Construction World November 2024

MARKETPLACE

Breaking construction’s ‘TOUGH-GUY’ CULTURE Traditional and institutionalised beliefs about masculinity play a significant role in shaping men’s behaviours and attitudes toward the mental pressures related to their occupation. But few industries struggle with this issue as much as construction. Concerningly, research by the Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan (CIRP) reveals that around 80% of construction workers have experienced moderate to severe mental issues. The industry also has one of the highest suicide rates among men, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). By Roelof van den Berg, CEO of the Gap Infrastructure Corporation (GIC) T he idea of traditional masculine behaviour is often named as a major reason that some men have engaged and motivated, negatively impacting the overall morale and efficiency of the team.

At the Gap Infrastructure Corporation, for example, we have realised substantial benefits from focusing on mental health at our worksites, and ensuring that our employees feel cared for and empowered to seek the help they need. As an industry, it’s time to resolve the ‘tough-guy dilemma’ by further encouraging key stakeholders to join in changing the culture surrounding mental health, beginning with three key steps: Encouraging help-seeking behaviour The first step to addressing mental health in the industry is for employers to make support more easily accessible and, more importantly, normalised. Many workers are reluctant to share their struggles because they fear being judged or seen as weak. Workplaces need to shift the narrative, and reposition help-seeking behaviour as a positive for long-term wellbeing. Employers should also introduce a workplace culture where mental health is openly discussed as a form of injury prevention in the same way as other safety protocols, making it clear that psychological health is just as important as physical safety.

trouble expressing their emotions. This may make them uncomfortable sharing their feelings or finding the right words to describe their emotional state, often due to fear of what others may think. It also discourages workers from seeking help for mental health issues, which may lead to serious consequences like increased rates of depression, anxiety, and even suicide. For workers, this mental health crisis may affect the way they behave in and outside of work, and even negatively impact their long-term health. Chronic stress, for example, may increase the risk of hypertension and heart disease, which have long-lasting negative effects. Workers struggling with mental health issues may also have impaired concentration and decision-making abilities, increasing the likelihood of accidents and safety violations, and endangering their own lives and the lives of the people around them – especially in high-risk construction zones. Meanwhile, employers who fail to address these issues adequately may face higher rates of absenteeism, reduced productivity, higher turnover rates, higher healthcare costs, and increased liability. Moreover, a workforce struggling with mental health issues is less likely to be

14 CONSTRUCTION WORLD NOVEMBER 2024