Deliveroo plc

10/25/2021 | Press release | Archived content

Deliveroo Singapore prioritise riders’ mental wellbeing in partnership with Silver Ribbon (Singapore)

  • Close to 50 Deliveroo riders attended the Rider Stress Management workshops
  • Deliveroo riders were taught the importance of mental health, how to identify stress and burnout, and valuable tips on managing challenging situations

Mental health has seen a decline since the start of COVID-19, with more people experiencing depression or anxiety symptoms. Honouring its commitment to providing a positive and healthy working environment for its riders, Deliveroo Singapore has partnered with mental health advocacy organisation Silver Ribbon (Singapore) to organise a series of mental wellness workshops aimed at helping Deliveroo riders to stay mentally resilient during the pandemic.

Conducted on 21 and 22 October, the Rider Stress Management workshops covered various topics, including teaching riders about the importance of mental health, identifying stress and burnout, valuable tips and skills on managing stress and challenging situations, as well as avenues for seeking help. Attendees were also encouraged to pose questions on their personal experiences and sought advice on managing future difficulties in their delivery role or personal lives. The talks were well received with close to 50 Deliveroo riders attending the workshops.

The mental wellness programme is an enhancement to Deliveroo's ongoing support initiatives for its over 9,000-strong rider fleet. According to a recent rider survey, besides earnings (77%), the flexibility to decide when (74%), where (64%) and how long one works for (47%) are the most attractive factors in choosing to become a delivery rider. With the flexibility to carve out their work schedules around their personal lives, Deliveroo riders are better able to manage their overall wellbeing, including mental health. Additionally, close to 30% of Deliveroo riders shared that they ride with Deliveroo to take advantage of upskilling opportunities, insurance, and perks and benefits that the firm provides, which includes the mental wellness workshops.

On his experience attending the mental wellness workshop, Deliveroo rider, Jian Wei, said, "While riding with Deliveroo provides a supplementary income to my main job and eases my worries about financial means, I have been experiencing more stress than usual due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. I am glad that Deliveroo shows their care and understanding for riders such as myself by organising such workshops for us, and I will put the useful skills learnt from the workshop to good use."

Porsche Poh, Executive Director, Silver Ribbon (Singapore), said, "We are very heartened to partner Deliveroo in organising this series of mental wellness workshops for their riders as their mental wellbeing matters too. It is helpful for them to recognise warning signs, manage their stress and know where to seek help and cope with their struggles. We hope that more firms will come forward to initiate similar initiatives in order to build a mentally friendly and healthy community."

"According to our recent rider survey, 90% of our riders are 'satisfied' and 'very satisfied' riding with Deliveroo. This response is testament to the initiatives we have put in place to support them as they ride with us. Riders are at the heart of all that we do and we are deeply committed to enhancing our support and have partnered with Silver Ribbon to look after their mental wellbeing this month, in honour of World Mental Health Day," said Sarah Tan, General Manager, Deliveroo Singapore. "In these challenging times, we understand the importance of mental health and are delighted that many of our riders found the workshops useful. We are encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive reception and will explore opportunities to turn it into a long-term initiative for our riders."

Deliveroo places high importance on the overall well-being of their riders. Earlier this month, Deliveroo launched a Power-Assisted Bicycle (PAB) Upgrading Subsidy Scheme to support riders to switch to electric bikes to reduce average order duration and increase riders' earnings. It also launched a month-long Rider Safety Month campaign, which sought to raise awareness of rider safety on roads. Earlier this year, Deliveroo also boosted efforts to upskill and train its riders through an expanded learning initiative that includes partnerships with education and training platforms such as Adept Academy and OpenClassrooms, supporting its riders in their journey for lifelong learning.

The rider survey was conducted by Deliveroo in September 2021 with 1,377 respondents