62% of employees fear stigma of discussing stress, mental health

Despite the toll of the pandemic on mental health, employees fear possible job loss when trying to seek help.

A majority of Singaporean employees and employers report increased stress during the last six months due to the pandemic, but asking for help hasn't been easy.

According to Employment Hero's The Impact of Covid-19 on Business Owners and Employees survey, 71% of employees and 61% of employees felt stressed over the last six months. Within those numbers, 17% of employees and 13% of employers rated their personal stress levels as "very stressed".

However, 62% of employees said there was still a stigma about being open about mental health, whilst 56% of employees said that opening up to their bosses about the state of their mental health could jeopardize their jobs.

"The mental-health fallout of COVID-19 in the workforce needs more attention. The workplace is an important environment to discuss mental health, but because of the stigma attached to it and the fear of job losses, many people are continuing to suffer in silence," said Employment Hero co-founder and CEO Ben Thompson.

On the employer side, 66% of businesses also see mental health stigma as a cause for consern, but more than half responded that workplaces should not bear the burden of their employee's mental health.

"Employers have the opportunity to change this climate by making mental wellbeing a business priority. Providing employees with the right resources, supportive leadership, and taking a customised approach to mental health are great first steps," added Thompson.

The survey was conducted in March 2021, with a respondent pool of 1,000 Singapore employees and employers.