The TRIO platform has been officially operational since 19 February 2025. Developed by the National Institute for Sickness and Disability Insurance (RIZIV/INAMI), this secure digital communication platform facilitates the exchange of information between the various players involved in the return to work of incapacitated employees.
A tool to facilitate exchanges relating to reintegration to work
Belgium’s new government has decided to emphasize again the need for a higher return to work of long-term employees in its government declaration. The legal procedure for this is called “the reintegration procedure”.
The aim of this procedure is to promote the return to work of ill employees. Some employees are unable to perform the agreed work, in which case there could be a solution by temporarily giving them adapted work or other work until they are able to return to their old job. Others will permanently be offered adapted work or other work if they are no longer able to perform the agreed work. This procedure requires effective coordination between:
- Health insurance fund’s physicians
- Prevention advisors-occupational physicians
- Attending physicians
Until now, this coordination has often been complex. The TRIO platform simplifies these exchanges by creating an individual communications file for each incapacitated employee, enabling essential medical and administrative data to be shared securely.
What are the implications for your company?
Although employers do not have access to the TRIO platform, it plays a key role in the procedures that concern them, in particular:
- The reintegration procedure: enabling the employee’s position to be adapted or reclassified.
- Medical examination prior to the resumption of work: assessment of the employee’s capabilities with a view to his or her return to work. There is no general obligation for the employee to undergo a medical examination, but the law does require this for certain “risk groups”.
- Termination of a contract on medical grounds of force majeure: where the possibility of reinstatement must be examined before any decision is taken.
The relevant documents (reintegration plan, medical reports) are incorporated into the employee’s communication file, making it easier to follow up the process.
A clear, structured legal framework
The law of 31 January 2025 establishes a strict framework for data management on TRIO. Only TRIO players are authorised to consult and modify the information, which is used exclusively to assess the incapacity for work, the need for third-party assistance, the potential for professional reintegration of the sick employee and the adjustments required for his or her return to work.
Data retention is also strictly regulated. TRIO players can access the communication file of a person who is unable to work and make changes to it (adding or deleting data) for one year from 1 January of the calendar year following the last update. Once this period has elapsed, the information is archived for a maximum of one further year, during which time consultation remains subject to the explicit consent of the person concerned.
Supervised monitoring
TRIO is supervised by a committee comprising the RIZV the Ministry of Work, eHealth, Co-Prev, external occupational health and safety services, professional organisations representing general practitioners, insurance bodies and the social partners. This committee ensures that the platform operates smoothly and suggests any necessary changes.
Conclusion
Although employers do not have access to TRIO, its impact on return-to-work procedures is significant. Thanks to its strict framework and ongoing supervision, TRIO is an essential lever for optimising the employee’s return to work.
