Singapore’s Best Employers 2023: Lego Singapore prizes play and staff well-being

SINGAPORE - The Lego Group has a simple if direct mission statement when it comes to its staff: “Only the best is good enough.”

The Denmark-based toymaker group said it believes in giving its employees the freedom and support needed to maximise their time and talent, and to foster a culture that energises and motivates. 

This attitude to employee welfare has earned the Singapore operations of the Lego Group a place in the top 10 of

the Singapore’s Best Employers 2023 list.

Ms Amrita Singh, the group’s human resources director for the Asia-Pacific, said being a good employer is about more than rewards and benefits.

“Making sure that everything is in place for them to thrive not only makes good business sense, it’s the right thing to do. This is how we succeed. By being our best selves, together.”

She added that while its employee benefits compare very favourably with those of other firms, the company believes it must go above and beyond, noting that Lego sees well-being as embracing physical, mental, social and occupational health, while also recognising the importance of family time.

Lego offers 26 weeks of paid parental leave for the primary caregiver and eight weeks of paid leave for the secondary caregiver, and encourages parents to take their children to work to meet the team and to celebrate special occasions. 

The company has a hybrid working structure and, since the Covid-19 pandemic, has invested in initiatives, tools and resources such as employee assistance programmes, counselling services and apps focused on meditation and management to help build resilience and ensure mental well-being.

Ms Singh said: “We celebrate our differences and aim to create a strong sense of belonging and ability to collaborate across our global community. Caring for our colleagues is very important for their welfare – and to have fun, experiment and play together.”

The idea of “play” features heavily: The company designates one day a year as Play Day, when employees across the globe take a break from their normal job tasks to spend time and play together. 

As Ms Singh noted: “The aim of Play Day is to let colleagues experience the power of play first-hand, which will equip them to create more playful moments in their everyday life, at work, at home and in their local communities.”