Addressing Mental Health in the Construction Industry
NU Construction Ltd
A highly professional and focused building company that prides itself on delivering projects on time and within budget
According to the UK government, 1 in 6 adults in England are dealing with common mental health problems, like anxiety and depression, with over 3.5 million people accessing NHS support[i]. With Mental Health Awareness Week upon us, our Business Development Manager, Claire Drayton , highlights the need to discuss mental health issues in the construction industry and highlight what Nu Construction is doing to address them.
While construction work can be highly rewarding, it can also be very demanding, with long hours of physical effort, potential hazards and for some, lengthy periods working away from home. Additionally, workers can face financial problems, poor work-life balance and stress related to supply chain issues.
All of these factors can impact an employee’s mental wellbeing. Indeed, recent figures show that in 2022, suicides amongst skilled trades workers were 3.7 times the national average[ii]. At the same time, almost half of employees had taken time off work to manage stress.
When it comes to addressing mental health, one of the biggest challenges facing the industry is workforce culture. The stigma around mental health that remains in the construction business means many people requiring help are reluctant to discuss problems with colleagues or ask for support from employers. Without receiving this support, not only can workers’ mental health deteriorate, but it can lead to unwanted consequences for the employer, like accidents on site, poor attendance and low-quality work.
Tackling mental health
If the construction industry is to move forward, one of the first things it must do is change workforce culture. This begins with raising awareness about mental health issues at all levels across roles and responsibilities, including at senior management and supervisor levels. Doing this not only ensures that company leaders see mental well-being as important as physical safety but bringing discussion into the open also helps to remove the stigma, making it easier for everyone to ask for support.
In our efforts to change workforce culture and make it easier for employees to get help with any well-being issues, we have trained four members of the team, including myself, Harry Whitfield , Chris Mitchell and Gary Mallon , to become Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA). As such, the team acts as a confidential point of contact for anyone struggling with mental health. We listen without making judgments, help workers access support from within the company and signpost them to external support, such as from their GP or local mental health services.
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Importantly, the MHFA training also equips our team to be proactive. Everyone in the team understands the early signs of mental ill-health and knows how to begin what can be life-changing conversations. We are also able to assess whether employees might be at risk of suicide or self-harm and know when incidents require emergency services to be called.
As a responsible company that values the wellbeing of all our employees, Nu Construction’s ?Mental Health First Aiders, play a vital role in the business. Our presence shows employees that we take mental health seriously and that we encourage people to talk about it. This helps remove any sense of embarrassment and makes it easier for anyone who is struggling with their mental health, to get the timely support they may need.
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Author / Senior Lecturer-Western Sydney University / Fellow AIB / Senior Lecturer-IATC
10 个月I hope this adds to the conversation. There are ten dysfunctions (economic and social) due to the insensitivity of intense schedules (Stevens, Smolders, and Alashwal, 2023). Most pernicious is the effect on workers regardless of gender. They leave the industry after some time to work in a less chaotic and more family-friendly industry. The Owners demand shorter schedules, thus taking possession of the project earlier. Sadly, there is no Project Time Span Setting process or algorithm. This is incoherent in the face of rising project complexity (Flyvberg 2013). Adding to the scheduled time where appropriate will keep more qualified workers and managers in the industry and lead to higher adherence to best practices (fewer shortcuts). Due to constrained resource management, designers, contractors – mains and subs prefer a later date. ? More later this year, as our research, including a survey, concludes.?
Business Development Manager at NU Construction
10 个月There is still a lot of stigma surrounding mental health, making it difficult for individuals to seek help.?My role is to help bridge this gap by promoting positive mental health in the workplace."