Poor mental health is rife within the construction sector workforce, and sadly, there are grim statistics to prove it. Over 700 UK construction workers commit suicide every year: an average of two a day.
Men are three times more likely to commit suicide than women, and the construction workforce is numerically dominated by men. 85% of construction workers are men, and therefore you’d be forgiven for jumping to the conclusion that suicide rates in construction are high because it’s a male dominated industry. However, this does not tell the whole story- far from it. Men who work in the construction sector are three times more likely to commit suicide than men who work in other industries. The problem therefore runs much deeper than it being a male dominated sector.
Why should it matter to construction employers?
Other than the obvious moral and legal obligation to your workforce, here are some other reasons that you should consider:
- Stress, anxiety, and depression accounts for one-fifth of work-related illnesses.
- A recent survey found that 59% of those who had taken sick leave did not tell their line manager that the reason they needed time off was due to their mental health. Mental health issues within your own workforce are therefore likely to be more prevalent than you think.
Talking about it
I was recently invited to take part in a podcast to discuss why this is such a big problem in construction, why it matters, and what employers can do to help.
The Tearoom Talks Podcast was set up by Toby Peacock, an electrician based in Cambridgeshire. Toby was a finalist at last year’s Screwfix Top Tradesperson competition, and I met him in my capacity as one of the judges. Toby’s willingness to openly discuss his mental health problems was refreshing and struck a chord with all the judges. He also seemed determined to use his own experience to help others and to break the mental health stigma. Toby went on to win the competition, and shortly after, set up the Tearoom Talks podcast in attempt to do just that.
During our discussion, we talked about the challenges facing the sector and the impact these can have on mental health. I also offer advice to small building companies on how to improve work-related stress and where builders can turn to find support.
Listen to the podcast
Ifan and Toby talk all things construction and look at the challenges builders face such as material shortages, customer needs, work illnesses and of course combating mental health.
If you need immediate mental health related help, contact the Construction Industry Charity, the Lighthouse Club on 0345 605 1956 or visit www.constructionindustryhelpline.com
Authors
Ifan Glyn
Ifan is the Director of FMB Cymru and in addition heads up of the FMB regional and devolved nations team. He is also a member of the FMB Senior Management Team. Ifan holds an MA in History from the University of St Andrews and an MSc in Welsh Government and Politics from Cardiff University.
