Construction is essential to nearly every industry, but the work can also foster a negative environment. Numerous factors make depression a concern for employees throughout the sector. However, understanding what affects workers will point industry leaders towards optimal solutions.
The Current Standing of Construction Worker Mental Health
The Current Standing of Construction Worker Mental Health
Working a fulfilling job is not enough to protect someone from depression. The construction workforce plays a vital role in the national economy, but employees are struggling with their mental health. Research shows that men working in the U.K. construction industry have suicide rates that are three times higher than those of the general male population.
While outside therapy can provide support, industry leaders can also help their employees on the job by understanding what affects their mental health and which solutions would most closely address those factors.
Why Depression Exists in the Construction Industry
The driving forces behind depression in the construction industry are complicated. Learning about a few of them will make solution-oriented strategising easier for company owners.
1. Working Irregular Schedules
Even though every industry needs construction work, projects are not always easy to predict. Construction professionals may get schedules that change their weekly hours or monthly work expectations. If people have to quickly shift from long daytime hours to evening shifts, their mental health could deteriorate.
Losing sleep can be dangerous for those in hazardous industries. Even 40 minutes less of sleep after the daylight-saving time switch caused a 5.7% increase in workplace injuries for U.S. professionals. If construction workers lose sleep or sustain injuries at work on top of the stress of unpredictable wages, they may experience more intense depression.
2. Working Away from Family
No one enjoys being away from their loved ones for long. Construction companies can send workers to locations for 24 months or longer, which may be far from home. Feeling separated from partners, kids or friends amplifies a person’s isolation. They may become hopeless if they imagine carrying that feeling through a 40-year career.
3. Doing Hazardous Tasks for Lower Pay
Team leaders take crucial steps to protect their employees on construction sites. Even with harnesses and safety nets, people still do dangerous work. The average U.K. construction worker earns between £23,000 and £35,000 annually on a full-time schedule, depending on their experience. If they feel like they are risking their safety for less than a livable wage, construction workers may feel worthless and more depressed.
Potential Solutions for Teams
Business owners hoping to address depression rates in the construction industry can explore new solutions with their teams. They may finalise everyone’s schedules for a project ahead of time whenever possible. Employees could feel better if they had a chance to negotiate their shifts or pick up work as needed.
Prioritising workers closest to future build sites is also important. They will be less likely to feel lonely if they are close to home. If there are no sites within an employee’s preferred commuting range, they could elect to take additional training courses. They might learn how to fix robotics or automation devices to continue earning a wage at the company’s headquarters between construction jobs.
Company owners should also remember that people need money to access mental health care. If a small business cannot afford to give everyone a pay increase, employees may feel less depressed if they receive a dependable raise schedule. Guaranteed better wages based on achievable metrics give people something to look forward to. Temporarily higher hourly pay may also be an optimal solution for employees who have to work farther from home during specific projects.
Make the Industry More Enjoyable for Workers
Construction workers should not have to sacrifice their mental health to remain in a hands-on job they love. Industry leaders can mitigate on what amplifies their depression and create targeted solutions to make the industry more welcoming for everyone.
Image © London Construction Magazine Limited
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Contributor Insight & Authorship: Evelyn Long
Editor-in-Chief at Renovated | Construction, Sustainability & Digital Built Environment Writer |
