The Norwegian Association of Consulting Engineers (RIF) has entered into a landmark agreement with Nordea Liv that will provide nearly 16,000 consulting-industry employees with more robust pension schemes, alongside an ambitious programme to cut sick leave and disability rates.

Through the agreement, member companies gain access to Abel Health’s one-to-one follow-up service, which offers tailored support over 12 months across physical, mental and social health.

Nordea Liv said previous experience with the programme indicates that sick leave can be reduced by up to 60 per cent in less than a year.

RIF Forsikringsservice CEO, Atle Nikolaisen, who initiated the agreement, described the package as “the market’s best pension programme for the advisory industry”.

He added: “With strong partners like Lockton and Abel Health, we can deliver both financial security and concrete measures for lower sick leave. Now the work begins to make the agreement even more valuable for the members.”

RIF chairman and Norconsult CEO, Egil Hogna, stressed that the initiative is “about more than pensions and corporate finance”, positioning it as part of the sector’s wider social responsibility.

“The ambition behind the RIF Pension and Sick Leave Programme is firmly rooted in the largest member companies,” he continued.

“When the corporate management of our largest companies stands behind the initiative, it gives the project a completely different force and will to implement it.

"This is not about individual agreements, but about a joint industry initiative.”

Echoing this, Nordea Liv CEO, Hans-Erik Lind, said the partnership would combine competitive pension provision with targeted health measures.

“We look forward to welcoming RIF members, and to offering highly competitive pension solutions and company-specific, sustainable asset management,” he stated, highlighting that a key element of the deal is “working against the increasing sickness absence and disability in the industry”.

While noting that 2025 has so far shown more encouraging figures, Lind warned that “there are still far too many people in the industry who are at risk of falling out of the workforce”.

With individual follow-up and personal guidance, he argued, “we can turn this trend around”.

The move comes amid broader Nordic debates on the interplay between health and pensions.

A recent KLP report highlighted a sharp gender divide in disability pensions in Norway, with women disproportionately reliant on such schemes, particularly in the childcare and healthcare sectors.

Meanwhile, Danish pension provider PFA has demonstrated how early intervention, including AI-powered health tools, can reduce long-term illness risk by up to 70 per cent among its members.

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