What is the Workplace Wellbeing Champions Network in Singapore?

Mental health and wellbeing in the workplace has been a huge focus since the pandemic. Now that the pandemic is well and truly over, it doesn’t mean we should let it slide from the priority list. With regards to that — we come bearing good news.

At a dialogue on workplace mental wellbeing held on 20 November 2023, Singapore’s Minister of State for Manpower, Gan Siow Huang, announced the official launch of the ‘Workplace Mental Wellbeing Champions Network’. It was developed with the aim of empowering employers with a platform and community where they can exchange best practices, cultivate more supportive work environments, and develop new initiatives that enable their employees to thrive.

As mentioned by Minister Gan, “Many of us spend most of our waking hours at work. So the workplace environment – whether positive or adverse – will likely be a major factor in influencing our overall wellbeing.  “According to the World Health Organisation, good work and workplaces support good mental health for individuals by providing a livelihood, a sense of confidence, purpose and achievement which is needed for humans to thrive and create an opportunity for positive relationships and make friends.” 

That’s exactly why it has been so vital for the Government to ensure that employees are supported at the workplace, and enabled to do good work. This new initiative also signals the Government’s focus and support towards mental health and wellbeing, and their intent to prevent the development of mental health conditions.

The Network will provide employers with access to a range of resources and training, to strengthen their knowledge on safeguarding the mental wellbeing of employees. Minister Gan also shared that in January 2024, champions in the Network will have access to training aligned with the Tier 1 skills in the National Mental Health Competency Training Framework, such as being able to identify signs of burnout or distress, knowing self-care techniques, and the identification of mental health disorders.

At the time of the announcement, the Network already had over 50 founding members, such as the DBS Bank, Ernst and Young, National University of Singapore, Singtel, and Shell Singapore. These organisations have already implemented progressive wellbeing practices, or offer counselling and advisory services.

Who can be a ‘Workplace Wellbeing Champion’?

According to the Ministry of Manpower, ‘Workplace Wellbeing Champions’ would ideally be management-level employees, who may be assisted by a team of colleagues to implement mental wellbeing initiatives for the company.

Both Champions and any other nominated employees can register to be part of the network, and joining the network is completely free of charge. Anyone interested can do so by emailing Kaleidoscope Labs, the official vendor appointed by the Workplace Safety and Health Council.

Expansion of the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Health and Wellbeing at Workplaces

In addition to the launch of the Workplace Wellbeing Champions Network, Minister Gan also announced an expansion of the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Health and Wellbeing at Workplaces. It provides employers with practical guidance on how to better support their employees’ mental wellbeing.

Over the past two years, ideas and inputs from various experts in the workgroup and the public have been gathered and then curated, into what would be useful to employers to support their employees’ mental wellbeing.

As mentioned by Minister Gan, “The key to strengthening mental wellbeing at workplaces is to assess and identify employees’ needs and adopt initiatives that best address these needs, leveraging available resources. Despite best efforts, awareness of resources available can certainly be further improved. Getting individuals who are willing to play a role to step forward is another area that we hope to step up on.” Expansions added to the Advisory include:

1. Creating a peer support system — employers are encouraged to send employees for NTUC’s Peer to Peer support training, to equip them with peer support skills. Having peer support creates a supportive environment for employees in need and destigmatises mental health issues at work.

1. Hiring job-ready individuals with mental health conditions — employers are encouraged to access a wider talent pool and build a more inclusive workplace. Interested employers can reach out to the Institute of Mental Health, Singapore Anglican Community Services and Singapore Association for Mental Health for more details.

The wrap up

In a fast-paced society plagued by toxic productivity and the pressure to hustle constantly, prioritising your employees’ mental health and wellbeing is more crucial than ever.

We hope the news of this Network has been uplifting and encouraging to all employers in Singapore. We look forward to you appointing your very own ‘Champion’ and getting them as well as other supporting employees involved in the Network!

For more tips on how to support your employee’s mental health, check out our blog here.