DBS Launches New iHealth Portal to Help Employees Embark on Healthier Lifestyles

Singapore, 26 Nov 2015 - DBS Bank has launched a new integrated health management portal, iHealth@DBS, to further promote a culture of wellness among its employees. This new one-stop platform aims to drive long-term behavioural change among staff via interactive engagement on digital platforms including mobile and wearables.

To launch iHealth@DBS, employees were invited to participate in a mass workout at DBS Asia Hub.

iHealth@DBS is the latest addition to a holistic suite of wellness benefits available to DBS employees. Such perks include a robust portable medical insurance scheme and flexible health benefits that empower staff to actively manage their health and well-being.

According to the National Health Survey conducted in 2010, around 40% of Singaporeans are overweight, as indicated by their Body Mass Indexes (BMI). In addition, almost one in two Singaporeans suffer from borderline high or high cholesterol. On the back of this trend, DBS wants to further encourage staff to take charge of their health and lead a lifestyle that keeps illness at bay.

Furthermore, according to The Tower Watson Staying@Work 2013/2014 Asia Pacific report, corporations that have well executed health and wellness programmes show lower absenteeism rates and 39% improvement in overall employee performance at work. Through an internal study, DBS found that having healthier employees has resulted in greater productivity and cost savings, which in turn increases the bank’s ability to invest in employee health and present staff with better and more flexible health benefits.

Fitness instructors were invited to conduct five minute “desk-ercises” for employees so as to encourage them to lead active lifestyles. 

Cheong Meng Foong, Group Head of Rewards at DBS, said, “DBS takes a long-term view to employee health as we aspire to be the employer of choice. Over the last three years, we’ve adopted a holistic approach to keeping our staff healthy. In addition to providing health benefits, it is also important to drive behavioural change by making it easy for employees to integrate healthy living practices into their everyday lives. iHealth@DBS is designed to empower employees to focus on health initiatives that are most applicable to their lifestyles.”

All 21,000 employees across the bank’s six key markets now have individual iHealth accounts, which provide customised information that address their nutritional, social, physical and financial health needs. iHealth@DBS also makes use of data analytics to help staff formulate plans to reach specific fitness goals. Used together with fitness trackers, this helps employees monitor their nutrition, sleeping patterns and physical activity.

To kickstart this lifestyle change, the bank has launched its inaugural “iStep Challenge” – where employees are encouraged to form teams and compete to see who can clock the most number of steps in ten weeks.  Close to 30% of DBS staff have signed up for this challenge. With the push to make healthy living fun, the bank is riding on the increasing popularity of wearables, and has provided FitBugs to participating employees to make it simpler for them to track their progress as they embark on a healthier lifestyle.

iHealth@DBS is, however, just one of the many initiatives the bank has undertaken to promote a culture of healthy living amongst staff.  Since 2011, the bank has provided free annual health screenings for all employees, which helps in the early detection of diseases. These also allow DBS to identify health trends and come up with measures to proactively help employees safeguard against potential health issues. With the push for companies to adopt portable medical intensifying, DBS is leading in this field and is one of the first to pioneer the “Shied Companion Plan” – a game-changing medical plan that complements its employees’ portable enhanced MediShield Plan, reducing duplication of medical coverage.  Under this scheme, the bank also pays a certain amount into their MediSave accounts to subsidise their portable medical plans premium.

In addition, employees also have an “iFlex” account – a flexible spending account provided by the bank every year which can be used for benefits customised to each employee’s personal preferences. Staff can use their iFlex dollars on a variety of items relating to health and wellness, and work-life balance for themselves and their family. These can include dependent medical, vision care, health screening, dental expenses and even travel expenses.

For more details on iHealth and DBS health benefits, please refer to the Annex attached.

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About DBS
DBS - Living, Breathing Asia
DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia, with over 280 branches across 18 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS has a growing presence in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's capital position, as well as "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings, is among the highest in Asia-Pacific. DBS has been recognised for its leadership in the region, having been named “Asia’s Best Bank” by The Banker, a member of the Financial Times group, and “Best Bank in Asia-Pacific” by Global Finance. The bank has also been named “Safest Bank in Asia” by Global Finance for seven consecutive years from 2009 to 2015.

DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking activities across Asia. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region’s most dynamic markets. These market insights and regional connectivity have helped to drive the bank’s growth as it sets out to be the Asian bank of choice. DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, and positively impacting communities through supporting social enterprises, as it banks the Asian way. It has also established a SGD 50 million foundation to strengthen its corporate social responsibility efforts in Singapore and across Asia.

With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. The bank acknowledges the passion, commitment and can-do spirit in all of our 21,000 staff, representing over 40 nationalities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.