Some of the AOE team members recently attended a webinar hosted by the Precast Concrete Institute’s Midwest chapter, addressing mental health and suicide prevention in the construction industry. The construction industry has the second highest suicide death rate according to the National Institute of Health, so having conversations about this topic is extremely important. Hosted by Todd Adams and featuring Cal Beyer, a leader in workplace mental health, the session explored the intersection of mental health, ethics, and safety in building a high-performance workplace culture.
One key element of focus in the session was an emphasis on leadership’s role in driving change. A visible, vocal, and vulnerable approach to mental health fosters trust and builds stronger, more resilient teams. This will also help attract a younger workforce as they have demonstrated an emphasis on finding healthy and safe environments in which to invest their time and energy. The webinar also included the following key takeaways that you can use to facilitate a positive change toward mental well-being within the industry.
Make mental health a priority First and foremost, making mental health a workplace priority is paramount to driving change. Mental health directly ties to ethics and organizational success. A "24/7 caring culture" prioritizes psychological safety alongside physical safety, creating a competitive advantage, while fostering a stigma-free environment. Offering to host a team meeting to lead a discussion on mental health is a great first step. Once you get started, forming a task group and involving your company HR manager to help facilitate programs will keep the momentum going. Some more actionable solutions include:
Train supervisors to discuss mental health with compassion.
Integrate mental health awareness into orientations, safety stand-downs, and wellness programs.
Celebrate events like recovery month (September) to raise awareness and provide resources.
Breaking stigma by promoting conversations around mental health using inclusive terms like "worker wellbeing."
Create a ‘recovery ready’ work environment. Encourage policies supporting substance use recovery and normalize resources such as the No Shame Pledge.
Think of programs in a holistic way. Shift from "get home safe" to "return to work safe" by addressing emotional, financial, and relational challenges of the workforce.
Identifying industry challenges and risk factors When working to implement mental health and wellbeing initiatives, it’s important to consider the specific risk factors associated with our industry. Some of these risk factors include male-dominated norms, physical strain, and inadequate mental health resources. Recognizing, discussing and developing strategies to combat these will be important to the success of your efforts. Utilizing the insights gained from identifying these challenges will help feed Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and inform the role of leadership in reducing barriers to care.
By addressing mental health proactively, organizations in the construction industry can improve safety, reduce stigma, and enhance overall performance. If you would like to discuss this topic more, or maybe need some help facilitating a conversation with your team, please reach out to AOE for more information.
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