An occupational health doctor or other doctor responsible for your care assesses the need for rehabilitation and issues a statement including a recommendation for vocational and medical rehabilitation: in other words, rehabilitation to improve functional capacity, and the doctor advises you on how to apply for different benefits.

The occupational health doctor is familiar with your illness, conditions at your workplace and the demands of your job, and assesses the need for rehabilitation within the earnings-based pension scheme. It is usually necessary to arrange a joint meeting where the employee, supervisor, personnel management representative and occupational health doctor and nurse assess work arrangements and agree on trial work when necessary.
 
An occupational health nurse can help you to fill in an application for rehabilitation.

The employee applies for rehabilitation. You apply for rehabilitation within the earnings-based pension scheme on a K form or on a KT form if you already receive cash rehabilitation benefit or you have applied for a disability pension.
You need to enclose a medical statement B2 issued by an occupational health doctor or other doctor responsible for your care concerning your state of health and remaining functional capacity and capacity to work.

In accordance with the Employment Accident Act, statutory accident insurance covers the cost of rehabilitation arising from an occupational accident or disease. Motor liability insurance covers rehabilitation arising from a traffic accident. If motor or accident insurance reject an application, you can apply for vocational rehabilitation within the earnings-based pension scheme.

Health care or Kela the Social Institution of Finland are responsible for rehabilitation that improves functional capacity or so-called medical rehabilitation. Health care is responsible for the treatment of an illness. Rehabilitation supported by a pension insurance company is vocational rehabilitation, which refers to trial work, job coaching, training leading to a job or occupation or a subsidy to start up or continue entrepreneurial activities. A pension insurance company does not therefore cover the costs of medical rehabilitation or treatment.

The Seafarer’s Pension Fund can pay for a rehabilitation plan to be drawn up by an employment office or rehabilitation provider. The Seafarer’s Pension Fund does not pay for examinations to assess functional capacity and the capacity to work or the need for rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation is a process that aims for an employee’s return to work. If a planned rehabilitation programme does not result in achieving this goal, the responsible doctor reviews the care and rehabilitation plan. For instance, the rehabilitation programme can be restarted or other vocational rehabilitation measures can be considered after the necessary treatment has been completed.

Rehabilitation is a process, and its duration varies. At its shortest, rehabilitation may only consist of one vocational rehabilitation programme, such as three months of trial work. Sometimes, several vocational rehabilitation programmes are necessary. For instance, retraining may be preceded by assigning the rehabilitee to career counselling and trial work or training. At its longest, rehabilitation may therefore last as much as five years. The Seafarer’s Pension Fund appoints a person to monitor the progress of your rehabilitation for the entire period and to advise you and provide guidance at every stage.

With respect to sick leaves, you act in the manner agreed at your workplace. Short sick leaves, such as an absence of a few days for flu, do not affect rehabilitation allowance, and it is necessary to notify the Seafarer’s Pension Fund of such absences. If your sick leave continues for longer than one week, you must immediately inform and send a copy of the sick leave certificate to the Seafarer’s Pension Fund. If your sick leave lasts for several weeks, the Fund will have to consider suspending or discontinuing your rehabilitation allowance.

The Seafarer’s Pension Fund takes out an insurance policy on behalf of the rehabilitee to cover against occupational accident for the duration of unpaid trial work. In addition, the Seafarer’s Pension Fund has liability insurance that is used to provide compensation for personal injury or property damage caused as an outcome of the rehabilitee’s illness in line with the terms and conditions of the insurance. The insurance does not provide compensation where the employer’s liability insurance covers such injury or damage.

The employer is responsible for insurance throughout the period of paid trial work.