Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces

By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 18 Nov 2020

With lines between the workplace and home getting blurred during the Covid-19 pandemic, employers have been advised to address the mental health needs of their workers who are under more stress and facing a higher risk of burnout.

An advisory issued yesterday called on companies to recognise the need for their staff to have adequate rest outside work hours.

This can be done by establishing a work-life harmony policy to offer clarity on after-hours work communication, said the advisory, which was jointly released by the tripartite partners: the Ministry of Manpower, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation.

The recommendations come a month after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that an inter-agency task force has been convened to tackle the mental health needs of Singaporeans. He said the coronavirus pandemic has brought about more stresses, pressures and disruptions.

The outbreak has led many workplaces to adopt work-from-home arrangements as the norm, leading to employees feeling more stressed and putting them at a higher risk of burnout, the tripartite partners said.

They encouraged employers to organise talks and workshops on the issue, and train managers to spot signs of distress, and offer help to their colleagues.

It was important to set boundaries, they noted. For example, firms should set out a clear position that employees were not expected to respond to work-related messages sent after work hours - unless they were marked urgent or critical.

Companies were advised to extend employees' flexible benefits to cover mental health-related consultations and treatments, or offer workers access to counselling services such as employee-assistance programmes.

But workers and self-employed persons can also reach out for help if they feel overwhelmed.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo, who introduced the advisory at the start of the Singapore Workplace Safety and Health Conference 2020, said the pandemic will be a long-drawn battle and urged employers and workers to adopt the recommendations.

"While the future remains uncertain as the world continues to battle Covid-19, let us not lose sight of our goals," she added. "It is timely for the Government, unions, businesses and workers to come together and collectively chart a future where everyone can bounce back."

It is the first time the biennial conference is being held online.

NTUC assistant secretary-general Melvin Yong said that workers were facing greater stress from juggling work and personal commitments during this period of prolonged telecommuting work arrangements. He said the advisory will "help to reassure workers that safeguards are in place to support their mental well-being".

Workplace Safety and Health Council chairman John Ng added that the advisory will help employers to take proactive steps to look after their workers' mental health, "so that they are able to stay focused at work, work safely and stay healthy".

"In turn, employers will benefit from a healthy and productive workforce which can contribute to better business performance," he added.

By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 17 Nov 2020

Members of Parliament and unions welcomed the announcement on Tuesday (Nov 17) of a new tripartite advisory to look after the mental well-being of workers here.

The advisory comes as employees face greater mental stress and a higher risk of burnout from juggling work and personal commitments, especially with telecommuting work arrangements due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces was launched by the Ministry of Manpower, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation.

NTUC assistant secretary-general and Radin Mas MP Melvin Yong, who had highlighted workplace burnout, said the advisory reassures workers that safeguards are in place to support their mental health.

"It provides practical measures that employers can adopt to support their employees' mental well-being. The advisory also provides a list of resources that employers, employees and self-employed persons can tap on," he added.

One recommendation urges employers to establish a work-life harmony policy to offer employees clarity on after-hours work communication.

Mr Yong, who has been pushing for a "Right to Disconnect" law that would help employees have protected time to recharge, noted that workers can better focus on their work when they have enough rest.

Fellow NTUC assistant secretary-general and labour MP Desmond Choo, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower, said the decentralised workplace norms, such as working from home, have "drastically reduced traditional support structures" to help workers cope with stress.

"Coupled with recessionary pressures from Covid-19, the impact on mental health is magnified," he added.

Yio Chu Kang MP Yip Hon Weng, who is a member of the GPC for Manpower, noted that the pandemic has reduced physical interactions between individuals, resulting in workers having less opportunities to confide in others if they need help.

He added that those who have to work from home and deal with caregiving duties, which include looking after their children, may find it hard to multitask.

Mr Yip called on employers to build up their awareness of mental health matters, which will allow them to detect issues early and find help for their staff.

Unions and associations said that with work-from-home arrangements becoming the new normal, at least for the foreseeable future, such a move would ensure a healthy and productive workforce.

Employers are recommended to provide access to counselling services and training managers to spot signs of distress.

Singapore FinTech Association president Chia Hock Lai said: "While there might be incremental cost associated with such initiatives, they are also likely to result in more engaged and mentally healthier employees, which would translate into more sustainable productivity gains for the companies."

Mr Gary Khoo, director of preventive health programmes at the Health Promotion Board, said employers can train leaders at the workplace to identify and support staff who may have mental health concerns.

"This will create a supportive workplace environment for better engagement of employees," he added.

Singapore Human Resources Institute president Low Peck Kem added: “When an organisation looks after their employees, it’ll reflect positively in their business. Hence, paying attention to an organisation’s mental wellness is a business imperative, and not just nice to have.”