Deflect stress in the workplace before it affects your business

Like elsewhere, Hong Kong has experienced dramatic changes as a result of the Covid pandemic. For many of the city’s workers, perhaps the most obvious change was the work-from-home stance adopted by many companies, in both the public and private sectors, while the virus swept through society.

But now that government has lifted the mask mandate in all but a few essential places, such as hospitals and care homes, many of us will now be returning to work in the office on a full-time basis, with working from home potentially becoming just another fading memory from the darkest days of the pandemic. 

For many employers, the prospect of having staff back in the office is likely to be welcomed. After all, day to day management will be smoother and teams can collaborate more effectively in person. But for some employees, returning to the office is a return to stress – and this could have an impact on individuals and businesses alike.  

Last year, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University revealed that over 10% of people in the city have exhibited symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder since the onset of the pandemic.

But for the city’s workers, the situation looks even more serious. According to recent research by analytics and advisory consultancy Gallup, Hong Kong’s workforce is among the most stressed in the Asia. The company’s State of the Global Workplace 2022 Report found that 53% of people in Hong Kong experienced stress on a daily basis, which topped the list of six countries in the East Asia region. It also discovered that Hong Kong tops the same list for feelings of worry (40% of workers), anger (25%) and sadness (18%).  

For employees, stress can become a triggering factor for other mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression. Evidence in now pointing to a link between these conditions and an increase in heart disease, which leads to heart attacks – particularly for those in high-pressure industries.

Employee stress has a direct, detrimental effect on the success of organisations, too. Even before the pandemic began, Lignan University found that stressed-out workers across major industries cost the city’s economy HK$14.9 billion a year. And with a return to old working patterns now in the offing, we could see more businesses losses in the future.

It’s important that small to medium-sized businesses get to grips with employee stress before it becomes a serious issue and damages productivity, performance and, ultimately, people’s health.

One key feature of MSIG’s SME Group Medical Insurance plan is that it provides coverage for when things go wrong through its in-patient psychiatric treatment coverage. But before the worst happens, the plan also gives complimentary access to the award-winning Intellect app. The platform offers a range of benefits to employees, including access to a dedicated team of behavioural health coaches who offer one-to-one sessions and 24/7 support.

Offering professional coaching in the workplace can help employees open up about feelings of stress, which will, in turn, provide support to already stretched human resources teams who often only have access to limited resources.

So don’t let your people or your business suffer from workplace stress.

To find out more about MSIG’s SME Group Medical Insurance plan, please feel free to contact us or read more about our insurance plans.

Read more: Why good mental health and business success go hand in hand

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