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SINGAPORE: Companies that have expanded employee benefits to cover mental health services said the measure sends a crucial signal to workers that they are taking the problem seriously, adding that it also makes business sense.
Those benefits are among the recommendations issued by a tripartite notice on Tuesday (November 17) promoting mental well-being in the workforce. It comes amid increasing attention to the additional stress workers may face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For companies with flexible employee benefits (eg, medical benefits), consider expanding the scope of coverage to include mental wellness programs, mental health consultations and treatment,” the notice said.
“This indicates the company’s desire to help its employees overcome their mental health challenges.”
READ: MOM, NTUC, Employers Federation Issue New Notice on Mental Well-Being in Workplaces
It is a sentiment shared by companies that have implemented measures to support the mental well-being of their employees.
Accenture’s head of human resources for Southeast Asia, Grace Yip, said employee benefits are the “most visible” part of a company’s stance: “When a company makes a change in its profits, it is a signal. firm and clear for the workforce that we take very seriously.
“It looks like a skin in the game.”
The consultancy added mental health coverage to its employees’ health benefits in 2018, when it allowed claims to be made for treatments related to its specialized outpatient insurance, but only with a referral letter.
In 2019, he eliminated the need for referrals.
The move was part of broader efforts to promote inclusion within the company, with other initiatives targeting mental health education and awareness, for example.
“You can add benefits, but if you are not changing the other things, you are not moving the needle,” Ms Yip told CNA on Wednesday.
“We need to holistically create an environment that is safe and encourages people to think about mental well-being and care about others.”
READ: Businesses Offering Mental Health Support for Staff Increase, But More Can Be Done, Experts Say
The efforts have paid off, according to Accenture. Internal surveys have shown a 75.4 percent increase in employees who feel safe expressing their mental health challenges to their supervisors.
There has also been a “positive feedback” in evaluations about the support these employees feel, Ms. Yip said.
There is also a business case for investing in mental health, said Singapore Human Resources Institute executive director Alvin Aloysius Goh.
“If the mental well-being of a staff is not taken care of, he or she can become less productive or may even result in leaving an organization and this will have a great impact on the company,” he said.
“When an organization takes care of its employees, it will reflect positively on its business, therefore, it is not only if this is a good investment, it is a necessary investment.”
COVERING MENTAL ILLNESS AS A PHYSICAL ILLNESS
At Otis Elevator Company, although their health insurance provider does not cover mental health services, employees can rely on “company self-funded insurance,” which has been expanded to cover some specialized treatments, including psychological support services.
This is a “middle ground” because the ultimate goal is for external insurance to cover mental health services, said Ms. Karine Scelles, the firm’s executive director of human resources for Asia-Pacific.
While the company is in discussions with its insurer to see what this plan might look like, the main challenge is determining a cost.
“The (insurers) will tell you that they are fine to cover mental health, but they will have to increase your premium by ‘XYZ.’ I understand that they also have to look at the economy, but it is creating the wrong discussion, ”Ms. Scelles said.
“I really think there is something to be done in terms of this industry treating mental illness like any other physical illness.”
He added: “People spend most of their time working and therefore, as employers, we have a responsibility for people to be at their best, perform and feel good.”
RINGS TO FIND SOLUTIONS AT HIGH COSTS
Accenture and Otis Elevator Company are part of the WorkWell Leaders Workgroup, a circle that includes senior executives from the public and private sector who meet quarterly to discuss inclusive practices.
A subgroup was also created to address the prohibitive costs of improving corporate mental health coverage.
They are working together in hopes of strategizing and negotiating with insurers.
“Once you have a certain level of risk pooling, then the risk management part makes it more affordable, as a critical mass kind of thing,” said mental health advocate Anthea Ong, who founded the group. of work.
“The fewer employers join, the more expensive it will remain, and it is a chicken and egg situation. There must be a coordinated collective effort. “
READ: IN FOCUS: The Challenges Young People Face When Seeking Mental Health Help
The former nominee member of parliament added that of the tripartite advisory’s recommendations, which include organizing workshops or training managers to detect distress, ensuring mental health is the “biggest and most difficult” to achieve.
“So I wouldn’t say that it should be the first thing on the list that companies should do. But still it absolutely deserves our immediate attention to work on it because it will take time, justification, resources and negotiation, ”he told CNA.
Ms. Ong added that when employers create a safe space for workers to seek help, people will show up sooner.
“The sooner you seek help, like any condition, the better your recovery will be. That helps the company, ”he said.
