Latest news with #employeeassistance
RNZ News
06-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Workplace mental health support- do employers understand obligations?
Generic, stressed worker. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King Xero has confirmed it is dropping the employee assistance programme it offered free to businesses that use its software. Those customers could use it to provide mental health support to their own staff, as an employee assistance scheme - or EAP. When its offering winds up at the end of the month, Xero customers will still have the option to access professional wellbeing support for their employees, with the same international EAP provider, but they'll have to pay. Businesses have a level of responsibility for staff physical and mental health, under the 2015 Health and Safety at work Act. But do employers understand their obligations under the law? Kathryn speaks to Peter Siminovich, chief executive of Mind Compass, which is contracted by the Employers and Manufacturers Association to train its members on stress and wellness management in their businesses. She also speaks with Council of Trade Unions Legal Officer, Gayaal Iddamalgoda.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Introducing the TELUS Mental Health Index: Nearly half of employees in South Korea experiencing feelings of depression and anxiety, impacting workplace productivity
More than one in three workers in South Korea have no emergency savings; women's mental health lags and more than two in five feel isolated SEOUL, South Korea, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, TELUS Health, a globally-recognized leader in workplace wellbeing, introduced its TELUS Mental Health Index ("the Index") to South Korea. Released quarterly, the Index measures and tracks employee mental health, wellbeing and productivity trends, providing organizations and policymakers with actionable insights to help build more resilient workforces. This quarter's report reveals that nearly half of employees in South Korea are experiencing feelings of depression and anxiety. The findings also show concerning trends: more than one in three workers have no emergency savings, women's mental health scores trail behind the average, and more than two in five employees report feelings of isolation. In 2024, TELUS Health expanded its Asia-Pacific presence through EZNwellness, South Korea's leading employee assistance program provider. EZNwellness enables deep insights into the working landscape in South Korea and strengthens TELUS Health's ability to deliver comprehensive wellbeing services and mental health support that resonates for employees and drives positive impacts for organizations. "The Index allows for comparisons with other developed nations, providing a clearer perspective on the mental health landscape among South Korean employees. The mental health challenges faced by South Korean workers have been widely reported and by tracking these trends over time, we gain valuable insights into how it is evolving," said Minjae Kang, CEO of EZNwellness, a TELUS Health Company. "The insights provide crucial guidance for businesses and policymakers striving to create healthier workplaces, and we're already seeing the value of coming together with TELUS Health, boosting our capacity to deliver tailored wellbeing research and solutions." The report reveals a concerning picture of mental health challenges affecting both workplaces and families in South Korea. Nearly one in three parents of school-age and teenage children worry about their child's mental health, contributing to lower mental health scores for parents, six points below the national average. The impact extends beyond home life, with 44 per cent of workers reporting feelings of isolation. These factors create a cycle of stress that strains family dynamics and workplace wellbeing, highlighting the interconnected nature of mental health issues across different aspects of life. The TELUS Mental Health Index also found: Thirty-five per cent of workers lack emergency savings to cover basic needs. Forty-six per cent of workers say finances are a top source of personal stress. Thirty per cent of workers say their mental health is adversely impacting work productivity. Thirty-eight per cent of workers feel overwhelmed with responsibilities. Forty-seven per cent of the workforce reports feeling depressed and 43 per cent feel anxious. One in four workers say health and medical concerns are a source of personal stress. Forty-four per cent of workers report feeling isolated, impacting family dynamics. "The research insights into the mental health and wellbeing of the workforce are essential for employers in creating supportive environments and cultivating resilience among their teams with a unified, regionally specific solution," said Paula Allen, Global Leader, Research & Client Insights, TELUS Health. "Prioritizing employee mental health and wellbeing can enhance organizational engagement, improve productivity, strengthen company culture, and drive sustainable business success." In the second quarter of 2025, the mental health scores of workers in various regions were: South Korea: 56.1 Singapore: 62.9 Australia: 63.0 New Zealand: 60.6 Canada: 63.1 Europe: 62.4 United Kingdom: 64.7 United States: 69.9 The lowest mental