Want to tackle mental health but unsure what to do? Help is on the way
- Shawn Liew
Employers in Singapore who want to offer more support for employees struggling with mental health challenges will soon gain more clarity on what they can do.
By the first quarter of 2025, Singapore’s Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council will introduce a set of guidelines defined by three Rs: Recognise, Refer, and Reintegrate, and which are designed to help employees facing or recovering from mental health conditions.
Announcing the guidelines, Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Education and Manpower said employees need to be educated on mental wellbeing and health to recognise the signs of such conditions.
Thia, she added, will help demystify the issue and help employees recognise that ups and downs are a part of life. However, the onus is also on managers to treat mental health discussions with sensitivity and confidentiality.
Gan said, “Even so, not every employee may be aware of or comfortable with discussing their personal struggles. In such cases, having trained supervisors and peer supporters in the workplace can help in spotting early signs of distress or deviation from normal behaviours, before the situation escalates.”
For more serious cases, employers can subscribe to an employee assistance programme, which provides professional assistance to employees with personal or work-related issues that may adversely impact their physical health, work performance, and mental and psychologically wellbeing.”
READ: Trauma-informed organisations: A new paradigm for mental health
The first draft of the guidelines by WSH Council’s Mental Wellbeing Workgroup, which comprises about 20 representatives from tripartite partners, social service agencies and voluntary welfare organisations, is ready for public consultation.
The draft includes a section on frequently asked questions like how to approach performance appraisal for employees with mental health conditions and how to terminate underperforming employees with mental health conditions without being accused of discrimination, reported The Straits Times.
