MENtal health awareness

The silent crisis affecting those in construction

In excess of 90% of construction industry professionals have experienced stress, fatigue, poor concentration and felt overwhelmed in a 2019 study by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), with 26% having suicidal thoughts – and this was before the COVID crisis struck. Just think about that for a second.

With males working in construction three times more likely to commit suicide than those in other industries, it is time for change. We’re proud to say that, for many years now, we have supported the mental wellbeing of our teams as part of our overall group culture and values; just one of the reasons we are recognised as one of the Sunday Times Top 100 companies to work for.

But this doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels; across our sites we ensure that:
• We highlight where our teams can get help
• We get to know each and every team member so we can spot the early signs of stress or anxiety
• Each team leader is trained as a Mental Health First Aider, equipped with the knowledge to support someone in need
• We encourage meaningful conversations across our sites, not just a passing chat
• We have engaged with independent support groups and professionals, such as Andy’s Man Club and Dr Rachel Alexander, to provide seminars to our teams and supply chains

In construction, some stress is unavoidable, so for us, mental wellbeing is not something we support just for one week out of the year, but every single day.