A.2. General Principles
It is essential that social security institutions engaged in the promotion, advocacy and support of effective return-to-work programmes include a broad range of institutional and individual stakeholders in this process.
A.1. Arguments in Favour of Return to Work
The subject of return to work
In many jurisdictions around the world, social security institutions are responsible for the provision of financial support and services of “last resort” to persons with disabilities. More often than not, persons with disabilities arrive at this point after having exhausted many other economic support and service avenues, enduring a lengthy and arduous eligibility process with subsequent physical, psychosocial and economic exhaustion.
Structure of the ISSA Guidelines on Return to Work and Reintegration
The following guidelines are organized in two parts:
Part A, Basic Return-to-work Conditions, Principles and Guidelines, provides guidance on identification of the stakeholders, the legal basis of the programme and the need to refer to international good practice. Another aspect addressed is how to influence the system as a social security institution.
Return to Work Framework
Social security institutions around the world are most often engaged in one of three broad scopes of activity, as a provider of:
Definition of Return to Work
The focus of the ISSA Guidelines on Return to Work and Reintegration is on persons who are on sick leave from work, either on a short-term or long-term basis, and who retain an attachment to a specific employer. The guidelines are applicable regardless of whether the reason for the sick leave absence is occupational or non-occupational.
Objectives of the ISSA Guidelines on Return to Work and Reintegration
International Social Security Association (ISSA) member organizations comprise a broad and diverse group of social security institutions, in both the occupational and non-occupational sectors, from most countries around the world.
Introduction
Social security institutions around the world, whether they operate in the occupational or non-occupational sector, face an escalating combination of economic, social and demographic challenges which strain their continued financial viability and may jeopardize their ability to combat social insecurity.
Acknowledgements
The ISSA Guidelines for Social Security Administration were prepared by the ISSA General Secretariat with the ISSA technical commissions.
The ISSA Guidelines on the Promotion of Sustainable Employment were produced as a result of the close collaboration of the ISSA General Secretariat and the Technical Commission on Employment Policies and Unemployment Insurance.
Guideline 30. Foreign credentials recognition
The competent institutions support the mutual recognition of professional accreditations to facilitate the mobility of the labour force across countries.