3 Ways the Construction Industry Impacts Mental Health

To determine the biggest stressors on the construction workforce, the guide’s authors asked workers to rank work-related stressors identified in previous research. Across all demographic groups, including office and field, white, Latino, and younger and older workers, the three top stressors were:

• Financial stress: Because of the transient, cyclical and fragmented style of work in the construction industry, workers are not confident about when their next paycheck is coming, which makes long-term financial planning difficult, a strain that exists irrespective of economic standing. In other words, consistency and security of compensation have the greatest impact on mental health, not necessarily the amount of the check.
• Job demand: Several factors, including the transient nature of work, amount of control, fluctuation in workload, physical strains, burnout and excessive work pressure, affect mental health. The ongoing labor shortage magnifies these factors. Employees want to do the work, but it’s impacting their mental health, causing many to rely on unhealthy coping methods like opioids and alcohol to manage stress and burnout, the authors say.
• Factors beyond work: While construction industry professionals can’t effectively address non-work-related factors, depending on the situation, they can often be sympathetic or empathetic without prying.

5 Steps for a Construction Industry Mental Health Action Plan

• To avoid harm, carefully consider any action plan that addresses workplace stressors and worker well-being. The organization must support any initiative collectively, starting with several feasible action steps.

1. Educate yourself on the mental health crisis and learn to be supportive and empathetic. You can help everyone get a better grasp on mental health terminology and guide workers toward appropriate professional help while not diagnosing people.
    
2.  Define roles and expectations of everyone involved. While all employees play a crucial role in mental health, only senior executives and managers can take consequential action. “OSH professionals, site managers or coworkers cannot do much beyond acting as conduits to support a positive culture around mental health,” the authors say.
    
3. Create a formal program with an achievable mission and corresponding metrics of success. Any program that attempts to address work-related stressors needs a clear and reasonable mission statement with metrics that are actionable, measurable and embraced. This mission statement and metrics should not revolve around reducing rates of suicide or mental illness. Instead, programs should focus on achievable, positive outcomes based on measuring work-related stressors such as job satisfaction, financial security and sense of belonging. Action steps could include enhancing job security, increasing wages, supporting personal growth, improved problem-solving, providing diverse and interesting work, and creating opportunities for social interaction with coworkers.
    
4. Invest in evidence-based initiatives that target specific stressors. Avoid the common mentality of “let’s just try something.” Introduce any pilot program in a deliberate, safe and scientifically valid manner. Taking these steps can produce best results:
    
5.  Understand how to communicate what the organization does to support employee well-being. Because studies indicate employees not only may be unaware of the available support, but also may mistrust it, an organization must create a robust communication plan and tailor it to appeal to employees of different backgrounds.

Source: American Society of Safety Professionals

Chicago Build is the largest construction & design show for the Midwest, taking place on Oct 29-30 at McCormick Place. The show features 30,000+ AEC and real estate professionals, 400+ high-profile speakers across 13 conference tracks and AIA CES approved workshops, 300+ exhibitors, Architects Hub, multiple business networking opportunities and the Midwest’s biggest Festival of Construction with entertainment and live music.

Register today