Can Singapore employers use office wellness to fight employee burnout?

Companies must provide more than a well-stocked pantry to deal with extreme exhaustion.

The price of success is nowhere more evident than in Singapore, where people work long hours to enjoy one of the highest living standards in Asia.

But Singaporeans are also one of the most stressed out in the world, with many citizens struggling to balance work and family life amidst state efforts to raise the official retirement age each year.

Three of five Singaporean workers are experiencing burnout, according to recruitment platform Employment Hero’s 2024 Wellness at Work report. The 61% burnout rate is only slightly better than the 62% in 2022. The cutthroat work environment, plus the stigma of seeking help for mental issues make it harder to deal with depression and anxiety.

“Workplace wellness comes in two forms — tangible and intangible,” Kong Wan Long, co-founder and chief commercial officer at JustCo, told the Singapore Business Review.

“But beyond tangible amenities that support and enhance wellness at work, fostering a welcoming work culture also has a huge positive impact on employees' well-being,” he said.

Wellness in the office