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From 5 July 2023, employers can do so by first ensuring their company panel consists of a high proportion of Healthier SG clinics.
Singapore will be implementing the national Healthier SG strategy to support all Singaporeans to take better care of their health. The strategy will focus on preventive care and better management of existing chronic conditions, which the Ministry of Health (MOH) deems crucial in Singapore's ageing society, as it inevitably leads to deteriorating health.
In the coming months from 5 July 2023, eligible Singaporeans will be progressively invited to enrol in Healthier SG. Enrolment eligibility is determined by age and will be rolled out to all age groups in stages, starting with those aged 60 and above. Eligible residents will receive an SMS from MOH to enrol via the HealthHub application, where they will choose their preferred clinic and schedule their first free health consultation.
"We recommend that employees participate in Healthier SG when they become eligible and are invited, so that they can continue to receive holistic care from a family doctor who is familiar with their needs even after they switch jobs or retire," MOH stated.
To participate, eligible employees can enrol with a Healthier SG clinic of their choice. Thereafter, their family doctor will guide them in developing a personalised health plan.
The Ministry added that employees who are not yet eligible for enrolment are similarly encouraged to have a regular primary care doctor, go for nationally recommended screenings and vaccinations, and lead healthy lifestyles. They can also use the Healthy 365 application to sign up for healthy lifestyle activities.
Recommendations for employers
From an employer's perspective, MOH highlighted that employers should support Healthier SG as part of their goal to foster a healthier, engaged, and more productive workforce. Employers can encourage eligible employees to participate in the programme by ensuring that their company panel consists of a high proportion of Healthier SG clinics. This can be done by encouraging the company's panel clinics to join Healthier SG’s network of clinics, either by working with the clinics directly or through third-party administrators that manage such panels.
Beyond that, employers can consider further supporting all employees to lead a healthier lifestyle and fulfill their health goals by, for example:
- Regularly encouraging employees to adopt a healthy lifestyle;
- Cutting down on the usage of salt and sugar in staff canteens;
- Giving time off to employees for their annual check-ins and/or preventive care appointments (e.g. vaccinations and health screenings) with their regular doctor, and
- Providing relevant health programmes, such as:
- Nationally-recommended screenings and vaccinations;
- Physical activity programmes to support employees in staying active, and
- Wellness programmes focusing on healthy eating and mental wellbeing.
Employers can choose to develop their own programmes, or tap on existing programmes, MOH added.
At the moment, the Ministry shared, the Public Service has in place regular screening and vaccination programmes to help public officers monitor and protect their health, along with activities and resources to enhance the physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing of officers. Building on these efforts, the Public Service will take the lead to encourage officers to be part of Healthier SG by offering all eligible officers half-day time off for their first consultation with their Healthier SG doctor, the Ministry elaborated.
As the eligible population grows, the Public Service will also explore additional funding to support wellbeing activities for agencies that can motivate more officers to be part of Healthier SG.
In a Facebook post, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung said that MOH and the Tripartite Partners – Ministry of Manpower (MOM), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) – have called for both employers and employees to support the Healthier SG movement.
He shared: "Given their key role in enabling healthy lifestyles in the workplace, employers should do their part to encourage eligible employees to enrol."
Resources for employers and employees
From 5 July 2023, resources and further information will be made available for employers and employees to promote Healthier SG in the workplace, and how residents can take part.
MOH, MOM, NTUC, and SNEF will also work with stakeholders to develop a new Tripartite Standard on Health Promoting Workplace Practices. The new Tripartite Standard would guide employers in implementing practices to promote good health and wellness among employees. More details will be announced by the end of the year.
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