To be fair, since Covid-19, businesses have shown greater interest in employees’ mental health by seeking out new approaches and tools, including apps and initiatives to support their staff. But often these are cookie-cutter programmes that don’t address the broad range of needs and preferences of different employee groups.
Over the course of 2023, crises such as war, inflation, political upheaval and environmental disasters are converging to create prolonged challenges for the workforce. It’s a heavy burden for many, especially on top of navigating flexible, remote and hybrid work environments.
Fresh data from a study by global consultancy firm Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) found the problem is so significant that companies in Singapore are at risk of losing talent over mental health issues. Worryingly, there are wide perception gaps when it comes to care, with 88% of companies considering themselves to be caring, while only 66% of employees agree – a number that is well below the global and regional averages.
