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Tripartite advisory on mental health and well-being at workplaces

Jointly issued by Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

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Issued on 20 November 2023

        Purpose

  1. Mental health is a growing concern. The 2022 National Population Health Survey found that prevalence of poor mental health among Singapore residents aged 18 to 74 was 17.0%. International studies have suggested that work stressors were among factors associated with poor mental health1. This document (i) sets out practical guidance on measures that employers can adopt to support their employees’ mental well-being, (ii) provides resources employers, employees and self-employed persons can tap on, and (iii) encourages employment support for Individuals with Mental Health Conditions (IMHCs). 

    Mental well-being at workplaces
  2. A healthy state of mental well-being can also contribute to improved productivity2. A negative working environment, however, can lead to physical and mental health challenges. While a person’s mental health is influenced by many factors, including both work and non-work factors, this Advisory’s focus is on what can be done in workplaces to support employees’ mental well-being.

    Causes of work stress
  3. Work stress can come from multiple factors and can relate to work content and work context. Work content refers to working conditions, such as job scope, participation and control, workload, pace of work, and work schedule. Work context refers to the organisation of work and interactions at work, such as organisational culture and function, interpersonal relationships at work, and home-work interface3. During the COVID-19 pandemic, practices such as mandatory work-from-home and split team arrangements have been widely adopted, leading to drastic changes to work content and work context that can and have contributed to work stress for many employees. Telecommuting has since become more commonplace. While some degree of work stressors will not have adverse effects, employers should be mindful that high levels of such stressors at work can harm employees’ mental well-being.4
  4. Employers can consider the following recommendations to prevent work stress from compromising well-being and productivity and to build a more supportive and inclusive workplace. The recommendations can be implemented at three levels –
    1. Organisation level;
    2. Team/Department level; and
    3. Individual employees.
  5. Depending on an organisation’s readiness, available resources and needs, employers can adopt the recommendations that would work best to support the mental well-being of its employees. For more detailed step-by-step guidance on kickstarting a company’s mental well-being journey, organisations may refer to the Playbook on Workplace Mental Well-being.

    I. Recommendations for the Organisation
  6. Review the state of employees’ mental well-being regularly as part of risk assessment for workplace health.
    • Conduct surveys and focus group discussions to understand general state of mental well-being of employees and work stressors.
    • iWorkHealth - a confidential online self-administered assessment tool is one such surveys that companies can tap on.
    • Employers should implement measures to address work stressors and track their effectiveness in improving the mental well-being of employees through periodic surveys and administrative data as proxy indicators (e.g. absenteeism). Employers may refer to the iWorkHealth Interventions webpage for recommendations to address specific workplace stressors
  7. Appoint workplace mental well-being champions (WMWCs) to (i) rally senior management to implement policies and support employees’ mental well-being (ii) organise and curate activities, programmes and resources to enhance employees’ mental well-being and (iii) establish a system to refer persons in distress to professional help.
    • WMWCs can join the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council’s Well-being Champions Network to access a range of resources and training to strengthen their knowledge on mental well-being, and opportunities to exchange ideas and best practices with each other.
    • Employers can tap on the Health Promotion Board (HPB)’s mental well-being programmes under the Workplace Outreach Wellness (WOW) Package or WSH Council’s Total WSH Programme.
  8. Review HR and workplace policies with a view to supporting employee mental well-being and employees with mental health conditions.
    • Ensure workplace practices and performance management systems are non-discriminatory and merit-based in nature.
      • Under the upcoming Workplace Fairness Legislation, workplace discrimination on the basis of mental health conditions will be prohibited across all stages of employment i.e. pre-employment (e.g. recruitment), in-employment (e.g. promotion, performance appraisal, training) and end-employment (e.g. dismissal). Employers will also be required to put in place grievance handling procedures.
      • Employers should not ask job applicants to declare personal information, which includes any  mental health conditions, unless it is a job-related requirement, as stated under the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP).
      • Employers should also establish an internal channel (e.g. designated officers, survey links to send anonymous feedback) for reporting feedback and dispute resolution related to practices that have affected mental well-being. Clear policies related to maintaining confidentiality for reporting feedback should be put in place and communicated clearly to employees.
    • Develop a policy on flexible work arrangements (FWAs) so that employees who may need FWAs to better meet both their work and personal demands know what types of FWAs are available and how to go about requesting them:
      • Employers should consider FWA requests fairly, taking into consideration both employees’ and business needs. The upcoming Tripartite Guidelines on FWA Requests will set out how employers can do so, as well as how employees can use FWAs responsibly.
      • For more information on FWAs as well as resources on how to implement them, please refer to TAFEP’s guide on FWAs.
  9. Establish an after-hours work communication policy.
    • Employers are encouraged to establish reasonable expectations  for work-related communication after hours and communicate them to employees, including expectations when employees are on leave.
    • If they are unionised, employers should discuss these expectations with their respective unions.
    • Understanding the need for proper rest outside of work hours
      • Adequate rest outside of work hours will help reduce work burnout and improve productivity.
      • This is particularly pertinent for employees who telecommute, where the lines between personal life  and work are blurred.
      • Work-life harmony remains key to employee’s overall well-being and optimal business performance.
    • Employers may refer to the Sample Policy for After-Hours Communication.
  10. Examples of after-hours policies that employers can adopt as good practices:
    • Employers should set out clear position that for work-related calls, messages (e.g. SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram) and emails sent after work hours5, a response is not expected until the next working day, except for messages/emails marked as ‘Urgent’.
    • For non-urgent messages and emails sent outside work hours, senders could include a header stating that no immediate response is expected from the recipient.
    • If employees are required to work after-hours, supervisors should consider giving time-off for employees to have adequate rest6.
  11. Establish return-to-work policies to support employees who are recovering from mental health conditions
    • Given that returning to work can be daunting for an employee who is recovering from a mental health condition, employers can support their employees by practicing FWAs (i.e. Flexi-load, Flexi-location and Flexi-time) to allow them to gradually transit back to work while still providing time for treatments.
    • Employers can to refer to the NCSS Mental Health Toolkit for Employers on return-to-work guidelines.
    • In cases where work performance has been impacted by the development of a mental health condition, there should be a return-to-work adjustment period where the employee is provided with guidance and support in enhancing their performance before actions such as termination are considered
  12. Hire IMHCs to access a wider talent pool and build more inclusive workplaces, which also improves the employment and employability of IMHCs.
    II. Recommendations for the Team/Department
  13. Train managers/supervisors/ HR/ WSH representatives/ union leaders to spot signs of mental distress, and on where they can refer employees to seek help from.
    • Employers may wish to tap on the service providers listed in Annex A or HPB’s wellness programmes to equip managers and HR personnel with skills to be supportive leaders at the workplace. [Mental Health Training Workshops]
  14. Foster a psychologically safe and trusting work environment by having open and regular conversations on mental well-being.
    • Supervisors can schedule regular check-ins with employees to assess their state of mental well-being and review/prioritise their workloads where necessary. If employees share his/her mental health challenges, it is an act of courage and vulnerability. Supervisors should respond with sensitivity and provide assurance that his/her challenges will be kept confidential.
    • Teams could come together to share their thoughts/experiences related to mental well-being and their journey of overcoming personal struggles. Management can also encourage an open culture by sharing their stories. Such conversations seek to signal that ‘It’s OKAY to Reach Out’ and aim to destigmatise negative associations around mental health challenges.
  15. Set up a peer support system enabling trained peer supporters to help employers create safe environment for workers in need and destigmatise mental health issues at work.
    • Establish clear escalation protocols so that these informal support networks know when and where to refer their colleagues for professional help.
    • Set aside time and resources for bonding activities (both face-to-face and virtual) to strengthen relationships among employees.
    • Employers may wish to send your employees for NTUC’s Peer to Peer support training or HPB’s Peer Supporter training, where they will be equipped with peer support skills.


