Is well-being your organisation’s missing link to higher performance?

The modern workplace is facing a silent crisis: a mental health pandemic. A recent Financial Times article highlighted the alarming statistics:

📉 Global economic losses due to depression and anxiety amount to $1 trillion annually.

😓 Financial services, in particular, are feeling the strain, with burnout rates at 17%, compared to the 12% average across other industries.

💸 The annual cost of poor mental health per employee in the financial services sector reaches a staggering US$6,675 (SG$9,081) – more than double the cost in other sectors.

These figures represent real people struggling with exhaustion and disengagement, significantly impacting business productivity, absenteeism, retention, and overall performance.

But there's hope. An Oxford University study shows a strong correlation between prioritising employee well-being and improved business performance, with higher well-being predicting better organisational valuations, returns, profits, and stock market performance.

Here are a few tips to drive your organisation’s performance through well-being top-down, and bottom-up:

💬 Open communication from leaders: When leaders openly discuss mental health, employees feel supported, knowing their well-being is valued.

📋 Implement regular well-being check-ins: Structure check-ins to go beyond asking ‘How are you?’. Consider using a few simple questions to gauge well-being, such as: "What's one thing you're doing well?", "What's one challenge you're facing?", and "What support do you need?".

🤝 Empower a network of peer supporters to complement your company’s EAP: Equip employees with skills to support their colleagues by training them as peer supporters. Peer supporters can act as a point of contact for those struggling, offer a listening ear, and guide colleagues to appropriate resources.

Learn more about how Calm Collective can help promote a culture of well-being at work through our programmes, trainings, and consultancy.

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