“Employability is something we work on together” – how Rivas and De Nieuwe Arts are building sustainable employability

At Rivas Zorggroep, managing sickness absence isn't simply about getting employees back to work. The organisation has deliberately chosen a broader perspective: sustainable employability. To turn that ambition into practice, Rivas looked for an occupational health provider that would do more than deliver a service – one that would actively contribute ideas and help shape the approach. They found that partner in De Nieuwe Arts.

“We were looking for an occupational health provider that shared our philosophy of giving people greater ownership,” explains employability advisor Kristel den Hartog. “Not simply a provider that sees employees in consultations, but a partner that works alongside us, contributes ideas and helps us develop policy and prevention.”

According to Rivas, the partnership goes far beyond traditional occupational health services. Where the focus used to be primarily on individual cases in the consultation room, there is now close collaboration at different levels throughout the organisation. This ranges from regular meetings with HR and senior management to joint sessions on prevention, frequent sickness absence and employability.

What stands out in particular is the sense of working as equals. “De Nieuwe Arts genuinely sits alongside us at the table,” says Den Hartog. “Not in a hierarchical role, but as a partner. That allows us to take shared responsibility for employability.”

The practical approach also fits the needs of a large healthcare organisation such as Rivas, which has more than 4,500 employees across multiple locations. Occupational health physicians are available almost every day, both in person and online. This combination of accessibility and flexibility is seen as a major benefit.

Rivas also invests heavily in awareness and training. Since 2023, hundreds of employees and managers have been trained to take greater ownership of employability. De Nieuwe Arts actively contributes to this work, even joining training sessions to provide feedback and help strengthen the approach further.

According to Den Hartog, the real strength of the partnership lies in that shared sense of ownership. “When sickness absence becomes an issue somewhere in the organisation, it doesn't feel like our problem or their problem. It's a shared challenge that we tackle together.”

For organisations looking to take their own steps towards sustainable employability, she has one important piece of advice: choose a partner whose approach matches your vision and ambitions.

“Employability is something we work on together. That's true within our organisation, and it's equally true of our partnership with De Nieuwe Arts.”