Your questions about mental wellness at work answered
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How can employers acknowledge mental wellness as part of employee well-being?
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What steps can be taken to create a supportive workplace environment for mental health?
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How can mental wellness be integrated into company work culture?
Stressed and unhappy employees are bad for your business.
According to recent findings from global professional services provider, Mercer, when an employee goes to work feeling stressed, his or her productivity drops by approximately 21%.
The Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-Being at Workplaces, launched by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in 2020, is timely as companies and employees grapple with emerging trends and new working arrangements.
If you’re an employer and thinking of making things better at your company, here are three suggestions we’ve put together to help you out.
3 to promote mental wellness in the workplace
1. Acknowledge mental wellness as part of your employee well-being
According to findings from MOM, only a third of companies surveyed shared that they have formal workplace wellness programmes.
Company leaders must acknowledge that the employee’s health is not just a physical domain, but also a mental one. This can be translated to providing employees access to counselling services as part of their medical benefits.
One actively hiring company on the MyCareersFuture jobs portal that is making huge strides toward improving mental wellness for its employees is Dell Technologies.
Spokesperson for Dell Technologies’ HR team, shares:
“Our vision is to create a culture of wellness, to help bring balance to our employees’ lives and have Dell Technologies be a great place to work in.”
Beyond formal programmes, employers can support mental wellness through specific, low-cost initiatives that make a meaningful difference. Simple measures like encouraging employees to take short breaks throughout the day, offering flexible scheduling options, and allowing remote work arrangements can significantly reduce workplace stress.
These approaches recognise that mental wellness at work doesn’t always require expensive programmes—sometimes the most effective support comes from giving employees more control over their work environment and schedule.
2. Create a supportive environment in the workplace
Employers should strive to make the workplace a safe and trusting environment where employees aren’t afraid to communicate about the challenges they face in their work and personal life.
You can take simple but effective steps, such as setting up informal support networks that allow employees to feel supported and provide support for one another.
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Good practices include scheduling regular check-ins with employees to discuss work-related stress and implementing policies like “buddy systems” to strengthen the workplace social support system.
“Our people leaders are encouraged to set an example for our teams on how to institute self-care and wellness to better manage stress, anxiety and challenges.”
The company recognises that the onus isn’t just on employees to reflect on themselves. Programs within the Dell Wellness Hub range from meditation to financial wellness, fitness, family balance, policies and practices supporting team members’ flexible working patterns.
“We provide various tools and resources for team members to strengthen their wellness and enhance balance.”
Moreover, creating a supportive environment also requires proper manager training so leaders know how to communicate effectively about mental health topics.
Managers should be equipped to recognise signs of stress and offer appropriate support whilst respecting employee boundaries. This means knowing when to listen, when to refer to professional resources, and importantly, never pressuring employees to share private health details. Well-trained managers can create psychological safety without overstepping professional boundaries.
3. Make mental wellness part of the company’s work culture
Promoting mental wellness need not be separate from the professional setting. Instead, it can be incorporated seamlessly and “naturally” by making it part of your company’s operations. Some examples include:
- Training managers to spot signs of mental distress and better support staff directly under them
- Setting aside a dedicated, quiet space in the office for employees to temporarily step away from work and reduce stress
“We’re moving beyond health and insurance. We’re embedding physical, emotional and financial wellness within our company culture.”
On top of providing self-care resources and organising various wellness events and activities, other benefits offered by the company include the International Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and leader support services.
The EAP provides support and information on managing common life issues, such as depression, conflicts at work, parenting and more, to the company’s full and part-time employees, as well as their dependents.
Leader support services refer to in-house consultations by HR consultants on the leader’s concerns, such as issues in leading a team, engaging in difficult conversations with employees, reorganisation hiccups and more.
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Of course, employee assistance programmes represent just one facet of professional mental wellness support. Companies should consider partnering with external mental wellness at work specialists who can provide confidential emotional and practical support to employees.
These services often include counselling, stress management resources, and crisis intervention—all delivered by qualified professionals who understand workplace dynamics.
By offering these confidential channels, employers demonstrate their commitment to mental wellness whilst ensuring employees have access to appropriate, professional support when needed.
Prioritising your employees is good for business
Essentially, the key to building a healthy workplace lies in creating programmes and policies that prioritise people over productivity. Ultimately, taking care of your employees’ mental wellness is a win-win situation for everyone. With a flourishing workplace culture that values mental wellness, the returns to your business will be numerous.
