Growing up in Singapore, I was frequently told during my childhood and teenage years that for our small island, with no reserves of oil or gas, our greatest natural resource was our people. Thus, Singapore’s workforce is the means by which our country competes. I did not appreciate it at the time but this would prove to be a kernel of truth that would stay with me throughout my professional career.

We live in a busy era with multiple pressures and conflicting demands. The business world is getting ever more competitive and complex. New and old technologies mean that we are constantly contactable, rarely switching off. And society presents us with an image of professional and family life that very few people seem able to achieve.

These are just a few examples of the pressures of modern life. Taken together, they can place a significant toll on the mental well-being of those who are at the heart of our business – our people.

Globally, employee wellness, and in particular mental health, has come to the fore in recent decades. It has long been recognized that healthy, happy workplaces are more productive but it is only relatively recently that companies have truly begun to invest in the mental well-being of their teams.

There is still some way to go. In many developed countries, 35 to 45% of absence from work is because of mental health problems, many of which are undiagnosed or the person is yet to seek treatment. A study in Singapore showed the mental well-being scores of workers to be 13% lower than those of the general population, while in Hong Kong 82% of the workforce have suffered stress and 28% have experienced depression.

These challenges were brought into focus earlier this month on World Mental Health Day, which focused this year on mental health in the workplace.

I’m proud that at Johnson and Johnson we take such issues seriously and we are tackling them head-on. Indeed, Our Credo clearly sets out our responsibility to respect the dignity and merit of all who work at our company.

Our people matter and that’s why we are committed to supporting better mental health in the workplace.

All Johnson and Johnson employees have free access to our Employee Assistance Program, which offers support and guidance at any time of the day or night. Colleagues facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, grief or stress can speak to a professional counsellor and be guided towards the help they need to protect and restore their mental well-being.

Our commitment to employee wellbeing includes offering colleagues the opportunity to become Corporate Athletes™ through training from the Johnson and Johnson Human Performance Institute (HPI). The HPI supports colleagues to develop personalized strategies for stress reduction, emotional well-bring and physical fitness to enable them to engage more energetically at work and at home.

I am also proud that colleagues across Johnson and Johnson have begun committing to elevating the importance of mental wellbeing by becoming Mental Health Diplomats. Through this program, they receive practical training on how to support colleagues facing mental health challenges and work to create a culture of inclusion that helps remove barriers and stigma for colleagues with mental health issues.

Our company has a rich heritage in innovation for patients with mental health issues. This, coupled with our investments in the mental well-being of our people and the desire from colleagues at all levels of the organization to be advocates for better mental health, make me immensely proud - and confident that we are well-prepared for the demands of 21^st century business.

In my role, I see the hopes and ambitions of our people every day, as well as the challenges they sometimes face. By helping to build resilience, address stigma and offer support when it is needed, we are fulfilling our Credo commitments to our employees. This enables them to continue their important work to innovate and deliver for patients.

What I learned as a child is as applicable today as it was then – people truly are our greatest natural resource. We need to nourish this resource and support our people to cope with changing times. It is true in Singapore and it is true across Johnson and Johnson.