For Mental Health Awareness Week, starting on Monday (15 May), Martin Duffy looks into the mental health crisis in the industry and what we can do about it.
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from 15th May, with the week-long campaign providing an opportunity to promote mental health resources, destigmatise mental health issues, and encourage conversations about mental health in the workplace.
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In the construction sector, the numbers speak for themselves and are highly concerning. According to workplace mental health charity Mates In Mind, two people who work in construction die by suicide every day. That’s over 700 deaths a year.
In addition, Mates In Mind report that men in the UK are three times more likely to die by suicide than women. This is already a staggering figure but it is further compounded by the statistic that in the male-dominated construction industry, men are three times more likely to die by suicide than the national average.
Why are the numbers so worrying? Is the industry in the midst of a mental health crisis?
The construction and highways industries are often associated with high levels of stress, including long working hours, physically demanding work, financial pressure, and social isolation - however, work is often a contributing factor rather than the root cause of anxiety and mental health issues.
Personal triggers can include relationships, family, health, financial concerns, and legal issues. All these worries, and more, can have a significant impact on the mental health of workers.
Physical health and safety is taken incredibly seriously in the construction industry, often prioritised over mental health wellbeing. However, according to CIBT, construction industry’s training board, it is very often the case that more people in the industry die from suicide than falls from height.
What can we, as an industry and as individual businesses, do about this?
Clearly there is a need to take steps to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and to improve the support that is available to workers.
We all have a responsibility to our employees to provide and prioritise access to mental health services and resources, which can be achieved through increased funding for mental health initiatives. Incorporating mental health support into the workplace can help normalise seeking help and reduce the likelihood of mental health issues going unnoticed.
For example, I am proud to be the chair of NY Highways, the highways maintenance teckal based in North Yorkshire, and we have established a package of support for our employees. We have provided packs of wellbeing and mental health assets to the workforce and an ongoing wellbeing campaign ensures channels of assistance are always visible and available to our employees.
NY Highways staff have access to an Employee Assistance Programme which provides a 24-hour, free and confidential hotline where independent advice can be provided on any of life’s worries, from mental health to legal concerns. MIND, the mental health charity, has attended events and hosted sessions on managing the stresses of everyday life.
It’s important to keep evolving so, NY Highways is also planning to expand its wellbeing offering to ensure staff have access to further resources. This currently includes financial education assets, including free online tools and advice to help ease money burdens and pressures during the cost of living crisis. We want to do more to help our employees so we are also looking into other options around offering additional financial support.
By promoting and prioritising mental health awareness and supporting employees, construction and highways companies can help to create a healthier and happier workplace. This, in turn, can lead to increased productivity, better job satisfaction, and reduced absenteeism.
Martin is taking part in a charity bike ride in early July. Please find out more and donate to his worthy cause here.
