At PFA, we want to use our insights and experience to make a difference for the benefit of the individual, their children and families. Our health initiatives are not only for the benefit of the individual employee who avoids a long, tough course of illness, but also for the benefit of employers and society in general. PFA’s own figures and national surveys show that in particular the mental health of Danes has deteriorated in recent years. This creates challenges with long-term sick absences and puts pressure on the healthcare system. With these initiatives, we can contribute to both supplementing and relieving pressure on the public healthcare system. When we succeed through prevention and early intervention in reducing the number of people with long-term sickness absence and increasing the number people with long-term sickness absence who return to work, it is also an important contribution to alleviating one of the biggest economic challenges in society, namely labour shortage.
Ambitions
More than 135,000 customers will receive help to live healthier lives or receive financial support every year.
More than 1,700 people with long-term sickness absence will be assisted in returning to the workforce every year.
More than 1,800 companies and organisations will receive help to promote healthier working lives every year.
The vast majority of people spend a large part of their waking hours at work. A healthy working life is therefore crucial for our well-being. PFA provides advisory services to companies and organisations on what they can do to create a healthier working life for their employees and members. Specifically, we have developed a model for better well-being in working life, which provides inspiration and concrete tools for organisations, managers and HR employees for the benefit of the employer and the individual employee or member who gets a better working life and perhaps even avoids sickness absence.
Watch the video on our strategic health partnership (in Danish)
Our health insurance products have a strong focus on helping as early as possible so that sickness absence does not develop. For the benefit of the individual, the employer and society. And our initiatives are working. If we identify customers at risk of long-term sickness absence in time, we can actually reduce this risk by up to 70 percent. This is shown by the latest figures on the initiative, which are largely driven by data and artificial intelligence as well as close cooperation with our corporate customers. In addition, we have a strong focus on helping people with long-term sickness absences back to work. For example, we have health advisors ready to support the individual customer, as we also know that it is important to help navigating the health system and ensure the right treatment.
Watch the video on PFA EarlyCare (in Danish)
With a combination of medical advice and approval of examinations and operations at private hospitals as well as treatments by psychologists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, etc., we ensure timely action for thousands of customers. It is a powerful complement to the public healthcare system. Especially at a time of significant labour shortage, it is crucial that both physical and psychological injuries are treated as quickly as possible so that they do not worsen.
Watch the video on PFA Health insurance (in Danish)
Over a five-year period, PFA has seen an almost 80 per cent increase in the number of children and young people who apply for treatment due to mental health challenges. It is unfortunate for the individual child and a major societal challenge, also because children’s distress affects the whole family. Depending on the specific situation, we can help assessing and dealing with mental health issues, school refusal and distress. Likewise, we offer education to parents, where they learn to support their children in the best possible way, as well as psychological treatment for the child’s siblings.
Collaboration and partnerships
PFA prioritises participating in councils and networks to exchange knowledge about corporate responsibility and focus on health. Besides informal dialogues with different actors and stakeholders, we also got involved in the following:
Partnership that promotes health at workplaces (The National Research Centre for the Working Environment).
Danish Chamber of Commerce’s health policy forum.
PFA has set up two Advisory Tables on a healthy working life with the participation of customers, external researchers and experts from the University of Copenhagen, the Technical University of Denmark and Copenhagen Business School.
Research collaboration with Centre for Anxiety at the University of Copenhagen to help prevent children from developing anxiety if their parents suffer from the condition.
