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"Culturally, people here are more used to talking with friends or colleagues. That’s why creating a positive work environment should not be overlooked — it plays a huge role in mental health," the HR Director at Schneider Electric shares.
Mental health in Indonesia remains taboo. Many employees stay silent, fearing judgment in cultures that prize endurance and conformity. The norm of menyimpan dalam hati — keeping things inside — makes it harder to seek help, and easier for struggles to go unnoticed.
But the cost of silence is real: absenteeism, presenteeism, and turnover quietly drain teams and morale. At Schneider Electric, mental health is a core wellbeing pillar, alongside physical, financial, family, career, and sustainability. In Indonesia, this includes funding seven employee-led sports clubs — a simple but powerful boost to both body and mind.
In this edition of Well Within, HRO’s Sarah Gideon sits down with Sondang Saktion , HR Director for Indonesia & Timor Leste at Schneider Electric, to unpack how the company’s inclusive and caring culture is helping break the silence around mental health — and why a proactive approach is essential in today’s high-pressure world.
Sondang shares that Schneider Electric’s vision to become the most inclusive and caring company in the world underpins its employee wellbeing strategy. Mental health is a key focus, alongside physical health, financial literacy, family, career, and sustainability — all part of the company’s wellbeing pillar.
In practice, this translates into initiatives like seven employee-run sports clubs, promoting both physical and mental wellness. When asked about the business impact of these efforts, Sondang says all wellbeing initiatives must relate to the employee.
“It should be very much tailored to the local culture, local context,” she states.
She explains that Indonesian employees value social connection. “They like to have events in the office,” she says.
The team regularly organises learning sessions, with speakers from inside or outside the company.
“Knowing this, we have to tailor our wellbeing strategy and initiatives around this,” she continues, guided by the global wellbeing pillars.
This, she describes, is "a proactive action and thinking,” where each pillar is led by someone “committed as a part of the employees as well.”
Reflecting on the results, Sondang notes that while the company was hit hard during COVID, it bounced back strongly in 2022.
“If I can connect the proactive management to the wellbeing and the mental health of employees, of course it will then contribute to the performance."
She also observes that untreated mental health issues, though often hidden, can quietly undermine productivity and wellbeing. “Untreated mental health issues can be tricky, especially when people don't openly share what they're going through,” she says.
She recalls a rare case of a new employee who became overwhelmed. “She couldn't sleep, had very high stress, and after about six months, she left the company. We tried to help her, but the problem was partly rooted from outside the company, yet it affected us. It was also very personal — how the employee chose to deal with the situation mattered.”
“Sometimes people get stuck in a spiral — confusion, overwhelming feelings, and if they can't step back and see the bigger picture, it gets worse,” she explains.
To tackle this, she says: “We’re exploring an employee assistance programme (EAP), but for me, the real focus should be on taking action.”
She emphasises prevention as a need. “I don’t want to wait until someone is already depressed. Fortunately, cases like this are very rare in Indonesia. I think, as an Asian country, we have strong family support systems. And culturally, people here are more used to talking with friends or colleagues. That’s why creating a positive work environment should not be overlooked — it plays a huge role in mental health.”
"A healthy, positive environment that’s still performance-based should be the top priority," she adds. "When people have empathy and support one another, the foundation for wellbeing is already there."
Sharing how HR can make the business case for mental health initiatives to leadership, Sondang highlights that HR plays a crucial role in championing mental health and wellbeing — especially by raising it with the board, CEO, and leadership team. She notes senior leaders may underestimate the issue, “assuming it can simply be managed.”
Yet it’s not always straightforward. “Leaders may be unaware of the personal challenges employees face outside of work, even when the workplace environment is positive.”
To that effect, she notes, at Schneider Electric, where high performance and fast-paced demands are the norm, HR must remind leadership of the mission — “to be the most inclusive and caring company.” People, she says, should be recognised as human beings with diverse backgrounds and unique upbringings, which shape their profiles and contributions.
This is where she believes HR is well positioned to bring these human factors to the board’s attention even if some in business prefer to downplay the ‘soft side.’
Ultimately, she says, “the business is driven by people,” especially in a trust-based company like Schneider, “where long-term customer relationships are dependent on people’s engagement and performance.”
She affirms: “It links to improving employee engagement, which is essential for maintaining focus and commitment to the company’s goals.” At Schneider Electric, she adds, leaders pay close attention to people engagement,” underscoring the importance of HR’s role in supporting mental health.
Sondang explains that while Schneider Electric Indonesia doesn’t track specific metrics for mental health programs, the company relies on engagement scores to gauge overall employee wellbeing and feeling of inclusion. Reflecting on how outcomes are measured, she notes, “At the end, I look at my engagement score; whether people feel that their wellbeing is taken care of.”
“We measure several things. But I think that part is about commitment — they see themselves in the future and they also feel they are growing personally and professionally.” According to her, the two key indicators are learning and whether employees see a future with the organisation.
Stressing her organisation’s broader purpose, she shares: “I believe in and see in the day-to-day the sustainability vision, because sustainability is our core purpose,” adding that at Schneider Electric, sustainability is a comprehensive concept:
“It’s not just about being green, but also about wellbeing, diversity, and inclusion, how you elevate your community, and leverage cross-generation collaboration."
Sondang notes: “There are two questions that I always look at,” referring to employee perceptions around learning and their belief in the company’s sustainability mission.
Ending the interview with a personal viewpoint, the leader takes the time to share with us how she prioritises her mental health during challenging times: To her, it’s a must to exercise four to five times a week.
“This is my ‘joy of the day’, because work can be challenging with its ups and downs. Exercise reminds me that life is not just about work. I tend to focus deeply on my tasks, but these moments help me reconnect with other aspects of life.”
She adds that on weekends, she often works but changes her approach by working from a calm place, where she calmly reviews the past week and plans for the next. “This routine acts like a form of meditation for me. Being in a new environment helps me reflect and prioritise, which contributes significantly to my wellbeing.”
She also acknowledges the support of her husband in this practice, saying: “If I don’t have this time for myself, my weekend satisfaction decreases considerably.”
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Photo / Provided
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