility for preparing and actively using a tool to help the enterprises with facilitation work.

Sanctions:
The rules on sanctions in relation to all players will be reviewed and strengthened.

New model for employer’s co-funding of the sick leave benefits scheme:

• In its report of 1 February, the Expert Group proposed a change in the employers’ co-funding, for example by co-funding long-term one hundred per cent sick leave.
• The parties agree that a change in co-funding in line with the principles of the Expert Group can contribute to strengthening the employer’s follow-up of and facilitation for persons on long-term sick leave, so that graded (partial) sick leave becomes the main rule. 
• The parties will revert to this in the course of the current year. Today’s scheme will be continued until the parties agree otherwise.

Other issues:
The Council for Working Life and Pension Policy will discuss a potential collaboration on establishing a centre for return-to-work and inclusion activities.

 

New and more goal-oriented IA agreement

• The new IA agreement runs until 31 December 2013. The termination clause in the current agreement will be continued. 
• The three secondary goals in the current agreement will be continued: Sick leave reduced by 20 per cent compared with the 2nd quarter of 2001, increased employment for persons with reduced functional ability and six months’ longer work participation for seniors compared with 2009. 
• The agreement will target the individual enterprises to a greater extent. Goals will be established for the enterprises in relation to the secondary goals of the agreement. The enterprises shall convene two meetings a year where IA is the only item on the agenda. 
• Further commitment to far better follow-up of the agreement centrally. The parties and the authorities shall report efforts and results to the Council for Working Life and Pension Policy twice a year.  
• A separate follow-up group and a professional group to be established under the Council for Working Life and Pension Policy to ensure improved follow-up. 
• The overall scope of the financial policy instruments in the current IA agreement to be continued. The Ministry of Labour will discuss the scope and arrangement of the schemes in the IA agreement that now expires in the Council for Working Life and Pension Policy. 
• The expanded self-certification scheme in the IA enterprises to be continued.  
• The Government will not propose changes in the sick pay scheme during the duration of the agreement unless the parties agree.

 

Download

• Letter of Intent regarding a more inclusive working life - 1 March 2010 – 31 December 2013 (IA agreement) (PDF)
• Protocol between the employer/employee organisations and the authorities for a joint effort to prevent and reduce sick leave and promote inclusion (PDF) 
   
• Presentation given by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Minister of Labour Hanne Bjurstrøm (PDF in Norwegian)