health score was reported in the Central region (53.1), followed by Honam (55.6). Workers in Yeognam and Seoul have slightly higher scores at 56.2 and 56.4, respectively. The Index is based on a response scoring system that turns individual responses into point values. Higher point values are associated with better mental health and less mental health risk. Scores between 0 to 49 correspond with distress levels, scores between 50 to 79 correspond with strain levels and scores between 80 to 100 correspond with optimal levels of mental health. This Index includes additional findings related to key psycho-social risks in the workplace, and mental health scores related to industry and other demographics. Read the full South Korean TELUS Mental Health Index here. As the parent company of TELUS Health, TELUS is committed to supporting the wellbeing of its own team members and their families through a flexible, comprehensive strategy. This approach is powered by the same innovative TELUS Health solutions trusted by Fortune 500 companies and has demonstrated real-world impact, with TELUS achieving a more than 20 per cent reduction in mental health disability claims among its own team members. Note to Editors For further information on the TELUS Mental Health Index, or to find out more about the methodology, please visit: About the TELUS Mental Health Index The research report is conducted globally to examine the mental health of employed people in New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Europe. The data for the TELUS Health Mental Health Index was collected through an online survey between March 14 and March 27, 2025, with 1,000 respondents. All respondents reside in South Korea and were employed within the last six months. The data has been statistically weighted to ensure the regional and gender composition of the sample reflects this population. About EZNwellness EZNwellness, a TELUS Health Company, is the leading employee assistance program (EAP) provider in South Korea. Founded in 2015 and based in Seoul, South Korea, EZNwellness provides EAP, digital mental health and psychological experience-based exhibition space. EZNwellness enhances traditional face-to-face EAP services by integrating diverse content, professional consulting at the organizational level, and digital innovations for seamless connection. This approach enables EZNwellness to deliver more comprehensive and effective EAP solutions tailored to modern workplace needs. For more information please visit: About TELUS HealthTELUS Health is on a mission to become the most trusted wellbeing company in the world by enhancing the overall efficiency of healthcare and championing workplace wellbeing. By integrating advanced healthcare technology with comprehensive employee support services, TELUS Health provides a holistic approach to primary and preventive health and wellbeing enhancing more than 150 million lives across more than 200 countries and territories. Our innovative digital health platforms, including electronic medical records (EMRs) and virtual care solutions, empower healthcare professionals, employers and governments to deliver personalized care efficiently. Our employee wellbeing programs empower individuals by offering extensive support through Employee and Family Assistance Programs (EFAPs), mental health resources, financial counselling and workplace wellness initiatives. At TELUS Health, we are committed to revolutionizing healthcare to ensure people receive the support they need and employees thrive both personally and professionally. Together, let's make the future friendly. For more information please visit: Media Contact: The PR Group telushealth@ Logo - Logo - View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE TELUS Health; TELUS Communications Inc.
South China Morning Post
07-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
33-year-old King Parrot Group shuts 9 restaurants in Hong Kong
The 33-year-old King Parrot Group, a well-known name in Hong Kong's restaurant industry, shut nine eateries on Friday, owing more than 100 staff over HK$1 million (US$127,440), according to a union. The group, which ran more than 20 restaurants at its peak, informed staff of its decision to close the nine outlets with immediate effect and paid outstanding wages on the spot, according to Nerine Yip Lau-ching, general secretary of the Hotels, Food and Beverage Employees Association. 'The employer only settled their outstanding wages for May and June without mentioning their other entitlements, such as one month pay in lieu of notice, the severance payment and their holiday pay,' she said. 'Over 100 employees, with a service length ranging from months to 15 years, have been seeking help from us. We estimate that they are owed over HK$1 million in unpaid wages. We call on the affected workers to come to us for assistance.' Hong Kong has been hit with a wave of shop closures due to residents heading north to spend. Last month, 33-year-old congee restaurant chain Ocean Empire Food Shop shut down, owing more than 100 staff wages in excess of HK$15 million. The Labour Department said it was 'very concerned' about the move by King Parrot Group and called for affected employees to seek its assistance, adding they could go to the branch office of the Labour Relations Division for inquiry.
