ENHANCING EMPLOYEE HEALTH & WELL-BEING IN SUPPORT OF HEALTHIER SG

      The Government will be implementing the national Healthier SG strategy to support all Singaporeans to take better care of their health. Healthier SG will focus on preventive care and better management of existing chronic conditions. This is a very important national strategy, as the Singapore society continues to age, which inevitably leads to deteriorating health.

Recommendations for employees

2.             Eligible Singaporeans will be progressively invited to enrol in Healthier SG in the coming months. We recommend that employees participate in Healthier SG when they become eligible and are invited [1], so that they can continue to receive holistic care from a family doctor who is familiar with their needs even after they switch jobs or retire. To participate, eligible employees can enrol with a Healthier SG clinic of their choice. Thereafter, their family doctor will guide them in developing a personalised Health Plan.

3.             Employees who are not yet eligible for enrolment are similarly encouraged to have a regular primary care doctor, go for nationally recommended screenings and vaccinations[2], and lead healthy lifestyles. They can also use the Healthy 365 application to sign up for healthy lifestyle activities.

Recommendations for employers

4.             Employers should support Healthier SG as part of their goal to foster a healthier, engaged and more productive workforce. Employers can encourage eligible employees to participate in Healthier SG by ensuring that their company panel consists of a high proportion of Healthier SG clinics, so that employees can benefit from Healthier SG and employer medical benefits. They can do so by encouraging their company panel clinics to join Healthier SG’s network of clinics, either by working with the clinics directly or through Third Party Administrators (TPAs) that manage such panels.

5.             Employers can also consider further supporting all employees to lead a healthier lifestyle and fulfill their health goals by, for example:

a.      Regularly encouraging them to adopt a healthy lifestyle;
b.      Cutting down on usage of salt and sugar in staff canteens;
c.       Giving time-off to employees for their annual check-ins and/or preventive care appointments (e.g. vaccinations and health screenings) with their regular doctor; and
d.      Providing relevant health programmes, such as:

(i) Nationally recommended screenings and vaccinations;
(ii) Physical activity programmes to support employees in staying active (e.g., gym memberships, exercise classes, regular group walks); and
(iii) Wellness programmes focusing on healthy eating and mental wellbeing.

6.             Employers can choose to develop their own programmes or tap on existing programmes. This includes HPB’s Workplace Health Programmes such as the Workplace Outreach and Wellness (WOW) Programme, Healthy Workplace Ecosystem (HWE), Mature Workers Programme, or the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council’s Total WSH Programme.

7.             The Public Service is committed to caring for the wellbeing of public officers. Today, there are regular screening and vaccination programmes to help public officers monitor and protect their health. There is also a wide array of activities and resources to enhance the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of officers. Peer support networks and counselling services are also available to help officers in need. Building on these efforts, the Public Service will take the lead to encourage officers to be part of Healthier SG by offering all eligible officers half-day time-off for their first consultation with their Healthier SG doctor. As the eligible population grows, the Public Service will also explore additional funding to support wellbeing activities for agencies that can encourage more officers to be part of Healthier SG.

Resources for employees and employers

8.             Employers and employees may refer to resources for promoting Healthier SG in the workplace and more information on how residents can take part at www.healthiersg.gov.sg from 5 July 2023.

9.             The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the tripartite partners, comprising the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) will work with stakeholders to develop a new Tripartite Standard on Health Promoting Workplace Practices, which would guide employers in implementing practices to promote good health and wellness among employees. More details will be announced by the end of the year.

[1] Enrolment eligibility is determined by age. Enrolment will be progressively rolled out to all age groups, starting with those aged 60 and above in July 2023. Eligible residents will receive an SMS from MOH to enrol via the HealthHub app, where they will choose their preferred clinic and schedule their first free health consultation. Patients aged 40 and above who have been seeing their General Practitioner (GP) for chronic illnesses regularly can pre-enrol from May 2023, if their GP has signed up for Healthier SG.

[2] Nationally recommended vaccinations are specified in the National Adult Immunisation Schedule (NAIS), while nationally recommended screenings are those covered under the Screen for Life (SFL) programme.