STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME AND COUNSELLING SERVICES FOR WORKERS

Column No : 3142

STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME AND COUNSELLING SERVICES FOR WORKERS: 11.

Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether any study has been done to determine how workers are coping with the rapid changes at the workplace and the increased workload, particularly the impact on their mental and physical health; (b) whether his Ministry will include stress management as one of the topics in the training programmes which it conducts for employers; and (c) what can be done to encourage employers to provide counselling services at the workplace as there are indications that the level of stress and anxiety among Singaporeans has increased due to concerns over their jobs and livelihood.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Acting Minister for Manpower (Mr Hawazi Daipi) (for the Acting Minister for Manpower): Sir, my Ministry's Occupational Health Department, in collaboration with experts in organisational behaviour, psychiatry and organisational psychology, is developing a tool to help assess and monitor the psychosocial health of our workforce. The tool measures job stresses and strains, including aspects of work-life balance, and is intended to provide the basis for intervention, management and monitoring of employees' psychosocial health. The study is part of the national effort under the Workplace Health Promotion Programme coordinated by the Health Ministry's Health Promotion Board, with support from MCDS, my Ministry and SPRING, as well as the tripartite social partners - unions and employers - to promote stress management at work.

Members may also wish to know that the newly-formed Workforce Development Agency (WDA) will be working closely with companies to promote best human resource (HR) and organisational development practices. Such practices could include the promotion of staff counselling to help ease unemployed Singaporeans into new jobs unfamiliar to them before; WDA is also engaging employers and trade unions to look into issues, such as mentorship programmes. All these promotional efforts would contribute towards helping employees to better cope with the rapid changes at the workplace.

Mdm Halimah Yacob: Sir, when will the tool that was mentioned by the Parliamentary Secretary be ready? Secondly, what follow-up measures will be taken after the tool is in place and results are produced as to the mental state of our workers at work? Thirdly, has there been a survey done at all? I think that question has not been answered. Before we can even have a tool, we would probably want to know what is the current situation and assessment of the impact of work stresses, workload increase and so on. So, has there been a survey? If not, will one be done?

Mr Hawazi Daipi: Sir, there had been no survey or specific studies to determine how workers are coping with the rapid changes at the workplace. However, earlier studies in the insurance and healthcare sectors indicate there are a variety of factors contributing to stress at the workplace, including problems of work-life balance. We know that there are so many factors contributing to stress - relationships, nature of work, new job, new responsibilities. The new tool that has been developed has been successfully tested in 20 companies involving 300 employees in the service and manufacturing sectors. Mdm Halimah wants to know whether a study will be conducted. We will have to take a look at the results of the testing of our tool, and we will look into that possibility.