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Speech at Well-being Champions Network Engagement Session

Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Shawn Huang, A*STAR

Mr Beh Kian Teik, Chief Executive Officer, A*STAR,

Members of Workplace Safety and Health Council’s Mental Well-being Committee,

Members of the Well-being Champions Network,

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

Introduction

  1. Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to come back to A*STAR. Five years ago, it was a very different operating team. A*STAR was at the centre of COVID-19 work in Singapore and back then, if you remember, it was the peak of every possible stressor – financial, economic, healthcare and emotional relationships.

     

  2. When Professor Lee Cheng mentioned social distancing earlier, it brought back memories of how that period pulled people apart. We may have survived and rebounded but it has left us in tatters in terms of our social and mental well-being, as well as our psychological and physiological development. Many of us who have seniors at home would know how social distancing was detrimental to one’s wellbeing.

     

  3. This session is especially meaningful as it coincides with the
    UN-designated World Mental Health Month in October. It also follows closely after World Mental Health Day on 10 October. This is a good time to reflect on how we can better support mental well-being, including in our workplaces.

     

  4. From MOH’s National Population Health surveys, we know that the prevalence of poor mental health has been broadly rising – from 12.5% of the adult population in 2017, to 15% in 2023. We certainly want to address this trend.

     

  5. If we do not intervene, many more could affected by mental health conditions, even to the extent of impairing their ability to work.For the individual, they lose their livelihood and sense of purpose.For the employer, they lose the talents and experience of the individual involved. A 2022 study by Duke-NUS Medical School and IMH found that suffering from anxiety and depression symptoms could be costing Singapore close to $16 billion a year, or about 3% of GDP, due to absenteeism, reduced productivity and use of healthcare resources. Just as important, there is also the human and emotional cost to dealing with mental health conditions, both by the individual and their families. We need to prevent the onset of mental health conditions as much as possible.And for those affected, we want to reintegrate them back to work as best as possible.

     

    Importance of Mental Well-being at the Workplace

  6. It is therefore crucial for our workplaces to be conducive to mental health and well-being. A safe and supportive workplace helps employees feel valued and perform better. This leads to stronger team cohesion, higher staff retention, and better organisational performance.A conducive workplace culture can not only prevent the onset of mental health conditions, but also facilitate the re-entry of those affected by mental health episodes.

     

    Role of the Well-being Champions Network

  7. The Government’s National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy Report launched in October 2023 recognised the important role of workplaces. One of the Report’s recommendations was to strengthen the support system at workplaces. Key to this is the role of well-being champions in companies – those who lead in implementing well-being initiatives in their organisations. To better support them, the Well-being Champions Network was thus launched in November 2023. The Network serves as a platform for well-being champions to learn from one another, and receive training. Network members benefit from experiential programmes that build mental health competencies and foster supportive workplace cultures.

     

  8. I am heartened that these efforts have gained momentum. The Network was launched with 54 companies. Within two years, it has grown to 800 companies, reaching 280,000 workers. Amongst them are 1,000 individuals who have been trained in areas such as peer support, crisis management, and Return to Work practices.

     

  9. Many of you are the well-being champions in your organisations, or are helping the champions in implementing mental well-being initiatives.Thank you for stepping up into this role. You are enablers in shaping a conducive work environment for your colleagues.

     

    Launch of Handbook for Employers

  10. Many of the resources shared within the Network, as well as guides by MOM and WSH Council, focus on supporting those who are well, and preventing mental health conditions. But as mentioned earlier, there is a rising prevalence of those who are at risk, or recovering from such conditions.

     

  11. Earlier, Associate Professor Lee Cheng shared how far we have come – from a time when mental health care was largely custodial, to empowering individuals to live independently and contribute meaningfully.

     

  12. Part of this empowerment is helping them continue to contribute at work. This is important, but challenging. Many employers have asked how they can better support employees returning to work after a mental health episode.

     

  13. So, there is a need to fill the gap in terms of knowledge and resources – to support those who are at risk of, or recovering, from mental health conditions.

     

  14. To address this, I’m pleased to launch the Handbook on Supporting Employees’ Mental Health. It provides step-by-step guidance to support employees, especially those at risk of, or recovering from, mental health conditions.

     

  15. The Handbook combines insights from mental health professionals, community groups, and employers, offering practical ways to create supportive policies, start meaningful conversations, and make reasonable accommodations for those returning to work. It also includes case studies of companies that have made progress, so that others can learn and adapt relevant approaches.

     

  16. I would also like to thank the workgroup behind the Handbook. The workgroup, which was led by Mr Paul Fong, former Country Director of Dow (Singapore and Malaysia), took in perspectives from mental health professionals, HR professionals, and tripartite partners.The workgroup has been instrumental in developing this resource.

     

  17. I would also like to highlight Beyond the Label Collective’s
    Return to Work workshops as a valuable complement to the Handbook. The Beyond the Label Collective is led by the
    National Council of Social Service (NCSS) and TOUCH Community Services, and it aims to equip more individuals with skills to support others facing mental health distress.

     

  18. Their Return to Work workshops equip HR professionals and organisational leaders with practical tools and strategies to support employees returning after mental health-related absences. These workshops are accessible through the Well-being Champions Network, and I strongly encourage organisations to participate in these workshops to translate the Handbook’s guidelines into actionable workplace practices.

     

  19. Every organisation, including SMEs, can play a vital role in supporting employees’ mental health. Earlier, we heard from ARLANXEO Singapore, Keller Foundations South-east Asia, and Wee Chwee Huat Scaffolding & Construction. They shared how they have supported employees at risk of, or recovering from mental health conditions.

     

  20. These are good examples of what is possible when leadership, compassion and action come together. I hope their examples, and the guidance from the Handbook, inspire more organisations - big and small - to make our workplaces more conducive to mental health and well-being.Those of us who have gone through mental health episodes, or know of family or friends who have, will know the priceless value of maintaining good mental health, or of recovering as a contributing member of society.

     

    Closing

  21. In closing, I want to quote Mr Mani: “If you take care of your people, your people will take care of the company.” I go further by saying that if we take care of our people, our people will take care of the country and the society at large - and that’s what we really must do.

     

  22. During COVID-19, we saw society coming together and everyone doing their part above and beyond to make sure that the system is robust, and that there was collective strength for us to thrive and survive. If we had been a me-first society, where everyone focused only on serving their own purpose, I am certain that such a system would have crumbled - and Singapore would not have thrived.

     

  23. And with that, it takes every one of us today, brick by brick, to build an ecosystem and a community of care. Let’s work on this together for the decades to come. Thank you.