Workplace Mental Well-being Campaign 2021

Workers’ mental health at the workplace has been a growing concern. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental well-being of many becomes even more affected as a result of a shift in work patterns, lack of social support, and difficulty in balancing work life. According to a Straits Times report¹ on 15 November 2021, nearly seven in 10 residents in Singapore said this year has been the most stressful one at work, with more than half struggling more with their mental health at work this year than last year.

Launch of Workplace Mental Well-being Campaign 2021

The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council has launched its first Workplace Mental Well-being Campaign on 9 December 2021, as part of our National Workplace Safety and Health Campaign, to remind people to take time to take care of their mental well-being, an essential component of the overall health which can impact their performance, and even their safety. Attended by over 620 participants at a virtual launch, this Campaign supports the National Mental Well-being Campaign by the Health Promotion Board.

Employees are encouraged to reach out for support at work, while employers are encouraged to take action to improve their employees’ well-being. Senior Minister of State for Manpower Mr Zaqy Mohamad hopes that “more employers and employees will realise their shared responsibility in dealing with workplace mental well-being at the workplace”. “Spreading and normalising support for employee mental well-being” is the aim of this Campaign, he emphasised during his Speech at the Launch of the Workplace Mental Well-Being Campaign 2021.

The benefits of fostering a workplace culture where people can reach out to one another for support are many. During his Speech for the Launch of the Workplace Mental Well-being Campaign 2021, Senior Minister of State for Health Dr Janil Puthucheary said, “Well-supported employees have better mental well-being, and are more likely to be engaged and productive at work. This in turn contributes to a stronger organisation and better business outcomes.”

There are various resources which companies can tap into when planning their mental well-being programmes at the workplace. The WSH Council has recently worked with the Institute for Human Resource Professionals and the Ministry of Manpower to produce “A Playbook on Workplace Mental Well-being”. This playbook, developed by HR professionals, includes easy-to-use and practical step-by-step guides and templates on implementing various mental well-being initiatives at the workplace.

The playbook provides guidance on these implementation initiatives:

• Create safe spaces for conversations;
• Encourage self-care;
• Set up a peer support system;
• Use digital mental health tools; and
• Set clear expectations on after-hours communication.
  
  

Companies can download and share a series of infographic posters adapted from the Playbook with employees. They can also check out the Total WSH Programme, which offers free workshops and initiatives to help companies address safety and health risks, including mental well-being related ones, at the workplace; and iWorkHealth, an online survey tool which helps to identify the factors leading to workplace stress and employees’ overall state of mental well-being.

The WSH Council has also produced a light-hearted Campaign Video, which shows how our campaign persona Fred, who is a “Cloud of Stress”, manages to overcome his mental stress with the support of his co-workers and management. This video is a reminder to employers to take care of their employees, and to employees to take time to care for their health and well-being, and seek help at work.

Companies can look forward to participating in a new workplace mental well-being award called the CARE (Culture of Acceptance, Respect and Empathy) Award from 2022 onwards.  This new Award has been added to the WSH Awards to urge more companies to promote mental well-being at the workplace.

Lastly, during the live interview with Ms Lyn Lee, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer from Royal Dutch Shell PLC, she shared how companies can create a healthier environment where everyone – employees, customers, partners, suppliers – can feel valued and respected. 

¹ Ang Qing, 15 November 2021, Growing focus on mental health at workplace as Covid-19 pandemic takes toll The Straits Times.

Participate in the Workplace Mental Well-being Campaign 2021

Resources for employees: 

1. Campaign Video

Watch the “Take Time to Take Care of Your Mental Well-being” video on the WSH Council’s YouTube or Facebook to find out how everyone in the workplace – from management to workers – can work together to keep mental well-being at the workplace strong.

2. MindSG by HPB

Developed by Health Promotion Board (HPB), in collaboration with whole-of-government partners, this online portal features self-care and mental well-being content curated by mental health experts such as sleeping well and how to manage emotions and stress.

Other resources for employees

Poster: Don’t Lose Your Work Life Balance

Poster: Burnout is a Killer

Helplines for employees

• Institute of Mental Health – www.chat.mentalhealth.sg
• National CARE Hotline – 1800 202 6868

Resources for employers:

1. A Playbook on Workplace Mental Well-being

An extension of the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces, this playbook is designed to give actionable guidance on how to support employees’ mental well-being at the workplace. It includes initiatives that have been successfully rolled out in organisations in various sectors. Check out the implementation initiatives available in four booklets on the Council’s website.

2. Infographic Posters

Download and share with your employees this series of infographic posters adapted from the Playbook: A Playbook on Workplace Mental Well-being, Create Safe Spaces for Conversations, Encourage Self-care, Set Up a Peer Support System, and Use Digital Mental Health Tools.

3. iWorkHealth

It is an online, self-administered psychosocial health assessment tool for companies to identify common workplace stressors and the overall mental well-being of the employees.

4. Total WSH Programme

This programme helps to address safety and health risks, including mental well-being in the workplace. The programme includes running free mental well-being talks on how to build resilience, understanding common mental health conditions, and how to better support and counsel affected workers.

5. Tips on Supporting Your Employees’ Mental Well-being Posters

Infographic – Mr Wong

Infographic – Mdm Tan

6. Interviews with industry leaders

Watch this video interview with Ms Lyn Lee, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer from Royal Dutch Shell PLC, and find out the mental well-being initiatives which Shell has embarked on and her personal passion behind this topic.

Watch this video interview with Mr Mustafa Bin Lambak, Assistant General Secretary, Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union as he shares with us his insights on the mental well-being of F&B workers and what can be done to help them overcome the challenges at the workplace. 

Look out for more in our interview series with industry leaders on improving mental well-being of employees in the workplace. 

Other Resources for Employers

MOM webpage on Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces

Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces

WSH Bulletins

WSH Bulletin, 5 March 2021: Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces

WSH Bulletin, 16 April 2021: Risk Assessment for Working from Home

WSH Bulletin, 16 April 2021: A Company Example That Promotes Employees’ Good Mental Well-being

WSH Bulletin, 28 July 2021: Tips to Enhance Your Workers’ Mental Well-being