What is the task of the UWV labor expert?
Also known as the ‘arbeidsdeskundige’. Before you go to the labor expert, you first had a meeting with the insurance doctor. The limitations and possibilities that the UWV insurance doctor has determined are included in the investigation by the labor expert. Here are the things that are checked during consultation with the insurance expert:
- for how much measured in a % you are sick
- how much you can still work
- in which positions you could still work
- how much you can earn with this.
The labor expert therefore assesses whether you can still work and for what % you no longer can’t work. He also looks at how much you could still earn. But first of all, he will check whether sufficient reintegration efforts have been made by both the employer and you. It is therefore important in the application whether the employer has done his or her best to guide you to suitable work. If, according to the labor expert, this is sufficient, it will be examined for what% you no longer can’t work and how much WIA benefit you will receive.
What happens if too little reintegration has been done?
The labor expert will ask you what your thoughts were about of the reintegration in the past 2 years at your employer. Was contact with the employer good or not? What did you think went well during the reintegration and what did you think went less well? Does the labor expert believe that the employer’s reintegration efforts were not enough? At that moment a wage penalty will follow. This means that the employer will continue to pay your salary to you for 1 year longer. The labor expert advises your employer on how to make sure the reintegration efforts will go better in future. It is also possible that the employer will follow the advice of the UWV to such an extent that a reduction of the wage penalty can be requested. If this is the case, the wage penalty will be undone and it will be determined whether there is a right to WIA benefit.
Which labor experts are there at the UWV?
There are 2 different labor experts at the UWV.
The first one will assess the WIA benefit application. The second one will help you find suitable work if you can work besides your WIA benefit.
What questions can you expect from the labor expert?
You can expect questions such as:
- What kind of work have you done?
- Which activities did you succeed and which not?
- What are the activities that you can still do?
- Can you list the activities that you can no longer do?
- Do you know what to expect from your own recovery in the future?
- Before the interview, consider what possibilities you still see for yourself, but also what you can no longer do.
- Take someone with you to the interview.
You can read how to prepare for the WIA examination at the insurance doctor in the blog WIA consultation at UWV: how to prepare for WIA benefit
How does the labor expert calculate the WIA benefit?
The reintegration report that you have added to the WIA application and sent will be used by the labor expert. He also enters the FML list that the insurance doctor has completed into the computer system. Your limitations are shown in the FML list. This could be, for example, that you have difficulty concentrating, walking, standing or lifting. The computer system (CBBS) looks at your education level, employment history and limitations. Subsequently, the CBBS system will look for at least 3 functions that would suit you. If the computer system does not find sufficient functions, it means that you are completely not fit to work.
Calculation of the hourly wage for the WIA benefit
The computer system (CBBS) that the labor expert uses has found a few functions that you could still do. The corresponding hourly wages (= what you earned per hour) are examined for each position. These are shown per function by default. This hourly wage for those positions is compared to the hourly wage you earned at your last employer. The difference between the hourly wage from that fictitious position in the computer system of the labor expert and the hourly wage of your last employer is the % for how much you you are not able to work an receive WIA benefit. The last position with the employer from which you became sick is called the maatman (measuring man) at the UWV.
There is a formula that the UWV uses to calculate the % that you are or are not able to work.
It looks like this:
maatman – position UWV x 100% = percentage of incapacity for work mate
When am I entitled to WIA benefit?
If, according to the above calculation, you can’t work for more than 35%, you receive a WIA benefit. Unfortunately, if you can’t work less than 35% according to the calculation, you don’t receive a WIA benefit. If, according to the labor expert, you are not able to work more than 35%, it will be assessed whether you receive a WGA or IVA benefit.
What does the result of the interview with the labor expert mean in my case?
The result of the WIA consultation can mean the following:
completely not able to work:
you are not able to work temporarily completely, so that you receive a WGA benefit. If it is expected that you will not be able to work in the future, you will receive an IVA benefit.
partially not able to work:
you can work part and part not. You have certain limitations that would prevent you from working fully. So you can work here, but there are limits to what you can currently handle. If this is the case, an employer can make use of a no-risk policy. This means that when an employer hires you, they will receive a sickness benefit for you when you become sick. In addition, an employer will then have to pay less premium for you. Finally, an employer also pays less premium if you ultimately apply for a WGA benefit. You do not need to apply for this no-risk policy in advance. The UWV assesses whether there is a right to the no-risk policy at the time of sickness. So if you are partially not able to work, it can be beneficial for employers to hire you.
The UWV has shared the following information:
Not able to work: you are less than 35% rejected by the UWV. This can be for the following reasons:
• The UWV does not believe that you have a disability that would prevent you from working.
• According to the calculation by UWV, you could earn your old salary again, for which you are not able to work for less than 35%.
Contact with the labor expert
As you know, you will first be invited for a consultation with the labor expert. This takes place after you have been to the insurance doctor for the WIA examination. If you have been (partially) not able to work, a second labor expert who is specialized in guiding you to work will contact you. If you then have any questions for the labor expert, you can contact the UWV for this on tel. 088-898 92 94. Unfortunately, these call charges are not free. The labor expert will then call you back to make an appointment. If you have created a ‘werkmap’ (workfile) via werk.nl, you can send a message to the labor expert via this ‘werkmap’.
Reporting labor expert
The report with the calculation will be sent to you. Does the UWV believe that you are (partially) not able to work? Then you will receive a letter from the UWV with the decision.