- Despite 40% of staff feeling they lack work-life balance, salary increase remains as the main pull factor in attracting new talent.
- A new study by Intellect and Milieu Insight reveals that while mental health benefits influence job decisions, leadership, culture, and policies play a larger role in long-term employee satisfaction.
SINGAPORE, 27 MARCH 2025 – One in five job seekers across Southeast Asia consider mental health benefits non-negotiable when evaluating job opportunities. While external mental health benefits such as Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) and corporate wellness initiatives are important, internal interventions like supportive leadership, flexible work arrangements, and a healthy workplace culture are holding increasingly greater sway over job decisions.
These findings come from “How does workplace wellbeing support impact talent acquisition and retention?”, a six-market study conducted by Intellect and Milieu Insight, which surveyed 6,000 employees across Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Despite increased awareness, employees continue to struggle with wellbeing issues. Nearly half (49%) of respondents reported feeling exhausted, with the Philippines reporting the highest levels of exhaustion (60%). Mental distance, negativity, and cynicism about work were also prevalent, affecting 36% of employees in the past year. In spite of negative feelings reported towards work, interestingly, 72% of respondents rated their overall mental health as ‘good’ to ‘very good’. This gap could be explained by individual fears of reprisal or a lack of self-awareness, making it crucial for employers to look beyond surface-level assessments to fully address the underlying causes of stress and disengagement.
The Trade-offs of Overlooking Mental Health Benefits
Currently, there are more employees using mental health resources than there are employers offering them. Two-thirds of employees used some form of support tool to manage their mental health last year. This shows that there is a real demand for these resources to help employees with their mental health.
However, financial incentives remain a powerful factor, with 65% of employees stating they might still take a job without mental health benefits if the pay increase was substantial enough. On average, employees across the region would require at least a 29% median pay increase to make the switch, with Thailand ranking the highest at 50%.
“Employers in Southeast Asia are starting to make mental health benefits accessible, but an Employee Assistance Programme is not the be-all and end-all,” said Theodoric Chew, Co-Founder and CEO of Intellect. “These benefits need to be reinforced by strong leadership, supportive policies, and a culture that prioritises wellbeing. Ultimately, a company’s wellbeing strategy is only as strong as the culture and leadership behind it. When businesses foster truly supportive environments, they empower employees to thrive, stay engaged, and reach their full potential.”
Internal Support Matters More Than External Perks
Results from the study emphasise that while mental health benefits play an important role, employees value leadership, workplace culture, and direct team support even more. Employees feel most supported by their peers (45%), followed by their direct managers (20%). This finding should nudge HR teams to focus on workplace interventions that strengthen leadership capabilities and foster psychologically safe environments, rather than relying solely on external benefits.
Kelvin Li, CFO and Co-Founder of Milieu Insight, said, “Workplace culture, leadership, and flexibility now play a critical role in career decisions, and companies that fail to address these areas may struggle with retention and engagement, even if they offer competitive pay.”
The Future of Workplace Wellbeing
The findings of this study underline the need for businesses to bridge the gap between offering mental health benefits and fostering an environment where employees truly feel supported. Companies that prioritise internal changes—through leadership development, cultural shifts, and policy improvements—will be better positioned to attract and retain top talent in an evolving job market.
For more details on the report and to access the full findings, please visit this link.
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Research Methodology
Based on Milieu Insight surveys with N=6,000 employed respondents who work at least 35 hours
a week from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines (N=1000 each), conducted from 23rd December 2024 to 8th January 2025. The survey comprised 25 questions, which were translated into the local languages of each country where applicable.
About Intellect
The leading mental health company, Intellect’s mission is to redefine mental healthcare regionally and globally. From everyday support to clinical interventions, Intellect grounds its full continuum of care in research, ensuring everyone has easy access to preventive, responsive and personalised mental health care in the moments that matter.
As the most trusted mental healthcare provider in the region, Intellect serves some of the biggest enterprises and organisations in healthcare, government, and education. Online and offline, it has made a difference in the lives of over 3 million users.
Intellect is backed by influential investors including Tiger Global, Insignia Ventures Partners, Y Combinator, HOF Capital, MS&AD Ventures, and East Ventures, alongside prominent venture funds, family offices, big tech executives, and angel investors. In 2023, Intellect was also awarded Human Resources Online’s Best Digital Wellness Platform (Gold).
About Milieu Insight
Milieu Insight is an award-winning survey software and data analytics company in Southeast Asia, renowned for its expertise in providing businesses with valuable insights and market research data.
Operating in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, Milieu Insight’s industry-transforming solutions have received several prestigious awards, including Campaign Asia’s Market Research Agency of the Year (Gold) and Tech MVP 2022.
Its one-stop insights platform, Canvas, offers tools for analysing and visualising consumer opinion data across a multitude of lifestyle topics and sectors, empowering businesses to make better, more impactful decisions and strategies.
Media Contacts:
Sue Yu Leow
Intellect
sue@intellect.co
Rachel Lee
Milieu Insight
rachel.lee@mili.eu
