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SINGAPORE – Under a new notice to address workers’ mental health issues here, companies are encouraged to host talks and workshops on the subject and train managers to spot signs of distress, including burnout in the workplace. , and offer support to your colleagues.
The Tripartite Notice on Mental Well-Being in Workplaces also urges employers to recognize the need for staff to have adequate rest outside of work hours.
This can be achieved by establishing a work-life harmony policy to provide clarity in communicating work outside of work hours.
The new notice was published jointly by the tripartite partners Ministry of Manpower (MOM), National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) on Tuesday (November 17).
The recommendations come a month after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that a new interagency task force had been convened to address the mental health needs of Singaporeans.
PM Lee noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has led to further tensions, pressures, and disruptions.
The outbreak has led many workplaces to adopt work-from-home agreements as the norm, blurring the line between work and home and putting workers at greater risk of burnout, the tripartite partners said in a statement.
Companies are now being advised to extend flexible benefits to employees to cover mental health-related consultations and treatment, or to offer workers access to counseling services, such as employee assistance programs.
But workers and the self-employed can also start by asking for help if they feel overwhelmed.
Manpower Minister Josephine Teo, who presented the notice at the start of the 2020 Singapore Workplace Safety and Health Conference on Tuesday, noted that the pandemic will be a protracted battle and urged employers and their workers to adopt the recommendations.
“While the future remains uncertain as the world continues to fight Covid-19, let’s not lose sight of our goals,” he added.
“It is timely for government, unions, companies and workers to come together and collectively chart a future in which everyone can recover.”
The two-day virtual conference, hosted by the Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSH), MOM, NTUC, and SNEF, will see regulators, industry leaders and safety professionals offer recommendations and implement best practices. to improve safety standards and prepare companies for a position. Covid-19 workplace.
It is the first time that the biennial conference has been held online.
Over the two days, key areas to be covered include a healthy workforce, the impact of digitization, and how employers can take more ownership of the well-being of their workers.
NTUC Deputy General Secretary Melvin Yong said many workers face increased mental stress from juggling work and personal commitments in this extended period of telecommuting arrangements.
Therefore, he noted that the tripartite notice “will help reassure workers that safeguards exist to support their mental well-being.”
WSH Board Chairman John Ng added that by taking care of the mental health of workers, employers “will benefit from a healthy and productive workforce that can contribute to better business performance.”
Key recommendations from tripartite advice
Employers are encouraged to adopt the following practices:
• Appoint mental wellness champions to educate employees on mental wellness and mental health conditions through talks and workshops;
• Providing access to counseling services, such as Employee Assistance Programs, to allow employees to speak with a professional about their work and non-work challenges;
• Train managers to detect signs of mental distress and where they can refer employees for help; Y
• Recognize the need for employees to have adequate rest after hours by establishing a policy of harmony between work and life to provide clarity in communication of work after hours.
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