CHARITY organisation WorkWell Leaders is establishing a new national benchmark in Singapore to better address well-being and mental health in the workplace. 

While existing guidelines tackle workplace well-being at an individual level, the new benchmark will focus instead on addressing mental health issues at an organisational level.

Programmes on an individual level include employee assistance initiatives and counselling, peer-support networks, stress management and resilience training, and mindfulness. However, WorkWell noted that these interventions do not necessarily address employees’ working conditions and environment, and there is “little evidence” they create “tangible business impact”. 

The new guidelines will thus concentrate on the impact of leadership and manager behaviours on overall workplace culture and well-being, the connection between business risks and mental health, and what kinds of investments would create long-term value. 

Anthea Ong, founder and chairperson of WorkWell Leaders, said: “The benchmark will establish the progress of institutional change that we are making collectively to help boards, chief executive officers and businesses chart their own strategic road maps for more resilient and happier employees and work communities for sustainable growth.”

WorkWell hopes the new guidelines will enable boards and CEOs to be better informed about strategies and investments needed to improve employee well-being.

A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU

Friday, 2 pm

Lifestyle

Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.

Sign Up

With about 70 per cent of people spending most of their waking hours at work, mental health at the workplace has become more relevant. According to an October 2023 study, 46 per cent of Singaporeans cite mental health as the “biggest” health problem in the country.

Ong said: “Singapore needs to address mental health and well-being upstream more urgently in promotion and prevention, in addition to supporting caregivers and individuals with mental well-being challenges.”

Recognising best practices

The establishment of the benchmark was announced on Thursday (Mar 14) at the WorkWell Leaders Awards 2024, which was attended by 400 CEOs and their teams.

In its second edition, the awards recognise best practice standards set by companies in addressing change at a societal level in the workplace.

Port operator PSA was the winner of the Wellbeing Innovation Award because it was able to effectively use data to safeguard its workers’ well-being. 

Goh Teck Chin, assistant vice-president of PSA, said that issues faced by migrant workers were “accelerated” by the pandemic due to restrictions and concerns about safe management, leading to increased mental pressure.

“We worked with a trained psychologist to come up with a set of survey questions so that we can have evidence – in terms of data – to actually collect and assess their state of happiness. From there, we could curate programmes that meet (the needs) they are facing. What came out of it was programmes that are more targeted and more data-driven.”

Meanwhile, Dr Prem Kumar Nair, group chief executive of IHH Healthcare, won the Wellbeing CEO Award. He said that he prioritises employees’ well-being as doing so leads to the “consistent delivery of quality healthcare services”.

Dr Nair added: “(True success) is about building a supportive environment where our staff feels empowered to carry out their duties, face challenges head-on, remain resilient, and ask for help whenever they need.”

In addition to IHH Healthcare’s Because Every Employee Matters programme, which aims to create a safe working environment, Dr Nair organised initiatives to improve well-being on a company-wide level. These include regular mindfulness and stress management workshops, improving access to professional counselling, and upskilling leaders on psychological safety.

“Creating a caring culture is critical, and as leaders, we have to set the tone for staff to speak openly about mental well-being so our people know that it is entirely alright to be honest and open about their own well-being, and that they feel valued and heard,” he said.