Shorter weeks, ‘work from anywhere’: More Singapore firms promoting workplace well-being

SINGAPORE: Companies in Singapore are increasingly prioritising workplace well-being, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
From shorter work weeks and no-meeting days to complimentary yoga sessions and well-being retreats, firms are stepping up their game in nurturing their employees’ mental health.
This comes as poor mental health costs the global economy nearly US$1 trillion every year in lost productivity, according to a World Health Organization report last month. 
More employers are looking at ways to help their workers strike a work-life balance. 
Ms Donna Ho, for instance, has to juggle various responsibilities at work and at home, including looking after her two young sons. 
“During the pandemic period, it was overwhelming. It was quite daunting,” said Ms Ho, an operations manager at multinational food services and facilities management company Sodexo. 
“I remember that I had to work through the wee hours, and I thought I was alone to handle the challenges that came our way. However, I was not.”
She credits the culture at her firm, which places a strong focus on employee welfare, for the support. 
“As a working mum with two young boys, I’m usually balancing between the work front as well as personal family care. Sodexo provided me with flexible work arrangements,” said Ms Ho. 
“I remember the times that I brought my kids to work during the school holidays, and this is the type of culture that, as a company, I’m really proud of.”
Yet, ensuring adequate support for their staff can be tough for Sodexo. It employs about 1,000 people in Singapore, of which 90 per cent comprise frontline workers such as kitchen assistants, cleaners and cooks.
To address this challenge, the company offers a range of initiatives, from no-meeting days and flexible work arrangements to partnerships with external vendors.
Mr Abel Ariza, Sodexo’s managing director for Malaysia and Singapore, said the partnerships help provide employees with various programmes, including supporting their mental well-being and developing empathetic leadership. 
While large companies such as Sodexo are rolling out extensive well-being programmes, smaller firms also recognise the importance of staff wellness. 
The challenge for them is figuring out the available and appropriate resources, said observers. 
Mr Ang Yuit, president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME), said SMEs generally consider whether it helps in terms of productivity and business.
He added: “Secondly, does it really help the company in terms of attracting and retaining talent?
“Overall, if it is discovered or it is shown that that really helps in better overall productivity at work, and it results in also a better retention attraction – I think businesses (will be) very proactive in actually exploring that.”
For integrated communications agency Tate Anzur, it has fostered an environment prioritising staff well-being, with programmes such as a four-and-a-half day work week and a work-from-anywhere initiative. 
Around 10 per cent of employees have been with the SME for more than a decade. Most started as entry-level hires and are now in management roles. 
“We don’t benchmark ourselves against other companies or bigger organisations. We look at our team, we look at our people, (and) what works best for them and what will benefit the most,” said Ms Yvonne Li, Tate Anzur’s founder and managing director. 
“That is what drives us in creating these initiatives, and it has worked out well. For us, it is important that the team is happy and healthy, and from these benefits that we’ve rolled out, it has truly shaped the culture of the agency.”
Observers noted that mental exhaustion can make it tough for employees to concentrate at work. 
Mr Theodoric Chew, co-founder and CEO of mental health start-up Intellect, acknowledged the huge progress that has been made in supporting mental well-being since the pandemic. 
“We can’t go about avoiding this notion that people do not struggle with it,” he told CNA’s Singapore Tonight on Thursday (Oct 10). 
Mr Chew said workplace leaders have to set the tone and pace for the work culture, and build a supportive environment that takes care of the employees. 
This includes tackling the stigma that some people hold, including the hesitance in hiring workers with mental health needs, he added. 
“I think that’s where a lot of the education comes in,” he said. 
“How do we get management to buy in to actually not just talk the talk but also to walk the talk, to share about their struggles (and) provide care in a way that employees can feel open to them?”