    III. Recommendations to support Individual Employees
  16. Provide access to counselling services such as through Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs). These services allow employees to speak to a professional on their work and non-work related challenges.
    • Individual employees should also look after his/her own mental well-being and reach out for help if he/she feels overwhelmed.
    • To encourage utilisation of the service, assure employees that their conversations with the service provider will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed to the organisation without consent. See Annex A for a list of possible EAP service providers, including details on their offerings.
    • Employers of migrant workers should identify service providers conversant in their native languages.
  17. For companies with flexible employee benefits (e.g. medical benefits) and insurance provision, consider extending the scope of coverage to include mental well-being programmes and mental health consultations. This signals the company’s desire to support its employees in overcoming their mental health challenges.

 

FOOTNOTES

  1. World Health Organisation. 2019. Mental health in the workplace. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-at-work
  2. Kangasniemi, A. & Maxwell, L. & Sereneo, M.. 2019. The ROI in workplace mental health programes: Good for people, good for business. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/talent/workplace-mental-health-programs-worker-productivity.html
  3. World Health Organisation. 2004. Work organisation & stress, Systematic problem approaches for employers, managers and trade union representatives. p. 6 -7
  4. International Labour Organisation. 2016. Workplace stress: A collective challenge, Report for the World Day for Safety and Health at Work
  5. Work hours depends on the nature of the job. For global roles which works on international work hours, employees may be required to respond even for non-critical, not urgent matters. This is to ensure that Singapore remains as an important partner in the global economy.
  6. For workers covered under Part 4 of the Employment Act (EA), they should be compensated as per the EA’s requirements. 

Annex A


Acknowledgements

The Tripartite Partners would like to thank the following organisations for their support and contributions to this tripartite advisory.

  • Agency for Integrated Care
  • Health Promotion Board
  • HealthServe Ltd
  • Institute for Human Resource Professionals
  • Institute of Mental Health
  • Migrant Workers’ Centre
  • Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth
  • Ministry of Education
  • Ministry of Health
  • Ministry of Social and Family Development
  • National Council of Social Service
  • Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office
  • Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices
  • Workplace Safety and Health Council