How Deliveroo Singapore is actively managing mental health of its 11,000-strong delivery partners' workforce

Organisations that come out successful are those that prioritise holistic employee care and wellbeing, GM Jason Parke affirms.

Starting from 30 September this year, Deliveroo Singapore rolled out a month-long series of wellness initiatives, in partnership with the Health Promotion Board (HPB), and including health screening sessions, health coaching and mental well-being talks. These are aimed at empowering its 11,000-strong fleet of riders in Singapore to take charge of their physical and mental health.

On the sidelines of this launch, HRO's Aditi Sharma Kalra catches up with Jason Parke, General Manager, Deliveroo Singapore (pictured above) on why it is important for companies to prioritise mental health and wellbeing in today’s workplace environment. Interview below:

Q How can companies take a holistic approach to promoting mental health in the workplace?

Employee mental health issues were a real challenge for many organisations during the pandemic. Organisations that came out successful were those that prioritised holistic employee care and wellbeing. At Deliveroo, our people are at the heart of all that we do, and we are deeply committed to providing a positive and healthy working environment that supports their wellbeing. Deliveroo recognises the importance of our people’s mental health and wellbeing in a few ways.

Globally within Deliveroo we have an employee-led wellbeing group focused on providing a support network that champions sustainable health and wellness initiatives.

These health and wellness initiatives include free one-to-one counselling sessions via our employee assistance programme (EAP) by professional counsellors. All employees receive free access to Headspace, a leading mindfulness app that allows employees to learn meditation and pick up mindfulness skills. Furthermore in Singapore we partner with ClassPass to provide employees access to a wealth of physical and mental wellness services at a discounted rate.

Deliveroo is also committed to encouraging good mental health amongst our 11,000 delivery partners as they are a fundamental pillar of our business. We recently rolled out a series of wellness initiatives to empower riders to take charge of their physical and mental health in partnership with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to mark this year’s World Mental Health Day. The campaign kicked off on 30 September and includes month-long wellness activities such as health screening sessions, health coaching and mental well-being talks.

Last year, we collaborated with mental health advocacy organisation Silver Ribbon (Singapore) to organise 'Rider Stress Management' workshops, a series of mental wellness workshops aimed at helping Deliveroo riders to stay mentally resilient during the pandemic.

Conducted across two days in October 2021, the workshops covered various topics, including teaching riders about the importance of mental health, identifying stress and burnout, valuable tips and skills on managing stress and challenging situations, as well as avenues for seeking help. The talks were well received, with approximately 50 Deliveroo riders attending the workshops.

Q Could you share examples of high-impact mental health interventions you've experienced, and how they have made significant changes?

According to our regular rider surveys*, 85% of our riders are 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' riding with Deliveroo. This response is a testament to the initiatives we have put in place to support their wellbeing.

The same survey shows that close to 30% of Deliveroo riders shared that one of the key reasons they choose to ride with Deliveroo is to take advantage of upskilling opportunities, insurance, and perks and benefits that the firm provides, which includes the mental wellness workshops. We are encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive reception and will continue to explore future opportunities.

* Average based on survey data collected monthly throughout 2022.

Q Finally, please share with us some tips for leaders and riders to protect their mental health and wellbeing at work.

It is important for companies to invest in initiatives to support the wellbeing of their teams. We are proud to offer our employees necessary mental health support via our EAP and Headspace.

For our delivery partners, through our partnership with organisations like Silver Ribbon (Singapore) and Health Promotion Board (HPB), we are able to create awareness among our riders to take care of their mental health. As our riders have complete autonomy in determining when, where and for how long they work, they are able to better tailor their work schedules around their personal lives, be it spending time with friends and family, attending courses or spending time on their hobbies, allowing more flexibility in the management of their overall wellbeing, including their mental health.

Lead image / Deliveroo's Jason Parke

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