SINGAPORE: A new report revealed that 45% of Singapore employers are hesitant to “actively employ” individuals with mental health conditions, while 26% are unsure whether their companies hire them, higher than the regional average.
The ASEAN Workplace Wellbeing 2024 Report, conducted by mental health care company Intellect, surveyed 585 human resource professionals across Southeast Asia. The report seeks to explore workplace wellbeing practices, awareness, access to resources, and stakeholder views in the private sector across ASEAN.
Hiring gaps in Singapore
Compared to countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines, where a larger percentage of employers actively hire people with mental health conditions, Singapore takes a more hesitant approach. In Vietnam, 86% of employers report being open to such hires, followed by Thailand at 87% and the Philippines at 65%.
According to the report, Singaporean organisations claim to have the highest rates of inclusive hiring policies (89%) and workplace environment adjustments (78%) compared to the regional averages of 60% and 68%. However, nearly half (45%) of employers are still hesitant to hire people with mental health challenges—a disconnect between said policies and practice.
In Singapore, employers follow the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP), which advises against asking job applicants to share personal details, such as mental health conditions, unless directly relevant to the role.
This could explain why many Singapore employers do not actively hire individuals with mental health conditions, with 67% attributing it to non-disclosure practices.
The survey also identified other challenges in hiring staff with mental health conditions, including limited mental health awareness (24%), negative attitudes from employees (10%), and the management’s unwillingness to offer flexible working arrangements (5%).
Mental health stigma in the workplace
The report stated that stigma around mental health remains a key issue in Singapore’s job market.
“While Singapore rightfully restricts employers from asking specific questions around the mental health of candidates, our findings indicate there remains a significant gap in both awareness and willingness to accommodate employees with mental health challenges,” said Theodoric Chew, Co-founder and CEO of Intellect.
He said that workplaces play an important role in reducing this stigma. With 17% of Singaporeans experiencing mental health challenges, Mr Chew emphasised the need for employers and leaders to integrate mental health support across their businesses.
He noted, “In fact, the ongoing development of the Guidelines on Providing Support for Employees with and at-risk of Mental Health Conditions by Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council, calling for stronger return-to-office support for employees with mental conditions, is a step in the right direction.”
“Ultimately, by providing proper training, flexible work policies, and easily accessible mental health resources, employers can shift this conversation away from being something that is taboo, thus improving both hiring practices and workplace wellbeing,” he added.
Singapore lags behind Vietnam, Thailand, and Philippines in mental health resources and participation
Across Southeast Asia, organisations offer various mental health resources through Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), including mental health professionals (63%), digital mental health support (50%), helplines (38%), and crisis support (34%).
Thailand leads with 23% of organisations providing comprehensive mental health programmes, however, according to the report, there remains significant room for improvement across the region.
Meanwhile, in Singapore, only 15% of HR professionals report that their companies offer comprehensive mental health resources. Despite over nine in 10 (93%) companies promoting these programmes, just 5% of employees engage with them—far below the regional average of 47%.
In contrast, Vietnam (85%), Thailand (63%), and the Philippines (49%) have significantly higher participation rates.
How companies can overcome challenges in implementing mental health support
Across ASEAN, while most organisations have improved mental health literacy (65%) and implemented wellbeing policies (60%), only a small percentage of companies in Singapore, less than one in four (24%), provide proactive daily mental health support.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), organisations can close this gap by offering training for recruiters and hiring managers to support and understand candidates better. “HR professionals must ensure that mental health resources are not only readily available, but also accessible and tailored to meet employees’ needs,” the report stated.
In addition, through “corporate symmetrical communication,” where organisations listen to and address employee concerns, engagement with mental health resources will improve and become more effective.
Mr Chew said, “Workplaces play a critical role in providing essential mental health support. To foster truly supportive environments, leaders and HR professionals need to go beyond offering resources, they must champion organisation-wide efforts in a way that meets the needs of the organisation and its employees.” /TISG
Read also: 30% of Singapore youths show signs of severe mental health issues: Survey
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