Entrepreneur
22-05-2025
- Health
- Entrepreneur
Drawing the Line Under Mental Health
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. According to The Health Foundation, mental illness is 'now the most common cause of work-limiting conditions amongst those aged 44 years and younger'. They also highlight that in 22/23, 875,000 employees suffered work-related stress, anxiety or depression, leaving the UK economy losing 17.1 million working days. With 85.5% of 35-49 year olds making up the largest population of our workplaces, this has to be a concern for any organisation looking to gain a competitive advantage and deliver the very best performance. But should entrepreneurs heading businesses and organisations be responsible for looking after the mental health of employees? How far do they go, before being seen as 'overstepping' work boundaries? Having trained mental health first aiders and having the materials to support employees, must be seen as beneficial. Yet despite many businesses implementing initiatives and services, we are not seeing any substantial improvements in mental health. Why? There's a risk that some employees are beginning to see the support being offered for mental health - as 'compensating' for the work environment being created. The long hours culture, required to be 'always on', and back-to-back meetings resulting in catching up on work in the evenings and weekends. The way in which many of us are now working, isn't working, and unless we fundamentally address this, little will change. The drive for improving profitability has meant that many workplaces are being operated with lean structures, presenting many single points of failure. Many organisations have managed to attract and retain highly committed, loyal and dedicated employees, and herein lies the challenge. These employees, due to their commitment and dedication, are working the longer hours, and doing more with less, to get their jobs done. Their dedication and commitment is masking the shortfalls in actual resources required be asked of them by business leaders. Whilst many people hated those age-old 'time-in-motion' audits, which you don't hear about anymore, has subsequently resulted in a lack of data. What's commonplace, is the science behind better understanding the resources needed to fulfil the job, has been replaced by an annual uplift in sales and an annual reduction in resources. There's no doubt that AI will help improve the world of work, but this doesn't absolve a company for not understanding the resources required for the work they are employing people to do, or, resolve the gap being filled through goodwill. The pursuit of measuring engagement, therefore, seems as strong as ever, yet the courage to remodel the way we work seems a long way off. The advances in AI are constantly being highlighted as the saviour that will change the way we work, but according to the ONS, the average weekly hours of full-time staff over the last 10 years has only dropped by 48 minutes. Many organisations may argue that there's only so much they can do to support employee mental health. But what isn't being reviewed well enough is whether our workplaces are adding to poor mental health. According to the WHO, ways to protect mental health include training managers and individuals to recognise symptoms and respond appropriately. But training doesn't address the root cause. This is not to say that our workplaces are causing mental health issues, but if the way in which our businesses are structured and operate is exacerbating mental illness, trained managers will do little to help. The cynicism from employees that mental health initiatives are implemented to keep companies productive and to keep generating profits, highlights another challenge. Despite them spending money on revamping their values, mission statements, and showing the world how much they care, the true test for employees is alignment… Are companies making decisions based on their values? Are leaders behaving in ways that demonstrate and align to what the organisation says is important? The true test of how much an organisation cares is when it aligns its actions and decision-making to its company values. With Gallup's latest report showing engagement levels dropping globally, and managers' scores dropping the most, one has to question the cultures we are creating. The same report shows that only a third of employees feel they are 'thriving in their lives overall'. This combined with the latest insights from the Edelman Trust Barometer, showing that '61% of respondents have a moderate or higher sense of grievance, believing that government and businesses make their lives harder and serve narrow interests', shows that trust in business to truly care and look out for employees could be significantly challenged. Can organisations draw a line under mental health and accept there is little they can do, and acknowledge their role is not to make up for government resources to help society? If companies had no negative impact on mental health, one might argue that this could be one perspective that many might agree with. However, until we face into the challenge of understanding the demands our workplaces are having on people, with the resources provided, and understanding the impact of our current ways of working, we cannot argue this point. Companies will need to fundamentally review their business models and factor out the goodwill, which is adding to the stress and anxiety of many employees at work, who through their commitment and dedication, are plugging the gap, resulting in increased levels of personal stress and anxiety.
CTV News
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
Burning at both ends
Taking Stock Amanda Lang discusses what employers can do to help employees with stress at work with Tara Perry, Lead Talent Acquisition Coordinator at Robert Half Inc. And in her Takeaway, Amanda looks at the urgent need for Canada to determine its strategy for the future of the automotive industry.
