Leaders must ‘walk in the shoes’ of their workforce

It is important to recognise the significant progress the construction sector has made when it comes to talking about mental health and suicide. Conversations that would once have been avoided are now happening across sites and boardrooms alike. Awareness campaigns have helped reduce stigma, and more businesses are recognising that wellbeing matters.

But awareness alone will not solve the problem. More than 80% of construction workers say they have felt stressed or anxious at work. Suicide remains one of the biggest challenges facing our sector. And despite all the conversations, too many people still struggle in silence – and lose their life as a result.

If we want to meaningfully improve wellbeing in construction, leaders need to do more than introduce policies or awareness campaigns from head office. We need to walk in the shoes of the people delivering our projects every day and understand the reality of working life across the industry.

At a recent safety conference, we spoke about “Bob the self-employed plumber”. Bob goes where the work is: different sites, different teams, different faces. He works to tight deadlines and has little stability. If he does not work, he does not get paid.

Bob is not unusual. He represents thousands of people throughout construction. Long hours and constantly moving between projects all affect mental health and a person’s sense of belonging.

The question leaders need to ask themselves is simple: who knows Bob? 

Who notices if he is struggling, checks in with him or makes him feel part of the team while he is on site? Because even if someone is only on a project for a short period, they are still part of our workforce while they are there.

The reality is that around 61%  of the workforce delivering construction projects are not directly employed. In too many cases, people can feel like they belong to no one and don’t have a voice.

That human connection matters because, despite all the processes that shape the industry today, construction is still fundamentally a people business.

The industry has become increasingly programme-heavy, with growing pressure around delivery targets and pipeline uncertainty. But projects are still delivered by people, and construction cannot lose sight of that.

Looking after people is fundamental to performance and safety. Those who experience high levels of wellbeing at work are three times more likely to go the extra mile in their role.

Tight and often unworkable programmes and a lack of long-term support structures can all contribute to poor mental health across every level of the industry. In many ways, time pressure itself has become one of the biggest risks to wellbeing in construction.

That is why wellbeing cannot be reduced to posters on walls or toolbox talks alone. Culture is built through how people are treated on site and whether workers feel safe speaking up when they are struggling.

People face challenges outside of work every day, and our industry must continue creating environments where it is genuinely okay not to be okay. People need to feel safe sharing how they are feeling without fear of judgement or consequences.

At Seddon, this became deeply personal after we lost one of our own, Jordan Bibby, in 2017. Jordan’s death forced us to confront difficult questions about mental health and the support available across our business. It led to the creation of Jordan’s Conversation and the Jordan’s Ambassadors programme, which helped to create an environment where people feel more comfortable speaking openly and asking for help.

Leaders also need to recognise that the way construction operates, with tight deadlines and long hours, can itself create and intensify poor mental health. We have a responsibility not only to improve awareness and culture, but also to better understand these structural challenges so we can actively mitigate them.

That support must not stop with directly employed teams. Construction relies on complex supply chains, and if we want to improve wellbeing across the sector, support must extend to everyone working on our projects.

That is why we partnered with Mates in Mind to introduce the Champions Programme across our business and wider supply chain. The programme goes beyond policy and awareness campaigns. It is designed to strengthen leadership capability and improve workforce wellbeing.

It gives us an opportunity as a main contractor to better support the people delivering projects alongside us. The programme is built around collaboration and creating a shared voice across projects, helping us better understand what we can improve together to strengthen both project delivery and the lived experience of everyone involved.

The industry has made important progress in raising awareness and reducing stigma around mental health, but employers now need evidence-led guidance that reflects the realities of working in construction.

This is where organisations such as Mates in Mind play a critical role, combining research and lived industry experience to help businesses create lasting change.

If leaders are prepared to truly walk in the shoes of the workforce, we must create an industry where fewer pairs of boots are left empty too soon.

If you are seeking mental health support, Mates in Mind provides practical advice, guidance and access to support services here: https://www.matesinmind.org/need-help