Mental health at work: More than half of employees feel psychologically unsafe in the workplace

Employees in Singapore feel most unsafe in Southeast Asia (SEA). About 62% of them are uncomfortable sharing about mental wellness or periods when their mental health was affected by stressors in life with their supervisors, managers, and other relevant staff.

The survey by consumer research firm Milieu Insight defined the term psychological safety as a "shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking."

According to the study, 51% of staff revealed they don't share their mental health struggles due to fear of being judged or discriminated against.

Of those who are uncomfortable sharing their issues, 41% feared being perceived as weak, unproductive or lazy by their peers. Others are afraid that talking about their struggles will reflect on their performance evaluations.

Many (53%) also believe that in Singapore, the culture of openness and psychological safety either does not exist in their company or is very poor in general.

How can psychological safety be improved in workplaces? 

The study also attempted to find the remedy for poor psychological safety in the workplace. Employees (68%) suggested flexible working arrangements. Whereas (59%) want paid mental wellness leave and time off. 

Commenting on the situation, Sabrina Ooi, CEO and co-founder of Calm Collective Asia said, “Psychological safety creates the conditions for employees to seek help from their managers and use the resources available to them.”

“By increasing their mental health literacy and practising compassion, managers can positively influence the well-being of their teams. Companies need to recognise the business case for this: Psychological safety helps boost employee engagement, performance, and retention. It’s clear that healthy people equals healthy business,” Ooi concluded.