More people on sick leave are returning to work through medically supervised part-time arrangements, with the scheme leading to a full recovery from incapacity in one in two cases, according to data reported by L’Echo on Saturday.
Figures gathered from health insurers show a clear rise in new part-time returns to work between 2019 and May 2026.
Among people who had been unfit for work for less than a year, the share of new part-time resumptions increased from 9% to 15%, according to the Independent Health Insurance Funds.
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For those on long-term sick leave, the proportion rose from 18.4% to 26.2%. The Christian health insurance CM, socialist insurance Solidaris and the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance also reported the same positive trend.
Since the start of 2026, companies with more than 20 employees have been required to assess the potential return to work of people who have been on sick leave for at least eight weeks, using a standardised questionnaire designed to support their reintegration.
However, prevention service Cohezio said direct contact appears to be more effective than the questionnaire alone.
Of 6,700 requests handled since March, the questionnaire identified return-to-work potential in 15% of cases, compared with 46% after a telephone interview.
Among cases initially assessed as negative on the basis of the questionnaire, 52% were ultimately found to have positive return-to-work prospects after a phone conversation.
