The results indicate that participation in a follow-up programme is often not compatible with employment. We could not satisfactorily explain why women were more likely to participate in the programme. This result could have been related to women's more flexible time schedules. An improvement of the current situation could be achieved by having follow-up programmes closer to the home, by flexible follow-up offerings, alternative follow-up services (e. g. in certified physiotherapy centres and sport clubs) as well as by integrating companies in follow-up planning and implementation.