'The results are telling – businesses must expand mental wellbeing support to HR teams'
Three in four HR professionals in Singapore have admitted to suffering from burnout at least once a month, with new findings indicating that mental health remains a neglected topic in the workplace despite recent efforts to put them in the spotlight.
A survey among 150 HR professionals by Intellect and Milieu Insight revealed that 75% experience burnout at least once a month, including 41% who said they are burnt out at least once a week.
"These findings serve as an important reminder that, when we think about mental health at the workplace, we can't forget about the HR professionals who are on the frontlines," said Stephen Tracy, chief operating officer of Milieu Insight, in a statement.
The survey bared similar results to a study recently carried out by KarmaCheck, which found that 73% of HR leaders are suffering from burnout because of recruiting and hiring.
Satisfying expectations
But Milieu Insight's survey revealed that Singapore's HR professionals are burnt out from other reasons.
The report found that 59% of the HR respondents describe their work as "heavy," with the insight stating that there is a "general feeling of catching up to expectations among HR professionals."
According to the report, 83% of respondents said they are expected to perform their best, but only 61% of them were effective in this.
Another 60% said they are expected to complete their task within working hours, but among them, only 61% of them were successful.
Another 42% of HR professionals expecting enough rest and leisure time were able to achieve them, while only 50% of the respondents who are planning to personally practice wellbeing tips could do it effectively.
Addressing mental health
Business leaders should ensure that they have the right mechanisms to support their HR team as they often become victims of burnout, according to Tracy.
The call came as 51% of the respondents said their employer provides them with mental health resources, but only 44% are satisfied with it.
In fact, only 32% of the surveyed HR professionals believe their company gives high or very high importance to employee mental health.
Normalising the conversation
Efforts to normalise mental health conversations in the workplace have been emerging as of late, including in Singapore, where discrimination on mental health conditions has been declared illegal.
But the survey's findings revealed that only 19% of HR respondents raise the conversation of mental health at work, with 19% bringing it up once a month, 27% do it for a few times a year or less, and 26% never discussing mental health.
"The results are telling – businesses must expand mental wellbeing support to HR teams to ensure they are able to become strategic partners tasked with taking care of employees and ensuring they remain engaged," said Oliver Suendermann, Vice President, Clinical, of Intellect, in a statement.
