Why good mental health and business success go hand in hand

It’s long been known that Hong Kong has some of the longest working hours on the planet. This comes as little surprise. As one of the world’s most important financial centres, Hong Kong is a city that never sleeps – and the hard-working ethos has been adopted across all industries. Yet while Hong Kong’s success has given rise to its reputation for being a “work hard, play hard” environment, this can take a heavy toll on the mental health of workers across all industries.

US-based research organisation Gallup’s recent “State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report” puts these observations into perspective. The study suggests that Hong Kong employees are the most stressed in East Asia. According to the study, 40% of respondents reported feeling daily worry, while 25% felt anger each day.ⁱ

But it isn’t just employees who are suffering. Top executives in the city have experienced bouts of poor mental health due to pressure over Hong Kong’s struggling economy. According to a 2022 survey conducted by Bupa Global, 96% of Hong-Kong’s CEOs revealed they had symptoms of poor mental health in the last year.ⁱⁱ

Both of these studies offer compelling evidence that mental health is now one of the most important issues facing businesses in Hong Kong. If the situation continues – and mental health problems among employees and leaders alike are not addressed – the consequences for productivity and, ultimately, profitability, could be serious.

Maintaining good employee mental health should be central to all businesses. But for SMEs, ensuring that their employees are happy and motivated is arguably even more critical. SMEs are often run with lean teams and on tight budgets. If key employees go on long-term sick leave, or worse, quit due to stress, the impact on the business is often immediately felt and serves only to increase levels of anxiety. 

Thankfully, there is a better way available to SMEs in Hong Kong. At MSIG, we care about both the physical and mental wellbeing of employees. That’s why we are working with Intellect, Asia’s largest mental health care company, to offer mental health care services to our customers.

Intellect has developed a mental wellbeing app, which provides an easy and effective mental health journey experience for staff. By integrating technology and human touch, businesses that have signed up can access a range of features on just one platform. These include:

• Self-care and skill-building programmes
• Certified behavioural health coaches and counsellors
• 24/7 support
• Access to providers in 10 languages, including English, Cantonese and Mandarin

With Intellect’s app, employees are equipped with on-demand support for all their mental health needs, giving peace of mind to business owners and an extra layer of support for human resources professionals within those organisations.

What’s more, from now until 30 June 2023, any company in Hong Kong that successfully applies for our SME Group Medical Insurance plan can enjoy free access to Intellect’s app. So give your employees the best support you can and apply today.

Find out more about our SME Group Medical Insurance plan here or feel free to contact us.

Read more: Why offering health insurance is a route to success for SMEs

Learn more about EASY Claims and file your claims online anytime, anywhere.

EASY Claims – A simpler and faster way to claim!

ⁱ https://thehkhub.com/hong-kong-has-the-most-stressed-employees-in-east-asia/#:~:text=Hong%20Kong%20employees%20reported%20feeling,37%25%20and%2021%25%20respectively
ⁱⁱ https://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/section/2/247606/Economic-pressures-take-mental-toll-on-business-leaders