Mental Health in Construction: Time for Change
2 Dec 2024
The Industry
The construction industry can be a challenging place to work, with demanding hours, high-pressure environments and physically tough labour contributing to stress and anxiety among workers. It’s time for our industry to face the facts and make the fundamental changes needed to support current and future construction colleagues.
Tragically, the current statistics around mental health in construction are pretty grim. According to The Lighthouse Charity, construction workers in the UK are almost four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average, with over two construction workers taking their own lives every working day. Although the stigma around mental health has begun to ease in recent years, with greater awareness and support available for those in need, the main issues causing workers to feel stress are systemic and still embedded in the culture of construction. Change therefore needs to happen from within the industry if we are to truly tackle this mental health epidemic.
It really comes down to the pressure that individuals are put under as a consequence of construction projects being run on very tight margins. There’s a trickle-down effect where those responsible for delivering buildings and infrastructure look to minimise their own risk by passing the responsibility on to contractors. Unfortunately, there is also still a lot of machismo in construction. as, Ddespite recent improvements, it remains a male-dominated industry, with one consequence of this being that any perceived lack of effort or commitment is still sometimes seen as a sign of weakness. We all need to work on improving this culture so there is a more collective attitude rather than everyone looking out for themselves.
At Ikon, we try to implement working practices that reduce the pressures on our team, such as being reluctant to take on projects where unrealistic expectations are set. This might cause us to miss out on some opportunities, but as a management team we won’t ask our staff to do anything we wouldn’t be comfortable with ourselves. We’re also fortunate that the relatively small size of our firm means there are plenty of opportunities to talk openly as a group or one-to-one about any problems people may be having. The management team are always available to chat with individuals and are in a position to take action when required. This means that issues can be dealt with before they begin to impact on someone’s psychological wellbeing.
We need to look at other industries and recognise that what is seen as normal behaviour in construction would not be accepted elsewhere.
There needs to be a significant cultural change within the construction industry to prioritise workers’ wellbeing rather than simply putting in place reactive measures like Mental Health First Aiders, which, while important, have little impact on tackling the root cause of the issues. We need to look at other industries and recognise that what is seen as normal behaviour in construction would not be accepted elsewhere.
A good starting point could be ensuring that projects are properly resourced so it’s not all about squeezing the profit margin. If one person is doing the job of four people it’s only going to lead to stress and poor quality outcomes. Setting realistic deadlines would also help contractors to manage their staff more responsibly and perhaps reduce the number of hours people are expected to work. Finally, reducing payment terms so people don’t have to wait 90 + days to be paid would prevent some of the financial strain many small businesses and sole traders are subject to.
In addition to the fundamental, industry-wide changes that are needed, we can also do more as individuals to look out for one another. That can be as simple as asking how a colleague is doing if they seem a bit down, or taking time to listen when someone comes to you with a problem. By combining these small actions with systemic change, it may be possible to rebuild the construction industry’s reputation and attract a new generation of talent.
Since entering the industry ten years ago as a trainee, I’ve seen a lot of young, talented people choosing to change careers to pursue a sector that is less stressful and potentially offers greater financial rewards. We need to make construction more attractive as a profession, and looking after people’s mental wellbeing is the minimum we should be doing. This industry has become my home, one which I feel very lucky to be a part of and one that continues to grow and evolve. The main reason I love what I do so much is because I’ve had, and continue to have, the pleasure of working with some truly amazing people. Construction is full of great characters – it’s time we cherished them.
