Company Integration Management (German: Betriebliches Eingliederungsmanagement, BEM)
People with a long term or chronic illness often have a particularly difficult time in a work setting. In order to counteract this, the German lawmakers have taken it upon themselves to offer all employees, who have been absent due to illness for more than six weeks in the past twelve months, a Company Integration Management (BEM). In doing so, the legislator transfers part of the responsibility for the health of the employees, namely in terms of prevention, health promotion and rehabilitation, to the employer.
There is a service agreement at TU Dresden from 10th December 2009 concerning BEM. This stipulates that an integration team shall accompany BEM at TU Dresden. The integrations team is composed of the liaison officer for employees, representatives of the interest groups and the employees entitled to BEM. The team openly searches for and discusses measures - tailor-made for the individual employees - conducive to helping staff find their way back into working life and to maintaining health, employability and permanent employment. Participation in BEM is voluntary.
As part of BEM, the following questions can be answered: Can I continue working at my current workplace in the future in the same way as before? Are changes in work organisation or in the workplace itself necessary so that I can remain healthy in the long term? Who can support me on my return? And what is the best way to return?
Further information can be found on the website of the Occupational Health Services.