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​People with a protracted or chronic illness often find it particularly difficult in the world of work. To counteract this, the legislature in Germany has taken it upon itself to offer all employees who have been unable to work for more than six weeks in the past twelve months an Operational Integration Management (OIM) - in German "Betriebliches Eingliederungsmanagement" (BEM). In doing so, the legislature transfers part of the responsibility for the health of the employees in terms of prevention, health promotion and rehabilitation to the specific department.

There is a service agreement at TU Dresden from 10^th December 2009 concerning OIM (BEM). This stipulates that an integration team shall accompany OIM (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.

As part of OIM (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?

Participation in OIM (BEM) is voluntary.

Contact persons are the OIM (BEM) Representatives in the Occupational Health Services:

• Dipl.-Psych. Annett Schneider
• Dipl.-Psych. Maxi Paulus

The integration team is completed by the representatives of the staff council:

•   Angela Einert
•   Andreas Mathias
•   Christian Pritzkow

and, if required, a representative of the severely disabled:

•   Roberto Lemmrich
•   Substitute:s.

It is possible to involve a trusted person, e.g. a relative, and other supporters in the OIM (BEM). We ask you to announce this when making the appointment.

Appointment:

As a rule, we will contact you by mail to offer you company integration management if you have been unable to work continuously or repeatedly for more than six weeks in the past twelve months. Please then send us back the attached response letter - ideally by e-mail to or to the postal address below.

The BEM is also available to you on a preventive basis. To make an appointment, please send us an  E-mail with your contact details and a brief statement of your concerns. We will get back to you promptly, at least within one working week.

Conversation formats:

•     in person (FFP2 mask recommended, as of June 2022)
•     via video conference with Big Blue Button or
•     by telephone

Visitor address:

BEM meetings usually take place at Nürnberger Str. 31A, R. 601/2. The entrance to the building is to the right of the jewelry store. We will send you more detailed information in the invitation to the meeting.

Postal address:

Mrs. Paulus / Mrs. Schneider

Technische Universität Dresden
SG 9.4 Gesundheitsdienst
BEM-Beauftragte

01062 Dresden

personal - confidential

Costs: free of charge

Offered languages: German, English

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who can participate in BEM?

All employees of TU Dresden who have been ill for more than six weeks without interruption or repeatedly unable to work within the last twelve months will be invited to an interview by the BEM officer. Furthermore, all employees are cordially invited to start a BEM preventatively if they notice problems in the workplace and would like to prevent an impending inability to work.

Who is involved in BEM?

There is a service agreement for BEM dated 10.12.2009 (Circular Letter D2/2/2010). According to this service agreement, an integration team will be set up to process, decide on and implement BEM. The integration team consists of a representative of the employer, a representative of the Personnel Representation Council, a representative of employees with disabilities (Schwerbehindertenvertretung der Arbeitnehmer, SBV) and the employees entitled to BEM. The integration team is bound by confidentiality. The integration team will jointly develop ideas and propose solutions without preconceived conclusions in order to not only maintain health, but also the long-term employment relationship and ability to work.

What happens if BEM is rejected?

BEM is voluntary and requires the consent of the person entitled to BEM. If they reject BEM, they should not fear any direct legal repercussions. BEM is intended to protect against permanent inability to work, a negative health prognosis, and therefore against dismissal due to illness by jointly developing solutions on how, despite possible limitations due to illness, continued employment at TU Dresden can be made possible.

What information needs to be provided?

BEM is based entirely on the principles of voluntariness and trust. The person eligible for BEM can decide - at any time – what personal information they wish to disclose, for example pertaining to an inability to work. They are not required to report any diagnoses or health restrictions. BEM only serves to establish where there are (still) health restrictions at the workplace and how everyday working life can be optimally adapted to these and in which areas support is required. The integration team is subject to confidentiality. 

What happens with the other information collected in the context of BEM?

The integration team is subject to confidentiality. All documents that may be relevant in the context of BEM, such as notes on agreed measures or protocols on progress and results, are kept in a BEM file. The BEM file is kept by the BEM officer and is destroyed at the very latest three years after completion of the measures with all information contained in it. Only the BEM officers and their representative have access to this file.

Is the gradual reintegration the same as BEM?

No. Gradual reintegration after a prolonged illness, often referred to as the "Hamburg Model", is a possible (medical) rehabilitation measure. In the event of gradual reintegration, the doctor draws up a step-by-step plan for a slow return to working life, which is intended to protect against overexertion and which makes it possible to work slowly and under protected conditions. The working time and/or workload is initially reduced and then slowly increased over a fixed period of time. During the gradual integration, the employee is still considered unable to work and receives sick pay or transitional allowance. The integration team is very happy to accompany the gradual reintegration within the framework of BEM in order to support the return to work.