PFA joins new project: Better support for grief in the workplace

Grief does not stop at the office door. It follows people to work and can affect their well-being, working capacity and relationships. PFA is therefore contributing to a new project aimed at generating knowledge about how we can make room for grief in the workplace.

When someone loses a loved one or someone close to them becomes seriously ill, the consequences are not limited to their private life. Grief also follows them to work, where it can affect their well-being, working capacity and relationships with colleagues.

PFA, Denmark’s largest pension company, is also seeing this. Since 2022, the number of people receiving help to cope with grief following a death or serious illness has more than doubled. Last year, PFA helped a total of 1,377 people in Denmark cope with their grief.

Number of people receiving grief support:

2022: 559
2023: 717
2024: 1,015
2025: 1,377
2026 (as at 1 September): 1,011

PFA is now partnering with the Danish National Center for Grief on the research and development project Grief in the Workplace.

According to the Danish National Center for Grief, one in four people in Denmark who are in employment are directly affected by serious illness or death and almost half find that it has a negative impact on their working life.

“We know that grief can affect well-being, energy levels and working capacity for a long time. At the same time, most adults spend a large part of their lives at work. It is therefore important that managers and colleagues are better equipped to support employees who are going through a difficult situation in their lives,” says Rikke Bay Haaber, Head of Health at PFA.

The project will examine how workplaces can best support employees when someone close to them becomes seriously ill or dies. This includes the initial conversation, ongoing follow-up and the return to work.

PFA to help bring new knowledge into workplaces
PFA is contributing to the project as an implementation and dissemination partner. The aim is to ensure that the research findings are translated into practical tools and put to use in Danish workplaces.

“Many workplaces want to do the right thing but may be unsure about how best to support employees who are grieving. More knowledge and practical tools are therefore needed. We hope that the project will help more workplaces feel better equipped when an employee is affected by grief,” says Rikke Bay Haaber.