International Longevity Centre Global Alliance - Designing the Future of Ageing

11th September 2025

Some of the ILC-UK team visited Copenhagen for a few days last week to attend and present at the FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, and to discuss Danish working culture with some Danish companies.

At the FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Arunima Himawan (ILC-UK’s Senior Health Policy and Research Manager) presented to a packed audience on medication adherence and polypharmacy at a panel session on the complex process of deprescribing.

The next evening, we held a fascinating roundtable dinner discussion on healthy ageing and prevention with Danish and EU experts from WHO Europe, the European Environment Agency and Denmark’s National Institute of Public Health and the Committee for Health Education. Despite Denmark ranking first on our Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index for environmental performance, it was clear from experts in the room that greater attention to the link between health and the environment is needed. A dominant issue was the work span metric – and the tension it highlights between paid work as a driver of economic growth and the limited recognition in international metrics of the value of other purposeful activity such as education, unpaid care and volunteering.

While the ILC is already a great place to work, there is always room for improvement, and our head of operations, Lyndsey Gorely, was keen to find out how Danish employers manage to ensure a positive work-life balance. She compared experiences with Line Maria Eckermann, project manager for health at Novo Nordisk, and caught up with Pernille Taarup, head of HR and Management at The Danish Chamber of Commerce and Meg Parker, head of operations at the B2B marketing company SparkForce.

Denmark’s approach rests on something deceptively simple: trust. Employers and employees expect to work together on health and wellbeing, and the legal framework backs that up. In Denmark, the psychosocial work environment is treated much like any other safety issue. Employers are required to plan and organise work so its impact is safe and healthy – including workload and time pressure, and there is a clear focus on work-life balance. In the UK, many organisations still worry that getting involved feels intrusive. Perhaps that is why in 2024 only around 55% of people in a typical UK workplace reported a high state of wellbeing at work.

Novo Nordisk offered a concrete example of what this can look like in practice. The company tracks employee feedback through its annual Evolve survey and has set a target to reduce reports of work-related physical pain by 5% year on year. Alongside ergonomics, its public materials describe support for mental health and open conversations about pressure at work. None of this reads as a perk – it is framed as part of how work is designed and led. Line highlighted the importance of encouraging activity during the working day, noting that whilst this may mean an employee could end up working fewer hours that week, their productivity is improved.

Culture and routines play a part too. Danish workplaces often work to a 37-hour week with clear boundaries around time off. This makes it easier to build healthy habits into the day and to balance work with caring – a priority for people at every age.

In UK workplaces, we might want to reflect on whether:

• People feel it is legitimate to talk about workload and pressure – and if managers have the support to adjust the work, not just signpost help.
• We’re tracking the outcomes that could really matter, such as incidents of work-related stress or musculoskeletal pain and recovery time.
• Our everyday defaults make healthy choices easy – from protected breaks and free time to chances to move at work.

While larger employers arguably have the resource to prioritise staff wellbeing too, many in the UK and in other European countries reportedly don’t. Across the EU, only four in ten larger establishments have an action plan on stress, and just over half have procedures on bullying or harassment. Even where risks are recognised, many employers say it is still hard to talk openly about them, which stalls action.

For charities, there is a practical governance angle. The Charity Commission is clear that funds must be spent in the best interests of the charity. When it comes to staff bonding events, HMRC’s annual function exemption allows spending up to £150 per person in a tax year – provided the event is annual and open to all staff – without creating a taxable benefit.

The lesson from Denmark is more about long established culture and permission but good strategies can foster these. When employers and employees trust each other to design healthier work – and when managers are empowered to act on the basics – wellbeing improves. In her August 2024 article, Yvonne Sonsino, now an ILC-UK Trustee, set out some strategies and practices that can help corporations create an inclusive and supportive environment for employees of all ages. Read more via the link below.

Unlocking the potential of an ageing workforce: six strategies for success

Emily Evans
Senior Communications and Engagement Manager
ILC-UK