There is significant consistency across Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore, that mental issues and stress are amongst the top concerns of companies, according to a pulse survey by Towers Watson, a global professional services company.

Mental issues and stress emerged as one of the top concerns in Shanghai and Hong Kong ahead of infectious diseases for Hong Kong and lack of physical activity for Shanghai. In Singapore, it is ranked second after chronic conditions, e.g. diabetes, asthma, hypertension.

The Towers Watson survey found that employers in these three markets ranked “demonstrate interest in employee well-being, employee resiliency/stress management” as their topmost concern – a reflection of the paternalistic approach of Asian employers towards the offering of employee benefits. This was followed by retaining key talent and competitive reward packages.

"Companies understand the importance of having a comprehensive health and wellness strategy, but there are also significant challenges ahead," says Andrew Heard, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific Benefits at Towers Watson.

To begin their wellness journey, companies should determine the key fundamentals of where they are, the support they need and then go about designing and putting in place an integrated health and wellness strategy that works for their organisation, adds Heard.

Dr Rajeshree Parekh, Director of Corporate Health and Wellness for Asia-Pacific at Towers Watson comments that health and wellness programmes are a good differentiator for employers in attracting and retaining top talent in Asia-Pacific.

"The majority of companies surveyed have strong backing from senior leadership in terms of support for a healthy work environment and have allocated budget for initiatives.  What is lacking, however, is they have not been actively involved in implementing integrated plans.