Switzerland: Support from disability insurance and specialized organizations
In Switzerland, there are no specific national programs for people with Long COVID, but organizations such as the Disability Insurance (IV), the GEWA Foundation or Procap offer support.
The IV offers various reintegration measures, including job placement, retraining and workplace adjustments, to promote professional reintegration.
The GEWA Foundation supports people with health restrictions in their professional integration through sheltered workplaces and individual support programs. The self-help organization Procap supports those affected with legal issues.
Rehabilitation clinics offer regional support through special programs.
In addition to the work of the IV and national support organizations, individual rehabilitation centers offer special programs to support reintegration. For example, the Bellikon Rehabilitation Clinic offers special coaching for people affected by Long COVID.
Germany: Structured reintegration on a legal basis
In Germany, there are established structures to support the professional reintegration of people affected by Long COVID.
The so-called "Hamburg model" provides a legal basis for professional reintegration after a prolonged illness. This model enables a gradual return to work with individually adapted working hours and workload. During this phase, those affected remain officially on sick leave and continue to receive wage replacement benefits. The initiative for reintegration can come from both the employer and the employee.
Company integration management (BEM)
Employers are obliged to offer a BEM at the request of those affected if employees are unfit for work for more than six weeks without interruption or repeatedly within a year. The aim of this procedure is to find individual solutions for returning to work.
Benefits for participation in working life (LTA)
German Pension Insurance offers support for reintegration under the term LTA, including retraining, further training and technical assistance to maintain or restore earning capacity.
(Local) organizations such as Berufsförderungswerke (BFW) or INN-tegrativ gGmbH support vocational rehabilitation.
Institutions such as the Berufsförderungswerk (BFW) offer specialized programs for Long COVID sufferers to gradually restore their ability to work and, if necessary, develop new career prospects.
INNtegrativ gGmbH, the vocational training center in the north, also offers step-by-step support for the best possible professional restart. More information is available on the INNtegrativ gGmbH website.
Austria: Focus on individual rehabilitation measures
As in Switzerland, there are no specific national programs for the professional reintegration of people affected by Long COVID in Austria, but existing structures offer support.
The Austrian guideline on Long COVID recommends individual rehabilitation measures that are tailored to the specific needs of those affected.
Social insurance providers offer occupational rehabilitation services, including retraining, workplace adjustments and psychosocial support. These measures are aimed at maintaining or restoring the ability to work. The Chamber of Labor also provides information about rights in the workplace and support options for employees.
Conclusion: Individual support and interdisciplinary approaches are crucial, but offers are limited.
The professional reintegration of Long COVID sufferers requires individual solutions and close cooperation between employees, employers and rehabilitation services. Current research findings underline the need for interdisciplinary approaches to further improve the care and reintegration of Long COVID sufferers.
While Germany has established structures, Austria and Switzerland tend to offer support through existing rehabilitation measures and a few specialized organizations. However, tailored services for people affected by Long COVID are rare in all three countries.
