Employees’ well-being and welfare is one sole responsibility of an employer which is directly related to a company’s work culture and understanding of the subject. In today’s progressive world, employee benefits are no longer limited to just paid leaves, maternity benefits, flexibility, and other perks alone. Today employers are looking at building themselves a separate identity that allows them to be proud of what they do and where to do it, as far as career is concerned. Every employee in Singapore today wants to work in one of those big multinational companies for one main reason i.e. recognition and trust. From both a company and an employee’s perspective, including an EAP as part of a sustainable benefits package makes a lot of sense, especially today when mental health awareness is on the rise.
It is no surprise that the current stress levels in every country are really high, given the unexpected arrival of the worldwide lockdown that brought along different work cultures as well as sudden pay cuts and job redundancies. Moreover, the implementation of work from home in the starting months of the pandemic greatly affected the mental well-being of every working person as the division between work and home was blurred out. This in turn made it difficult for employees to achieve a work-life balance.
Keeping the employees happy and healthy is a top priority for every company today.
Here Is How Introduction Of EAP in Singapore Has Changed The Workplace Atmosphere
An EAP in Singapore (Employee Assistance Program in Singapore) is an integrated program that looks into promoting a healthy mind and body connection for all employees, both during work and when home. The main idea behind implementing an EAP in Singapore is to take the employee care package one notch higher. It directly impacts the workplace environment, as if your employees are happy, they keep their surroundings happy and if they are not feeling good, they bring the whole energy down with them. An introduction of an effective EAP in Singapore can influence the workspace in the following ways.
Reduce Chances Of Workplace Depression
Within a well-planned EAP in place, the amount of distress amongst the employees can directly be targeted with the help of different means and measures like confidential one-on-one sessions to discuss the reasons behind the employees’ distress. This helps curb the anticipated level of depression for the employee at work greatly.
Guaranteed Employee Health And Wellbeing
The main agenda behind EAP in Singapore is to create a balance between an employee’s physical health as well as mental well-being. So, the packages or procedures under an EAP can include referrals for diets for physical well-being as well activities like mandala painting for an employee’s mental stress relief. Such break activities and interactive sessions with dieticians create an uplifting mood in the workplace environment.
Improved Trust Relationship Between Employee And Company
Now, as the employer’s efforts towards employees’ well-being are more visible and evident because of an EAP Singapore introduction, the relationship between the employee and the company can be seen getting better as there is increased trust from the workforce. As a result, the employee productivity levels have doubled up.
Increased number of employee connect activities
Employee connects activities that come as a separate service under an EAP promote employee interactions which in turn increases the understanding level between the different cultures present in the Singaporean workforces in most companies. This increased understanding has greatly aided in reducing the in-office conflicts between employees, making it a safer and quieter place to work.
Other important aspects like financial stress and guidance also resolved
Many employees need assistance not in terms of cash or payments, but in terms of financial planning. It is important for employees to get financial help for aspects like budget planning, loan applications, etc. as the living standards in Singapore are really high and it is also known to be an expensive city to live in as it is. So, another added service under EAP is financial counselling that includes sessions and referrals to resolve employee concerns regarding finance. This has been one of the most beneficial services under EAP which has enhanced the workplace environment with improved working procedures from employees and more seriousness towards their jobs.
Increased sensitivity among employees
Most times, the majority of the reasons that contribute to employee conflicts root from basic misunderstandings, communication gaps, and insensitivity as well as low tolerance for other cultures, races, gender, etc. This concern, in recent years, is becoming more and more evident in workplaces in Singapore, especially as the concept of co-working workspace is rising in the country. Now, since the implementation of an EAP in Singapore, this problem has been de-rooted from its foundation. This is because employees are learning more about each other’s cultures and religions with the help of bonding exercises organized as part of an EAP, which in turn greatly improved the team productivity as a whole.
Higher return on investment for employers
Even though the initial cost of implementing an EAP in Singapore is relatively on the higher side, it is said to be one of the most beneficial decisions taken by the employer as it promises higher returns on this investment. EAP basically resolves the majority of the employee concerns by providing an easy outlook for the employee to approach when in need. This has greatly reduced the potential additional costs to the employer like healthcare, medical assistance, guest sessions, low absenteeism, and other perks and benefits while ensuring increased efficiency of employees. This directly affects the profitability of the company, while increasing workplace efficiency greatly.
To know more about how and why an EAP in Singapore is a necessary step to promote mental well-being and handle other employee-related concerns easily, you can research online. Online resources and services in regards to an employee assistance program are plenty in Singapore and some even educate on the different types of EAP in Singapore, making the choice to finalize the most appropriate one according to your company easier than before. Initially, it might seem like an expensive investment in the beginning but in the long run, it confirms high employee morale and motivation that can bring up your company image and profits to newer heights.
