Caring instead of cleaning

This research focuses on how the track 2 reintegration practice can be strengthened. We have investigated how ‘organizing work differently’ and structural intersectoral partnerships can contribute to this, in addition to the mainly individual approaches.

Strengthening the reintegration practice is important. First of all, this is important for the people themselves, because loss of work is accompanied by loss of income and loss of the positive values of work, such as daily/weekly structure, job/general satisfaction, self-esteem and social contacts. Furthermore, retaining employees via effective reintegration practice is also important for the continuity of organizations, the economy and society as a whole.

In order to explore what could contribute to the effectiveness of track 2 reintegration of cleaners, the Centre of Expertise for Inclusive Organisations (Dutch: Centrum Inclusieve ArbeidsOrganisatie, abbreviated CIAO) has carried out a research project within the framework of the ZonMw program 'Improving track 2 reintegration’. The research project called ‘Caring instead of cleaning’ was established within a consortium consisting (besides CIAO) of Schoonmakend Nederland, ADG service group/Asito and Zuyderland Zorgcentra. The project was carried out in close collaboration with stakeholders from both the cleaning and healthcare sectors.

A research model consisting of five related components was used for the research: 1) Gaining insight into the win-win situation, exploring and understanding the relevance of the project for the various stakeholders; 2) Organizing work differently, exploring possibilities to organize work differently in healthcare so that space can be created for the inclusion of people without healthcare qualifications, including reintegrating cleaners; 3) Candidate supply, identifying possible candidates previously working in the cleaning sector for integration in the healthcare sector; 4) Intersectoral collaboration, developing and researching the added value of resources that can support the intersectoral transition; and 5) Learning together, using action research and knowledge dissemination to provide input to advance (intersectoral) track 2 reintegration.

This study shows that it is indeed possible to create structural space for meaningful inclusion of people without healthcare qualifications, such as cleaners who are no longer able to continue working in the cleaning sector, by organizing work differently in healthcare environments. Even though, according to the mobility and reintegration coaches involved, part of the track 2 candidates from the cleaning sector possess the work capacities and talents needed for a meaningful contribution in healthcare, this project did not succeed in realizing sustainable reintegration of track 2 candidates from cleaning into healthcare. This is due to the limited supply of candidates, caused by limited resilience, excessive travel distances or lack of affinity with healthcare.

We conclude that this feasibility study shows that it is indeed possible to organize work differently in healthcare environments with the help of Inclusive Work Redesign (Dutch: Inclusief Herontwerp van Werk, abbreviated IHW). This can create structural space for meaningful inclusion of people without healthcare qualifications, such as cleaners who have to reintegrate in the context of track 2. The instruments, including the Reintegration and Sustainable Employability Model, the TVO passport and the interactive learn-work sessions that were developed during this pilot, can facilitate an (intersectoral) transition and integration, stimulate development during work and support sustainable collaboration in a diverse team. The instruments are also generically applicable, but must be tested more broadly in practice.