I’m thrilled to announce that Cartus Singapore, one out of only four organizations, won the Achievement Award at the 2024 Singapore HEALTH Awards (SHA). This award, given by the Health Promotion Board, honors companies that have won two consecutive SHA cycles for their excellence in health promotion in the workplace and community.
During the award ceremony, I had the chance to sit down with HPB and share our company’s efforts to promote a healthier and balanced lifestyle for our employees and the positive outcomes of our people-focused approach. Here are some highlights from the interview:
Cartus colleagues are an active bunch who enjoy physical fitness activities like dragon boating, National Steps Corporate Challenges, jogging, and our regular Cartus Walk for a Cause. These various activities encourage the team to get active, bond as a team, and stay healthy—both mentally and physically.
Additionally, we have seen strong uptake of our Mental Health and Wellness Workshops. Multiple interactive sessions are held throughout the year on topics including leadership-focused training, stress management, men’s and women’s health, ergonomics, and more. These engagements raise awareness for our employees to improve their health and foster lasting, positive lifestyle behaviors, which then promote overall well-being.
Our Workplace Health Program Committee is drawn from across the employee base and uses a combination of strategies:
Yes, increasingly, the topic of mental health is at the forefront for many employers, and Cartus saw the importance of investing time and energy in our employees’ mental well-being – let me give an example that I sponsored:
Cartus introduced a “Brave Space APAC” program in June 2023. It is a bi-monthly virtual drop-in session where Cartus APAC employees can discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion topics, share practical applications in the workplace, and have day-to-day interactions with co-workers or clients. Through this program, the shared experiences help us all to cultivate healthy work habits and mindsets, and this has definitely brought us closer together, making our workplace a more positive and supportive environment. The increased awareness and understanding of intercultural skills contribute hugely to harmonious work practices.
I am inspired to continue my regular physical exercise, which is running and martial arts training. I teach Japanese Jujitsu and study Brazilian Jujitsu which maintain endurance, strength, agility, and cardiovascular performance. They also give me another outlet for learning and sharing new skills. It’s also meditative, as you must focus entirely during training and sparring.
My family and I have also adopted new healthier eating habits, including paying more attention to food labelling and portion sizes. We also like to cycle at the park connectors.
We can see a straightforward correlation between physical health, mental health, and mood, not to mention performance at work and school.
We are a global relocation company operating across time zones. By nature, our customers and corporate clients are very diverse and dispersed and require high support; that means we must be very deliberate about healthy behaviors. Our staff are diligent and may often feel working long and late hours is the right thing, so having leadership modeling and encouraging good work/life balance practices is very important. Taking time to eat with family, exercising, using vacation time throughout the year, and being specifically aware of the importance of wellness are crucial. Importantly, Cartus has a hybrid working policy to encourage employees to balance their priorities both at home and work. Ultimately, being successful, personally and professionally, really depends on balance – it is that important.
In essence, Cartus’ commitment to mental and physical well-being through its thoughtful initiatives and programs helps foster an environment where employees are empowered to prioritize their health. This not only enhances individual well-being, but also cultivates a more productive and harmonious workplace. The emphasis on balance, supported by leadership and company policies, demonstrates that a healthy workforce is key to personal and professional success.
We celebrate this award by continuing to seek sustainable ways to enhance our workplace culture and prioritize our employees while navigating global and demanding work challenges.
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