WorkWell Leaders (WWL), a Singapore-based non-profit focused on workplace wellbeing and mental health, has revealed the winners of the WorkWell Leaders Awards 2024. These awards acknowledge exemplary practices in promoting positive change within workplaces. WWL emphasized that these awards are unique in their recognition of specific elements of workplace wellbeing that drive business results, as well as leadership behaviors that foster cultural transformation within organizations.
Anthea Ong, Founder and Chairperson of WorkWell Leaders, stressed the importance of addressing mental health proactively in the workplace, stating, “With 70% of Singapore’s population employed and spending a significant portion of their day at work, workplaces must serve as catalysts to support employees and their families.”
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, in a pre-recorded message, urged business leaders to cultivate empathetic workplaces that provide support for employees facing mental health challenges, making their companies models for others to emulate.
Source: WorkWell Leaders. President Tharman encouraged attendees at the awards ceremony to prioritize employee well-being and make their companies role models in this area.
To further emphasize the significance of leadership in fostering mental well-being, WorkWell Leaders announced the development of a new national benchmark. This benchmark will highlight the relationship between the business implications of mental health, the impact of leadership and culture on workplace well-being, and the resulting effects on business outcomes and stakeholder value.
According to the charity, existing workplace mental health benchmarks, while valuable, often concentrate on employee perceptions of support on an individual level. This new benchmark will instead assess company-wide transformations that promote employee well-being, organizational effectiveness, and enduring value for stakeholders.
Ong highlighted that while the award winners are leading the charge in this cultural shift, the benchmark will track overall progress, aiding businesses in creating roadmaps for more resilient and content workplaces.
The Be Well Awards recognize individual leadership. The recipients are:
Dr. Prem Kumar Nair, Group CEO of IHH Healthcare, received the Wellbeing CEO Award for his impactful leadership in promoting understanding and acceptance of well-being, supported by concrete actions and investments.
Clarence Ti, Deputy President of the National University of Singapore, was granted the CEO’s Wellbeing Partner Award for his dedication to integrating mental well-being into organizational strategy, resulting in improved health and business outcomes.
The Lead Well Awards acknowledge organization-wide initiatives. The winners include:
PSA Corporation earned the Wellbeing Innovation Award for creating a novel program addressing employee well-being and mental health challenges.
The National University of Singapore was honored with the ESG Wellbeing Strategy Award for positioning employee well-being as a key driver of ESG-focused business growth.
Otis International Asia Pacific received the Healthy Workplace Culture Award for fostering a safe and supportive environment where employees can flourish.
The top honor, the Wellbeing Organisation of the Year Award, went to Otis International Asia Pacific for its comprehensive efforts in promoting employee well-being and cultivating a thriving workplace.
Proceeds from the award ceremony will support the development of resources and programs for leaders and organizations to address employee mental health and well-being, aiming to create thriving workplaces across Singapore.
Research indicates that Singaporeans consider mental health the most pressing health concern (46%) facing the nation today (Ipsos). Duke-NUS & IMH found that workplace anxiety and depression cost the Singaporean economy S$15.7 billion annually, equating to about 2.9% of GDP.
WorkWell Leaders is a collaborative network of leaders from various industries in both the private and public sectors. Established informally in 2018, it officially became a registered charity in Singapore in November 2022. It stands out as the sole non-profit assembly of CEOs and leaders dedicated to promoting mental health and workplace well-being as strategic priorities to enhance employee experiences, benefit communities, and drive positive business results.
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag(‘js’, new Date()); gtag(‘config’, ‘G-G097T2D1D4’);