Do you know that one in seven Singaporeans have experienced mental health problems? A recent report also found that amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, more workers have expressed a higher level of stress and struggled with more mental health issues at work than before. If you’re an office manager in Singapore, perhaps this is the time to incorporate more measures in your office management solutions to protect and enhance your employees’ mental wellness. After all, when they are healthy, they are more likely to be productive and effective at work. Here are five tips that may help.

1. Prioritise employees’ mental wellbeing

The first step is to promote mental health in the workplace and support employees who show signs of stress and anxiety with more care. As an office manager running a Singapore-based business, you should always consider implementing office management solutions that simplify office processes and make employees’ work experience efficient so that they can enjoy a better work-life balance. 

Incorporating health and safety protocols can also go a long way to protecting mental wellness. For example, peer-support policy, in-house counselling and conflict resolution sessions are effective measures that many companies are adopting to mitigate stress at the workplace. 

2. Make mental health resources accessible

According to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), the increase in the number of people experiencing a mental disorder is largely due to increased awareness of mental disorders. In the past, mental health issues were not a concern unless they caused severe cognitive disability. But with the prevalence of mental health information, those who once tried to hide their mental imbalances are coming forward to find resolutions.

This points to the importance of educating employees about mental wellness and providing ample resources to support those who experience emotional imbalances to work through their problems. Such efforts not only equipped employees to take care of themselves but also built an encouraging culture in the workplace that does not stigmatise mental disorders. 

3. Create safe spaces for conversations about mental health

Recently, office managers in Singapore are introducing a myriad of mental health programmes like wellness webinars, self-assessment tools and face-to-face dialogues. These initiatives help employees feel more comfortable addressing their mental conditions without feeling judged or fearing that they may be assessed poorly at work. 

When there is a proactive and positive culture in the workplace, it creates safe spaces for employees to voice their concerns and suggest changes. For your company to reap long-term benefits from a healthy workforce, consider incorporating a system for regular feedback and evaluation. You may also want to engage an office space planning services team to retrofit workspaces to create more private corners where employees can share their thoughts with counsellors or superiors without being overheard.  

4. Encourage the use of sick leaves and days off 

It is common in Singapore for employees to shun taking sick leaves or days off for fear of being evaluated harshly at work. However, this is also resulting in more burnout and mental imbalances. What you can do to help turn things around as an office manager in Singapore is to advocate the use of sick days and off days for employees to administer self-care.  Besides creating a notification system to send reminders to employees for taking time off, your company must also cultivate a more empathetic leadership team that will encourage work-life balance amongst employees. 

5. Design a work environment that promotes mental wellbeing

Believe it or not, a well-designed workplace environment can be a tool for enhancing mental wellness too. Start by working with your office space planning services team to create private niches for employees to enjoy alone time without disruptive noises and collaborative spaces for building relationships.  Note that the overall office design should allow more open spaces to promote creativity and ideation. Confined and awkward workspaces often add invisible pressure to the mind. Because colour psychology plays an important role in soothing the mind, consider coating the walls and large surfaces with relaxing tones rather than fiery hues that induce tension.