Find out what the biggest dangers associated with construction work and you’ll receive the same answers nearly every time: falls electrocution, struck-bys and caught-ins. However, there are more construction workers commit suicide every year than any other fatality at work.
In reality the construction sector has the most suicide rates of any profession and more than 80percent of construction workers have suffered tension in their work. Work hard throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in order to support the families of their workers and community has increased the burnout, stress and mental health challenges for these vital employees.
But there’s more to it that is the majority of people who struggle with mental health issues don’t seek assistance or share their thoughts to anyone else.
In a male-dominated industry like construction where mental health conversations are not commonplace, it is crucial that employers create an environment where employees feel comfortable and supported talking about concerns about mental health. By providing support and tools can change the outdated perception of construction industry mental health.
Stressed in Silence
Construction workers are more prone to burnout than any other profession–and with the right reasons. The long, unstructured hours in hazardous work environments and the additional anxiety of job security is a major cause of stress. In addition that workers are now concerned regarding shortages of materials, exposure to COVID-19, and the threat of shutdowns mandated by government that could cost them their jobs.
Most construction employees don’t speak about their emotions or seek assistance. About 60 percent from construction employees said they were having mental health issues, but only one third were willing to share this information with their employers. The reasons why they didn’t inform their employer about their struggle are fear of being embarrassed and a fear that the employer won’t be able to assist as well as the fear that it could affect their job.
The stigma around mental health discussions–particularly among men, who make up nearly 90 percent of those working in construction-related jobs force people to use harmful coping strategies. Chronic stress can lead to more serious physical and mental health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure exhaustion, a weakened immunity, depression and anxiety. However, it’s not only individuals who are at risk. Your mental health of your employees may impact your entire company.
Depression and anxiety combined with a long working day can cause sleeping less sleep and pose a major risk at construction sites. The work of construction is hazardous and typically involves the use of large machinery, doing electrical work, or working with high-rises. The risk of accidents increases when fatigue and mental apathy are involved. The more mistakes you make, the higher the chance of accidents, leading to more injuries and legal consequences for your business.
Focus loss and lower productivity Mental health issues contribute to lower productivity at work like having a difficult time focusing on work and a lack of work due to sick days. Research has shown an unfavorable and significant relationship between burnout at work and performance at work and can negatively impact relationships between coworkers. Furthermore, those who suffer from mental illness are twice more likely to become distracted at work. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Depression is the cause of around 200 million lost working days each year, which costs companies money and time.
The prevalence of mental health concerns is higher in businesses which fail to take care of the health of their employees. It is essential to implement strategies to reduce stress and improve mental health within the workplace.
How to Support Your Workers’ Mental Health
A supportive work environment starts with reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. Through promoting these conversations and providing the proper instruments and support, you will be able to make a secure space for your employees.
Use Preventative Measures While you won’t be able to completely eliminate stress in the work environment, there’s steps that can be taken to decrease stress levels for workers. Stress at work is a result of a myriad of causes, role ambiguity being among the biggest contributing factors. It is possible to avoid this by clearly stating your expectations and what your employees will be performing and the people who is expected to follow on-site. It is also important to encourage your employees to have regular breaks that can benefit their physical and mental health. However, for preventative measures to get traction the managers and supervisors to demonstrate self-care and to take breaks on their own.
The ability to train supervisors to detect symptoms of mental health problems and stress is a valuable preventative step for you to consider investing in. However, this kind of training can be much more effective when you have an established relationship with your employees. It is crucial to build strong bonds with your workers Be honest about your mistakes or discuss personal matters outside of work, and, most importantly, be honest.
Discuss to Distigmatize Adherence to male norms is common in the construction sector, and can prevent males from expressing their emotions and discussing issues with their mental health. Although removing the stigma surrounding mental health isn’t an easy job, managers and employees could benefit from regular check-ups on their mental health. The research by Health Shield shows that 57% of employees are more committed to their work as well as be more productive. spend less time away from working if their employer was supportive of their mental health.
Another effective method to improve mental health is to host guests speakers and seminars at the workplace. It’s crucial to select various speakers that your employees can relate to and could serve as role examples. Listening to others’ experiences of mental issues can help people identify their own issues and inspire them to confront these problems.
Create Tools for People outside the Workplace Some individuals are unwilling to speak up about their mental health issues, regardless of how accommodating your workplace is. To assist these people it is essential to offer information and tools for employees to utilize at their own leisure. The first step to take is to create awareness of national and local resources including SAMHSA. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA has a national helpline, which offers the ability to route referrals for people and families who are facing problems with mental health and addiction disorders. You can also gather information on nearby resource centers as well as their opening hours to make it easier for people to access assistance outside of the office.
A different resource that is worth considering is a platform for employee well-being that can be anything from a mobile application to a web-based portal. You can offer short videos that cover things like fitness and gut health’s importance to mental well-being, as well as options to track food intake or exercises, as well as quizzes that measure wellbeing. These tools are designed to inspire and educate workers and create an environment that encourages acceptance. A platform for employee wellbeing lets employees explore these options from the comfort of their own homes and share their knowledge with their family members.
Normalize Discussions Around Mental Health
The most important thing you should consider is your employees’ safety and their mental health. Mental health stigmas have slowed many particularly men from seeking out the support they require. Within the field of construction, changing gender norms and expectations can facilitate normalizing conversations about mental health, decrease suicide rates, and motivate men and women, too, to talk about their experiences.
Jill Fleming is the human resource director at ISN the company that offers contractor management services for contractors. She has been at ISN for 12 years and has been managing team initiatives, such as health and wellness programs, benefits including recruitment as well as diversity and inclusion training and development and much more.