88% of construction workers want mental health support at work

Almost nine in every 10 (88%) construction workers think mental health support is important when choosing their next jobs, according to research by Randstad UK.

The research also found that 39% viewed mental health support as very important, and 49% viewing it as somewhat important.

Mental health support was the fourth most important factor involved in choosing a new job: only pay, work-life balance, and job security were deemed more important.

Mental health support was more important than factors including flexible working hours, amount of annual leave, training and development, career advancement opportunities, values and purpose, stance on environmental issues, health insurance, parental leave policies, and the option to travel to, or work, in a new city or country.

The provision of mental health support was more important to construction workers than those in other lines of work, including industries such as IT and financial services.

Telecommunications professionals, for example, saw the provision of mental health support as only the seventh most important factor when choosing a new job — and only 71% of civil servants said it was an important factor.

Si Harris, senior operations director of Randstad UK & Ireland’s construction recruitment team said: “The message appears to be getting through and construction workers are taking the provision of mental health at work seriously. They’re right to.

“The Lighthouse Charity says that, in the UK, two construction workers take their own lives every working day.

“Stress, depression or anxiety account for 27 per cent of work-related illnesses in the industry.

“Our latest construction industry health report found that more than a third of 3,400 construction workers have experienced a mental health condition within the previous 12 months — a quarter of construction workers told us they were considering leaving the industry in the next year as a result.

“Employers now need to start looking at their benefits packages and ensure they reflect the importance of mental health support to workers — not only from the point of what is morally right, but also, pragmatically, from the point of view of their employer brand.”