Burnout is something many people in the industry have experienced over the past year or so. In observance of World Mental Health Day 2022, Telum asked leaders in SEA how companies help prevent burnout in team members, and how they support those who have experienced it.

Diana Mudadalam, Head, CABM Indonesia & ASEAN Markets (Australia, Brunei, the Philippines), Standard Chartered
Standard Chartered focuses on creating a work environment that promotes positive well-being and healthy lifestyle choices. We acknowledge that work-life balance has a positive impact on our colleagues’ mental health, enabling them to bring their best selves to work on a regular basis. 

The bank also provides free tools for our employees who may need help, including:

• A free-of-charge confidential communication / counselling service by our global independent Employee Assistance Program partner to help colleagues manage personal setbacks or conflicts which can affect their daily life.
• An opportunity for our colleagues to access a network of training and resources as Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) which will provide them with various techniques and tools to help their peers face challenges.
• Unmind, a digital, workplace mental health platform to help those who want to independently seek information about wellness and well-being.
• LVL Wellbeing, an application that provides virtual on-demand and live content for body workouts, mind and wellness sessions.
• We also understand that financial well-being, the feeling of security and being in control of our finances, both now and in the future, is a big proportion of our mental issues. In line with our Fair Pay Charter, the bank provides a variety of resources to support our colleagues in raising awareness and understanding the role that money plays in our lives and helping to establish a healthier relationship with it.

Our well-being approach will help our colleagues to develop the skills needed for the future, building resilience, agility, and inclusive leadership in the organisation to support us in realising our strategic ambitions.

Onanong Pratakphiriya, Corporate Affairs & Engagement Director, L’Oréal Thailand and MYLACA
At L’Oréal, we have a common purpose of creating the beauty that moves the world. To achieve that purpose, we need to start within our own team. We act to drive social innovation by offering the best working conditions, training, and social protection for our team and care for both their physical and mental well-being.

At present, mental health has become important, especially burnout, which can happen to everyone. That’s why the mental well-being of our team has become one of the things that we have a closer look at L’Oréal. For me, I believe in the feedback culture, that helps us understand the goods or barriers in a working environment from the teams’ perspectives. We have also encouraged everyone to provide their feedback anytime and not just at the annual survey. It is crucial that we collect all their thoughts and concerns, or any work-related problems, then develop an action plan to tackle the issues to make our company a happy workplace.

And, of course, everybody deserves to have a break. To accommodate different lifestyles and needs, we provide 15 days ‘flex leave’ on top of regular annual leave that can be applied for any desired purposes such as wellness, meditation, religious or family care. Moreover, we provide more flexibility to our team with a hybrid work policy where they can have two work-from-home days per week. With these social innovations in action, I strongly believe that our team will be able to move beauty tech forward with a healthy mind.

Sufintri Rahayu, Director, Corporate Affairs, Nestlé Indonesia
Nestlé aims to be a force for good in society, therefore we are also committed to enhancing the safety, health and well-being of our employees. Globally, we approach our people by providing them with the management of workplace health risks, promoting health programmes, supporting them during and after illnesses, and fostering a work environment where employees have caring leaders. 

Aligning with our global commitment, Nestlé Indonesia provides employees with facilities for health and well-being. For example, employees can use the quiet room to take a quick break or the wellness room to do some exercise. In addition, there are several programmes to support employees’ physical and mental well-being. 

Stress is inevitable in the workplace and in life, but it doesn’t have to be pervasive. Organisations can and should play a more active role in preventing burnout.

As a leader, I also believe that burnout is something prone to happen to employees in any industry. I think we need to be really sensitive to understand that each team has a different level of stress / burnout. In tough times, I’d advise those with burnout to first prioritise self-care, then know how to seek support, and take time off to replenish their physical and emotional energy. 

Do remember that when you are asking for help, it does not mean you're weak. It means you're brave enough to fight for your mind and body.