Dr Melvin Seng is the Country Lead Physician in GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), overseeing employee health and well-being across commercial offices and manufacturing sites in the private sector. He obtained his Master of Public Health from the School in 2016.
Tell us a bit about your work.
I am practicing Occupational Medicine in GSK, looking after the health of our employees in Singapore. My role and responsibilities did not change significantly because of the pandemic. However, I had to adapt to the new ways of working, especially when our employees adopted the new norm of working from home and split team arrangements.
With that said, GSK does have essential workers who have been working throughout the pandemic, even during the ‘circuit breaker’ period in Singapore. Their work is critical for global supply chains and healthcare services. My team helps to ensure that safe management measures are well-implemented and adhered to, so that our workers are protected from the health risks of COVID-19 transmission, and to ensure business continuity.
How do you promote well-being among employees who are working from home?
It is important to address the occupational health risks faced by our employees in this new norm of flexible working with working from home. These include unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles, which affect their risk of chronic diseases. We also want to ensure that employees are well supported for their mental health and well-being.
During this pandemic, we engage with our employees through traditional online channels such as email and other internal communication platforms. In addition, we organise virtual events centred on healthy living. These include health talks, regular exercise and yoga sessions to promote physical activity, and mindfulness sessions to improve mental well-being.
We also sought to improve the workstation ergonomics of our employees working from home. After performing ergonomic assessments, we provide recommendations to improve their workstations and make them more conducive for working at home. We also support employees through suitable equipment and furniture, as well as educate them on workstation design and postures to prevent sprains and strains.
What is the most memorable event in your work this past year?
We are honoured to be awarded the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Innovation Award by Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC) for our innovative health programme to improve health of our employees in the workplace.
This programme is named ‘Healthy Life Singapore’, and makes use of technology to integrate GSK’s health resources. It includes access to health programmes, health challenges, data tracking (e.g., biometrics, steps, sleep and calories) and building healthy habits. It also provides remote health offerings for employees working from home and beyond work too. This is important especially during the current context of the pandemic. Easily accessible by all employees, the platform engages employees in an innovative way to cultivate health-seeking behaviours.
Looking back on the past year, what is one important lesson that you’ll bring into 2021?
Our health and well-being are important, and we should also look out for each other. We are challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic this year and have faced many unknowns. We need to remain resilient in the face of these adversities.
Tell us something surprising about yourself.
I was an avid sportsman in shooting during my younger days. I was fortunate to win some awards when representing NUS and Singapore at local and international competitions. Having hobbies is important for our well-being, and I have taken up new activities during this period such as jogging regularly to keep myself fit and healthy. This has helped me to concentrate better in my daily activities and be more productive at work.