Builders embrace new ways to support mental wellbeing

The mental health challenges facing construction workers and construction companies are enormous and known. Construction has the highest suicide rate of any industry in America, one of the highest rates of opioid misuse and overdose, and ample cases of stress, burnout, anxiety and other mental wellness challenges.

So what can companies do on a day-in, day-out basis to support their employees mental wellbeing?

Clark Construction Group has embarked on an array of mental health initiatives.
A supporter of the National Construction Suicide Prevention Week, Clark is “training leaders in Forefront Suicide Prevention L.E.A.R.N. technique, a five-step process to recognize, engage and support individuals in crisis,” said Greg Colevas, Corporate Safety Director. “We recently introduced Mental Health First Aid training to deepen employees understanding of mental illness and suicide prevention.”

More construction companies “are training their employees on how to be that first line of support by noticing when their co-workers are struggling,” said Jennifer Dewees, President of the Maryland Center for Construction Education & Innovation (MCCEI).

Training programs offered by the Center for Prevention of Construction Suicide and other organizations help individuals recognize the warning signs that a co-worker is struggling.

“They may start showing up late to work or missing time or making mistakes that they normally wouldn’t make,” Dewees said. Trainees are taught that “when you see those kinds of behaviors in an employee, don’t automatically penalize them. Figure out why this is happening because there is always a reason why.”

Some companies, she added, have trained people to help individuals find a therapist and access mental health services that are affordable and convenient. The challenges that people often face in accessing those services can be enough to convince a person suffering from addiction, depression or other issues to cease seeking any help.

Through years of efforts to build awareness of mental health issues and create a supportive environment for anyone who is struggling, Clark has learning that the best thing a company can do is simply “talk about it,” Colevas said. “Remove the natural tendency for this topic to be taboo and approach from a place of openness, caring and respect. Creating opportunities for open, two-way conversations with our people, especially our craft workers on our projects, has been incredibly impactful. We’ve been continually surprised that given the opportunity to talk about their mental health, people will want to tell their stories and what has impacted them.”

“Mental health isn’t just about your mental state but caring for your overall health. That is where our wellness program comes in,” said Corinne Burrows, Assistant Director of Human Resources at Gray & Son.

That program encourages employees to complete an annual physical with their primary care physician “which includes time to address mental health concerns,” Burrows said.

Company benefits include an employee assistance program (EAP) that provides mental health and counselling services as well as assistance with family caregiving, legal services and financial services; a telehealth service that makes mental health services more available at convenient times; and a consulting service for managers who are seeking advice on how to handle situations affecting their employees.

Wohlsen Construction provides confidential and free counselling services through its EAP, wellness and physical activity programs through its health insurance, an executive coach service to help team members develop better management strategies in a demanding business, and training sessions on Emotional Intelligence “which helps team members learn how to navigate the stress on the job and manage emotions under pressure,” said Lisa Murray, Director of Learning and Development.

The company encourages employees “to use their paid time off days when they need a mental break and, in most recent years, increased the total number of paid time off days per year,” Murray said.

Wohlsen also changed its EAP provider “to add new features, like an app, so team members can get texting support and a 24/7 hotline for any mental health crisis,” she said.

In addition to providing a supportive environment and an array of mental health services, companies need to coach employees on how to “take personal ownership of your own mental health,” said Matt Verderamo, Group Director at Well Built Construction Consulting. “It starts with helping people recognize that they have a say in how they function and they have an opportunity to prioritize their own mental health.”

Embracing that mindset can be very challenging in a high-pressure, deadline-driven, construction environment. But Verderamo insists it is possible and essential to the health of the individual and the company.

“Our brains are really good at finding evidence to support the things we believe,” he said. “So, if we believe there is no opportunity in the day to take a mental health break – to take a 15-minute walk and not look at our e-mail – then we will make sure that’s true. But if we believe that we have the opportunity to take care of ourselves every day, it’s amazing how you’ll find the moments to tend to your own wellness.”

In fact, Verderamo advises construction companies and workers that they can achieve bigger wellness benefits by “working those small moments into your day rather than trying to overhaul your work life.”