We need every company to take a positive approach to mental health

Dawn Moore is group people director at Murphy Group.

One in four people worldwide experiences poor mental health – a statistic that is well known to many.

Everyone has some risk of developing a mental health disorder, no matter their age, gender, job or background, which is why so much work has been done to reduce the stigma around mental health in the wider workplace.

There has been some great work done in the industry over the past few years when it comes to promoting positive attitudes towards mental health but construction is a sector that still lags behind others in this area.

While the industry can be a rewarding and varied one to work in, it is also one where working conditions, travel and other factors can contribute to poor mental health.

The ‘macho culture’ that is often embedded in construction companies can also stop workers from speaking out and seeking help, meaning many are suffering in silence.

“If we’re not talking about mental health and measuring its impact, how will we improve?”

That is why campaigns such as Mind Matters by Construction News and its 2022 Mental Health Survey are so vital when it comes to breaking down barriers across the sector – if we’re not talking about mental health, measuring its impact on our colleagues and identifying ways to improve the current situation, how will we improve?

Safeguarding physical health is given significant importance in the construction industry, and rightly so. While the sector will always carry a degree of inherent risk, the days of a low key attitude to safety have largely been consigned to history.

Physical wellbeing OK, mental wellbeing not OK

These days, there are very few people who would not challenge working practices that put colleagues at risk of physical harm on a regular basis and yet, in many ways, we still have that exact situation when it comes to mental health across our sector.

As a result, suicide kills six times as many construction workers as falls from height.

There is a critical need for our industry to continue to take urgent steps to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and to continually find ways to improve the support available to workers.

The pandemic may have exacerbated mental ill health, but this disruption could instead be the catalyst that galvanises our industry and takes to the next level our approach to mental health initiatives.

Indeed, there is anecdotal evidence that the industry has been spurred into more action over the past two years. We’re seeing a range of wellbeing initiatives, mental health protocols and new working practices, as well as better-informed managers who are equipped to spot the early signs of poor mental health and help colleagues overcome them.

“We’re seeing the business benefit of having more mental health ambassadors than ever”

Encouragingly, more and more construction businesses are starting to prioritise their employees’ mental health. We’re certainly seeing the business benefit of having more mental health ambassadors and first aiders than ever before, while our employees tell us they feel empowered by the initiatives and additional support we are rolling out for them.

An attractive sector to work in

At an industry level, a healthier, happier work environment will attract new people, improve productivity and enhance the construction sector’s reputation.  How a company supports health and wellbeing is also becoming an increasingly asked question by candidates in interviews. This comes at precisely the moment the industry is facing the much talked about skills shortage and is playing a key role in the government’s Build Back Better agenda.

But there needs to be continued collaboration within the industry if we are to realise this desired culture shift and make a difference. It is not enough for pockets of proactivity at individual firms – we need every site and every company to do more to safeguard our industry’s 1.4 million workers.

Mental health isn’t an optional, ‘nice to have’ element of a company’s approach to health and safety, and this isn’t an issue that needs to be pored over when the cost of failing to act is so stark. Times have moved on from simply having mental health first aiders being enough to demonstrate commitment – things like this should now be a given.

Hard-headed business benefits

It’s hard to think of workers on site operating without hard hats but it has only been a legal requirement to do so since March 1990, despite the fact that they were first used in construction as early as 1919. We simply cannot wait as long to implement similar safety provisions sector wide when it comes to mental health.

By taking a proactive and visible approach to mental health and wellbeing, the construction sector will benefit from having more engaged and motivated employees, less absenteeism and increased productivity, retaining people within the industry at a time when skills are in high demand.

Hard hats are a ubiquitous presence across any construction setting – let’s make sure that proper mental health protocols are just as prevalent.