Workplace pressures, complex supply chains and a macho culture have made many construction workers hard to reach when it comes to talking about mental health. Daisie Rees-Evans of the Chartered Institute of Building looks at the industry’s efforts to make changes
The New Year is usually a time for reflection and setting goals for the year ahead. For lots of people, however, the past few months have been particularly challenging, and many have had to cut down on luxuries to feed their families and heat their homes. These pressures, added to post-Christmas financial stress, will undoubtedly cause a strain on people’s mental health.
Male construction workers are three times more likely to take their own lives
We continue to see an increase in the number of people reporting poor mental health in the UK. Construction has continued to see high numbers of poor mental health in the workforce and 2017 figures by the Office for National Statistics showed male construction workers are three times more likely to take their own lives compared to other sectors.
The Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) 2020 report, Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment, highlighted how workplace factors including unrealistic deadlines, heavy workloads and poor communication contribute to high levels of stress.
We know some stress for a short period can be motivating. However, high stress levels over a long period of time can have a detrimental impact on productivity and workers’ physical and mental health.
Workplace culture makes it hard to talk about mental health
In addition to these factors, the macho culture and complex supply chains continue to create issues. Over 87% of the construction workforce is male, with less than half being directly employed on a full-time contract. This means a large majority of workers are either self-employed, temporary agency staff or zero-hour contract workers that can be hard to reach.
I recently spoke to one of our Chartered Building Companies about its work in promoting good mental health on construction projects.
Karly Powell, construction administrator, mental health first aider and wellbeing champion at ASD Build, explained ASD’s approach and the importance of reaching out to employees on site.
There is a stigma attached to talking about mental health problems
She said: “The guys on site will be very reluctant to talk about their feelings even when they are really worried about themselves. There is still a huge stigma attached to admitting you are not feeling right mentally. I think men in particular fear coming across as weak admitting any issues. Others will simply not recognise the change in their own behaviour.
“We have partnered with Mates in Mind, a mental health charity, who have provided construction-specific resources which we use as part of toolbox talks delivered on site. It’s amazing to get such positive responses from some of the men who learn about their own mental health as well as being more aware of those around them.
“The impact of poor mental health on the workforce is underestimated and should be taken more seriously. There is the low-level impact of poor motivation and morale of staff, all the way through to missed work days due to ill health and of course the more serious issues that can be seen from the worrying statistics within the construction industry.”
53% of SMEs saw an improvement in workplace mental health provisions in 2022
In the wider industry, we at CIOB are seeing that more businesses are adopting mental health policies and support. A survey we conducted in 2022 found 53% of SMEs had seen an improvement in provision of worker wellbeing and mental health support since Covid-19 restrictions eased.
However, there is still the issue of the macho culture, which we see in the industry and prevents people from discussing concerns about their mental health without judgement. Organised national days like Time to Talk are often an excellent opportunity for businesses to evaluate where the culture is at with openness while promoting the idea of talking to colleagues within the wider workforce.
We have also seen an increase in individuals promoting having conversations about mental health, with some of our members taking part in Movember 2022 to raise awareness of men’s physical and mental health issues.
Gordon Brown, FCIOB and chair of CIOB’s Welsh Hub, gives insight into the importance of the campaign: “I’ve been doing Movember since 2019 to highlight mental health and the unspoken issue of suicide both on and off construction sites.
“While as an industry we are improving our onsite fatalities, anyone leaving a site in worse health than they arrived is fundamentally wrong, and means we are not providing the right environment of inclusivity and openness to stop the offsite deaths. I believe this needs to be brought out into the light and discussed to create safe, inclusive environments to allow others to talk.”
Companies need to start embedding mental health practices into their culture
It is great to use national days and initiatives like Time to Talk and Movember. However, companies need to start embedding practices into their everyday life – this can be difficult when the construction industry is so reliant on deadlines and profit. Often those who are office workers will benefit from embedded company policies for mental health, but those working onsite will often have to put those aside in order to meet targets. To minimise this issue, there are examples of clients and contractors who are now implementing mental health and wellbeing targets into their projects to ensure the wellbeing of the workforce is not left behind.
CIOB continues to highlight the issue of poor mental health in the industry and the need to make improvements at an organisational and governmental level. To learn more about how to manage your mental health, we have a free Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) Mental Health in Construction. Additionally, if you are a member of CIOB and need financial or mental health support, you can access our CIOB Assist platform for free.
Daisie Rees-Evans
Policy and public affairs officer
Chartered Institute of Building
Tel: +44 (0) 1344 630700
