Inside Construction speaks to Stuart Taylor, CEO and Founder of resilience program provider Springfox, about the responsibility construction bosses have to extend workplace safety to support mental health.
In the construction business, workplace health and safety is paramount. Building sites are busy places, filled with heavy machinery, loud equipment and heights.
Occupational health and safety laws, overseen by government bodies like Safe Work Australia, aim to keep workers safe from injury and fatality in these potentially dangerous areas.
However, while a significant amount of work has gone into improving physical safety for construction workers, there is a serious lag when it comes to their mental health, according to Stuart Taylor, CEO and Founder of mental wellbeing organisation Springfox.
“Mental illness is a serious challenge for the construction industry. A lot of the statistics show that levels of depression, anxiety and suicide are above the norm, due to a number of factors,” he explains.
Related stories:
- WA Govt launches mental health code for FIFO construction workers
- Too much lip service for mental health in the workplace
- Building health: wilderness therapy
“For example, the industry has a high level of shift work, which can have an enormous impact on sleep and the ability to recover. Fatigue can also be a prelude to other mental illnesses.”
Another factor Taylor points to, is the high percentage of males as the construction employee base. The Australian Bureau of Statistics found men made up 88 per cent of the construction labour force in 2017-18.
The 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing study found that men are far less likely to seek help for mental health conditions than women.
Taylor says the reason behind this tendency is to avoid being seen as weak, however he believes this is starting to change.
“Organisations like Beyond Blue and the Black Dog Institute are destigmatising mental illness and making it okay to reach out,” he says.
“As the industry’s understanding of mental health matures, the next step is to start looking after worker’s mental health, as well as physical wellbeing.”
The Australian Government requires all workplaces to be safe, both physically and mentally, and recommends businesses think about how they can improve employee wellbeing.
Beyond Blue’s State of Workplace Mental Health in Australia report found that 91 per cent of people believe mental health in the workplace is important, but only 52 per cent of employees believe their workplace is mentally healthy. This is compared to 76 per cent of workplaces that employees consider physically safe. Further, only five in 10 employees believe their most senior leaders value mental health.
One in five Australians have taken time off because of anxiety, depression or other mental health issues. Beyond Blue found this statistic doubled when employees believed their workplace was mentally unhealthy, and that workers were less likely to disclose if they were experiencing a mental health condition or seek support.
There can be hidden costs when employees are struggling with mental illness. Taylor says workplace productivity can drop and the rate of accidents can increase.
He adds that there is a lot that the industry can do to help workers recover and flourish, and outlines his five main strategies for building healthy workplaces.
1. Lead from the top
“It’s important that leaders set an example in how they conduct themselves,” Taylor explains.
Building a culture that encourages healthy behaviours, such as taking breaks when needed, exercising and supporting connections with those who need it can have a big impact in the workplace.
2. Encourage a positive lifestyle
Providing an environment where good nutrition and exercise is at a higher level can have remarkable impacts.
“If there is catering involved on a work site, include healthier meals for the staff,” he says.
3. Build resilience
Taylor explains resilience as the ability to bounce back after a setback and go on to thrive. He says the construction industry has some of the least resilience when compared to other industries in Australia but adds that there is great opportunity to improve this.
“Our most recent Global Resilience Report found that those who proactively invested in building their resilience significantly reduced the symptoms of their mental illness by 30% on average,” he says.
4. Provide mental health resources
Employee assistance programs, access to councillors and professional mental health expertise can be incredibly effective, if the workforce knows about it.
Taylor says that many organisations have these resources available but finding them can be difficult. “Making it clear to workers there are resources available can drastically improve their uptake,” he says.
5. Build a culture of trust
Taylor warns that in driven, high performance organisations, leaders need to be careful the culture doesn’t start to become based on fear.
“When people are concerned about their jobs or not meeting targets, it can lead to increased stress,” he says.
“Stress can be an entry point for mental illness, the extent of which will always lead to a greater challenge.”
.JPG)
.png){kind=small}
