Advancing Support for Workplace Mental Health in Hong Kong

The City Mental Health Alliance Hong Kong (CMHA Hong Kong), launched in 2017, has become an alliance of 27 member companies, and growing. The organisation is proactive in tackling workplace mental health issues that are globally relevant and also locally unique.

We discussed the progress and work of CMHA Hong Kong with board member Jennifer Tam, partner in the Employment and Benefits practice at global law firm Mayer Brown.

What have been the highlights of 2021 for CMHA Hong Kong?

“2021 has been a fantastic year for the Alliance in Hong Kong. We welcomed five new organisations, so we now have members across different industries and sectors impacting over 10,000 employees.

“The year’s highlights include projects that respond to very specific issues in the region and in Hong Kong itself. We created an employers’ guide to support the mental health of employees in Covid-19 quarantine. Hong Kong has the longest quarantine duration in the world and the mental health implications of quarantine are increasingly being recognised. We also created a tailored training module to help members support employees who’ve experienced acute trauma outside Hong Kong.”

Are there any other factors, unique to Hong Kong, which contribute to poor mental health?

“If we focus solely on the workplace, Hong Kong has some of the longest working hours in the world and one in four Hong Kong employees suffer symptoms of depression and anxiety. This is 2.5 times the global average and around 20 percent requires psychological treatment.

“Personally, as a lawyer, I know that the legal industry in Hong Kong is characterised by lean teams, fast-paced work, long hours, tight deadlines and frequent travel during pre Covid-19. This type of work environment can have an effect on mental wellbeing.

“All this translates into cost for a company – mental health challenges are thought to cost Hong Kong employers between HK$5.5 billion to HK$12.4 billion per year due to absenteeism, staff turnover and productivity.”

How have you adapted the CMHA offer to meet the needs of workplaces in Hong Kong?

“There are a number of differences in how the topic of workplace mental health is recognised and discussed across Asia. The themes and topics covered by the Alliance in Hong Kong come directly from our members.

“Many of our materials are translated into Chinese and reviewed by the Hong Kong team to ensure the language use is both accurate and appropriate. We offer training courses, including the Mental Health First Aid course, in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, which is well received by companies with staff in Mainland China.”

CMHA Hong Kong has grown rapidly, what do you think is the secret to its success?

“We are business led and expert driven. We have a very proactive board, who strongly endorses the work that we have been doing to support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace in Hong Kong. This is a positive message to prospective members.

“We also showcase the achievements of our members by providing them with a forum where good ideas and experiences are brought into the light and shared among members as well as the broader corporate community here.”

What are your hopes for the future of the Alliance in Hong Kong, and for workplace mental health?

“Being a board member has changed my own perspective on what we can do and what more needs to be done. What I hope is that we keep talking and remove the stigma. We need to normalise the conversation about mental health.

“I hope that even more companies will join us. All employers have a duty to ensure that their employees are able to work in a psychologically safe environment. More than just the right thing to do, it makes good business sense – for the retention of employees and being an employer of choice, to creating an environment in which employees can contribute to the very best of their abilities. Remember, people are our asset.”

We are proud to announce the launch of the new global chapter from the City Mental Health Alliance  community: MindForward Alliance .

Poppy Jaman, Global CEO of MindForward Alliance, shared her perspectives on the launch.

What is the mission of MindForward Alliance?

The immediate goal of our new global chapter is to support businesses to transform workplace mental health in two ways. First, MindForward Alliance  is a response to those businesses who are asking for support in how to develop their global approach to workplace mental health. Second, MindForward Alliance  will assist businesses in those countries where the City Mental Health Alliance  does not (yet!) have a local presence.

How will MindForward Alliance drive change globally?

MindForward Alliance’s ambition is to set the standards for workplace mental health globally. This new Chapter will bring together a global community of leaders, wellbeing, DEI, risk, health and safety, HR practitioners and mental health experts across industry and sectors. We will work together to transform mental health and wellbeing in the workplace and reduce the wellbeing inequalities that exist around the world.

What will businesses that are part of the Alliance benefit from?  

Businesses that join our new global community will have access to an exclusive programme of assessments, events, research, reports and opportunity for peer collaboration.

What is your vision for MindForward Alliance?

Last week, I shared my thoughts on the World Health Organization  Report. It shone a clear light on the fact that, if we reshape and re-imagine the workplace, where we spend so much of our time – we can better protect and support mental health and wellbeing across the world. There is an urgent need and a huge opportunity to create and embed change, and we intend to seize the moment with MindForward Alliance.

How can businesses get involved?

If you are part of a global business looking to support the mental health and wellbeing of your colleagues, I would love to hear from you. Follow us on LinkedIn, sign up to our newsletter and find out more about us here .

WHO and ILO call for new measures to tackle mental health issues at work

Today (28 September 2022) the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have released new global guidelines on mental health at work. This is a significant milestone with the WHO calling for concrete actions to address mental health concerns in the working population.

Reshaping the workplace to better protect our mental health  

The WHO report  released earlier this year strongly laid out why, in the face of the mental health crisis we face, “business as usual simply won’t do”. The report included a call to reshape and re-imagine the environments in which we spend our time, so that they better protect our mental health and prevent mental health conditions. The workplace was one of the environments the WHO prioritised with the word “workplace” mentioned 48 times. Globally the workplace is being recognised as a place that can be a risk to mental health if not managed properly, but also an environment that can have an enormous positive impact.

Now the WHO and ILO have released two new publications: WHO guidelines on mental health at work and a WHO/ILO policy brief with practical strategies for governments, employers and workers. The WHO guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations to tackle risks to mental health such as heavy workloads, negative behaviours, and other factors that create distress at work. For the first time WHO recommends manager training, to build their capacity to prevent stressful work environments and respond to workers in distress. The supporting WHO ILO policy brief focuses on how workplaces can better prevent, promote and support the mental health of workers.

Accelerating progress 

Our ambitious vision is that every workplace will protect, support and create positive mental health. The WHO guidelines and the call for prevention, protection and support aligns with our Global Thriving at Work Framework which we launched to support businesses develop their global workplace and mental health strategy. The new guidelines echo what we have seen work through our decade of collaboration with businesses and mental health experts to seek out best practice and further reinforces the approach our members are taking in supporting the mental health of their employees globally. We are proud that MindForward Alliance and many of our members globally contributed to the development of these guidelines.

The need to scale and up accelerate the progress in workplaces globally is at the heart of why we have created our local alliances across different geographies and a central global chapter, MindForward Alliance. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with our members, to drive forward progress in workplace mental health by sharing best practice, adding to the evidence base of what works for businesses. We know that the journey ahead will only be possible with all of us connecting and working together.

Resources

• WHO guidelines on mental health at work: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240053052
• WHO/ILO mental health at work policy brief: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240057944
• MindForward Alliance Global Thriving at Work Framework: https://mindforwardalliance.com/Resources/Global-Thriving-at-Work-Framework
• Blog by Poppy Jaman, Global CEO MindForward Alliance: how the workplace will change the world: https://mindforwardalliance.com/News-and-Views/91-/How-the-workplace-will-change-the-world