Creating invisible safety nets: How HR and middle management can support mental health needs
Supporting employee well-being is not just a moral imperative, it is a business necessity.
THE global discourse on mental health has come a long way in recent years, but in the workplace, many unspoken challenges persist. In Singapore, where 17 per cent of the population report poor mental health, there is an increasing demand for workplaces to dismantle the stigma associated with addressing mental health challenges.
However, this is no small feat. The gap in awareness and willingness to accommodate employees with mental health conditions remains significant.
A pivotal step forward comes from the Workplace Safety and Health Council’s ongoing development of the “Guidelines on Providing Support for Employees With and At-Risk of Mental Health Conditions” for Singaporean employers. The guidelines aim to provide structured support for employees with mental health challenges, emphasising the need for cultural change, peer support, and open discussions around reasonable workplace adjustments.
This effort is a step in the right direction, especially by raising important questions: How can companies ensure that their mental health initiatives go beyond lip service? How do employers navigate the grey area between personal responsibility and organisational support for mental health?
And perhaps most importantly, how can human resource (HR) teams and middle managers create an environment where mental health is not just acknowledged but actively supported – with or without disclosure of diagnosed conditions?
Employees with mental health conditions often face an uphill battle in gaining the accommodations they need to thrive. By embedding mental health support into the company’s infrastructure, businesses can cultivate a culture that encourages open conversations and empathy, ultimately building more resilient and productive teams.
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Barriers at the workplace
One of the key challenges HR and management teams face when working toward fostering a culture of support for mental health is knowing where to begin. Without comprehensive mental health resources, employees are left with access gaps that impact their ability to seek relevant support.
For example, a 24/7 crisis hotline may not meet the needs of employees dealing with daily work stressors – they might benefit more from quick, self-regulation tools. Conversely, activities like mindfulness workshops may fall short for those who require crisis support.
Many recognise the importance of mental health programmes, but struggle to implement initiatives that resonate with their workforce. In fact, a recent study found that in Singapore, only 15 per cent of HR professionals report that their companies offer comprehensive mental health resources.
Supporting employees without open disclosure
In Singapore, the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices discourage asking job applicants to disclose personal information – including mental health conditions – unless it directly relates to the job. Employers need to be comfortable with such an unknown; post-hire, they need to ensure a work environment safe enough for employees to share their mental health struggles.
As such, HR and management teams must not shy away from educating themselves about mental health – especially since according to the World Health Organization, one in eight people globally face mental health struggles. To facilitate a supportive atmosphere, organisations should implement initiatives and policies that serve as safety nets for employees, even if they are hesitant to disclose their struggles for personal reasons.
The first step here is for organisations to educate themselves about mental health and know what their employees need and want, before looking to integrate mental health support into existing systems in ways that go beyond traditional programmes.
There needs to be a strategy that incorporates mental health support into existing wellness initiatives in a way that benefits all employees, not just those with diagnosed conditions.
Organisations should take a holistic and proactive approach to mental health, ensuring employees have access to the right support, no matter where they fall on the mental health spectrum.
HR teams should focus on creating supportive policies and guidelines for managers, such as protocols to assess whether employees’ problems are a performance issue or due to a mental health challenge, as well as suggestions to provide reasonable workplace adjustments for individuals with disclosed mental health conditions. These adjustments need to be able to accommodate an individual with a mental health condition in order to be successful in completing work-related tasks.
Holistically, these policies should encompass top-down and bottom-up pillars of well-being: emotional, physical, financial and social.
Offering confidential access to an end-to-end employee assistance programme helps ensure that employees receive comprehensive care throughout the mental health spectrum, as recommended by the national tiered model of mental health care delivery. Support such as financial planning resources and team-bonding initiatives can address the various pillars of well-being.
Additionally, proactive measures can include regular efforts to raise awareness and educate employees about mental health and well-being – for example, wellness newsletters, lunch-and-learn sessions on mental health literacy and manager training on approaching mental health conversations with empathy.
Building a culture of support
Leaders are crucial in creating an inclusive environment where employees with mental health conditions feel supported without being singled out. This requires a balance of empathy, discretion and proactive support.
There are three fundamentals that organisations should look at including:
- Increasing mental health awareness and literacy by providing training to help HR teams and middle managers understand mental health challenges and recognise early signs.
- Fostering a culture of psychological safety where employees feel comfortable discussing mental health without fear of judgement or consequences.
- Ensuring leadership buy-in and involvement so that management and the C-suite bench actively support and participate in mental health initiatives, setting the tone for the organisation.
In conversations with clients and business partners, especially small and medium-sized enterprises and more traditional companies, I have learned that many are unsure of where to begin, unclear of what initiatives may make the most impact and discouraged by the lack of engagement with the programmes rolled out.
In theory, implementing these fundamentals are great but the reality is there is no silver-bullet solution that injects cultural change, ignites peer support and tackles hard topics like mental health conversations.
The government is currently taking steps to nudge organisations towards systemic change. I am hopeful that addressing workplace mental health across the country will one day be not just about ticking boxes, but about implementing practices that fundamentally improve the employee experience.
Integrating mental health into performance evaluations
One of the more complex challenges companies face is how to integrate mental health considerations into performance evaluation systems.
But rather than focus on specific applications, organisations should consider mental health accommodations as part of a broader framework for employee support. This involves creating evaluation systems that account for individual needs, while also maintaining clear and equitable standards across peers.
For individuals with disclosed mental health conditions, ensure there is an adapted evaluation criteria that account for individual circumstances. Clear documentation of these accommodations and their impact on performance can foster trust and accountability between employees and middle managers.
Comprehensive manager training is also key. By equipping leaders with the skills to approach performance discussions with empathy, sensitivity and open communication, companies can ensure that mental health accommodations are considered without compromising on performance standards.
Long road ahead
There is still much work to be done. While many organisations have made strides in promoting mental health awareness, gaps remain – especially in hiring practices and long-term employee support.
Supporting employee well-being is not just a moral imperative; it is a business necessity. When employees feel supported, they are more engaged and productive.
By focusing on empathy, flexibility and comprehensive mental health support, companies can create an environment where employees feel safe, heard and valued – ultimately leading to better outcomes for both the individual and the business.
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