It’s common knowledge that the hours are long, the program and commercial pressures are challenging, working environments are demanding and the workforce is quite transient in nature.  These are just some of the reasons that poor mental health is prevalent in the Construction Industry.

These things will not change, however, the way we choose to interact with them is something we do have the opportunity to change. 

Catherine Everett, Owner of Blue Sky Vitality and Mental Health and Wellbeing Specialist at Fit for Work, is working to tackle the taboo around mental health within construction head-on. 

We no longer need to be an industry that puts up with unhealthy environments and attitudes anymore.  It is important for the future of our industry that we make real changes now. I believe it is possible to be productive, efficient and innovative and still be mentally and physically healthy.

That said, changing anything in the Construction Industry takes a long time and its attitude to mental health is no different. Our progress in physical health and safety is clear to see yet there is no physical health without mental health.  We see the stark statistics around suicide and ill mental health regularly, yet as an industry we appear to have been slow to act. Is it because we are used to seeing sensational headlines? Is it because most people find the truth too uncomfortable to address?  Or is it because we don’t know how to connect with each other?  To me it seems the common issue is that there’s not much gathering and sharing of data within the industry.  Poor mental health is a common problem, but we are treating it like a commercial secret. Our industry is one where openness and honesty are generally not encouraged, and this attitude puts barriers in the way of working together for the greater good of the wider workforce.  There is some great work being done in many pockets of the industry, but it’s not joined up enough to make it effective.

One way to improve this imbalance is to use the technology currently available to us to connect and communicate throughout the industry.  With Construction becoming more focussed on operating in Common Data Environments on projects and automating site check-in with fingerprints etc, it should be easier to work together in other aspects and effect real change for wellbeing too.  The tools to make this easy are already out there.  In the day and age where nearly everyone has a smart phone in their pocket, apps like Fit for Work provide businesses the ability to get wellbeing support to the masses by simultaneously reaching people through their devices.

However, for a lot of people, change is something to be feared either based on their personal experience or because invariably it is perceived to mean a different or more complicated way of doings things.  A large percentage of the workforce is unskilled or has English as a second language, so adoption needs to cover all bases to be inclusive.  There is also a sense that big brother is watching us and the data collected may be used against us.  This comes down to trust at the end of the day.  Trust that our employer wants to help us in working safely and healthily rather than using it as a smoke screen for something else.

To me, this mistrust is the biggest obstacle to innovation in this industry.  Does this hinder change? Does it increase the stress?  Absolutely.  The idea of digitally connecting workforces on some common ground seems simple but how does all this data really get used? There is an onus on businesses to lead this process with openness and transparency.

It couldn’t be easier to adopt effective change for wellbeing in this digital age, however, there is still a reticence.  Do the many systems and procedures we already have in place create an overwhelm of their own?  I also believe we stop equipping ourselves to facilitate change as we get older.  In school we teach children to keep trying, develop a growth mindset yet that ethos seems to largely disappear when we reach the commercially competitive world of adulthood. We reward innovation that works but rarely acknowledge the failed attempts along the way. Why is this industry so fearful of pooling it’s knowledge?

We don’t live in a world where everything is right first time and sharing, embracing and learning from the failures associated with innovation not only relieves the pressure of expectation and the stigma associated with the learning process but also helps us get to the destination quicker as a whole community.

I believe change is good and doesn’t have to be uncomfortable that’s why when I work with businesses to improve their wellbeing, I’m the best fit for those that want to integrate new thinking and new strategy within the existing business structure. My support is as bespoke as the business I’m working with but my end goal of a natural culture of wellbeing is the same for every client.

After more than 20 years as an engineer in the Construction Industry and following the premature death of her husband in 2019, Catherine Everett retrained as a wellbeing life coach and mental health first aider.  She set up Blue Sky Vitality, providing bespoke and practical solutions to help businesses support their staff with mental health and wellbeing.  Catherine provides a unique combination of signposting, coaching and empathy to employees whilst supporting businesses at a strategic level to ensure wellbeing contributes to the overall success of the business rather than detracting from the bottom line.